Monthly Archives: August 2012

Lutron, News

Lutron Announces the Availability of Fan Speed Controls

Lutron Announces the Availability of Fan Speed Controls for its HomeWorks QS and RadioRA 2 Total Home Control Systems

HomeWorks QS fan speed control
• controls ceiling fans up to two amps
• provides four quiet speeds, plus off
• does not require additional wiring or a canopy module
• supports multi-location installations
• available in wired and wireless versions
• allows for easier upgrade of existing HomeWorks illumination systems to Homeworks QS
• available in satin, gloss and architectural finishes
• wired fan speed control begins shipping September 6
• wireless fan speed control begins shipping fourth quarter

RadioRA 2 fan speed control 
• controls ceiling fans up to two amps
• provides four quiet speeds, plus off
• does not require additional wiring or a canopy module
• supports multi-location installations
• available in satin and gloss finishes
• begins shipping fourth quarter

New Products

Squeezebox is Backbone of New Multiroom Audio System from Fusion

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Long known for its movie servers, Fusion will debut the Ovation Music Streamer (OMS), an audio-only solution for streaming music to as many as five zones.

For this product, Fusion didn’t reinvent the wheel. Rather, the company built this box around the popular Squeezebox audio system from Logitech.

“As we began architecting our own audio streamer system, we came across Squeezebox and all the other open source products built around it,” says Fusion VP of sales Ingo Schmoldt “It seemed an ideal base upon which to build because there are tons of users vetting the GUIs, and of course there are a host of free drivers and apps available for all the major automation companies and mobile devices.”

Indeed, many CE pros already use Squeezebox and other cheap consumer devices in their fancy A/V racks – obviously not an ideal solution with the lack of margin, special rack kits, and multiple boxes with separate IP addresses for integrating with home control systems.

“They all say they want a more integration-friendly product — one that isn’t available everywhere on the Web and actually allows them to make some decent margin,” Schmoldt says.

Check out more CEDIA coverage at CEPro.com/cedianews!

He adds that plenty of other vendors make excellent multiroom streaming products for the custom channel, but dealers “all seemed to say that they’re way too expensive.”

Ovation streamers start at $995 for the OMS1, which supports three analog zones, and tops out at $1795 for the OMS3, which supports up to five zones (four analog, one digital). The top model features a fanless chassis with a 1TB hard drive and a CD drive for ripping music (FLAC and MP3 simultaneously). In the middle is the $1,295 OMS2, which supports three zones (two analog and one digital) and offers 500 GB of internal storage.

All units support 96kHz/24-bit HD digital audio playback and most of the major file formats including Apple lossy, Apple Lossless (AAC & ALAC), MP3, OGG Vorbis, WMA and FLAC.

The units are designed to be Squeezebox compatible, meaning integrators can take advantage of existing drivers from home automation vendors, and utilize all the major mobile-device apps currently available.

Currently, two-way drivers are available for Savant Systems, RTI and Elan, but a Control4 driver is on the way, thanks to Kevin Luther of Blackwire Designs.

“We were brought in to develop a driver to allow Control4 to give the user two-way feedback from the Fusion product to every C4 interface including touchpanels, mobile devices and apps,” Luther says. “I have personally been using the product in my own home with a Control4 system and I find myself using it every single day. At this price point I think this product is guaranteed to fill a real need in the industry.”

He adds, “The entire line seems incredibly cheap and should be able to be spec’d into almost any multizone project.”

And, before you ask … no wireless.

News

Autonomic First CEDIA Manufacturer to Announce UltraViolet™ Device License

Autonomic, supplying the custom electronics industry with award- winning high performance cloud-based media solutions, has announced that they have become an UltraViolet device manufacturer licensee. UltraViolet is a digital rights authentication and cloud-based ecosystem that allows consumers unprecedented access to their home entertainment collections. Autonomic will offer Ultraviolet-compatible functionality in the company’s MMS-5AV media server, which will be previewed in Indianapolis at the 2012 CEDIA industry conference this September.

UltraViolet is an industry supported solution for maintaining a cloud-based or locally stored digital movie collection, enabling users to manage and playback their content on multiple devices. Retailers offer UltraViolet-enabled titles, by way of DVDs/Blu-rays that come with UltraViolet, to consumers in thousands of retail locations across the U.S. and UK. User’s collections can also be expanded by purchasing movies through various online retailers.

 “Our objective with the Mirage Media Server is to aggregate audio and video content into a single cohesive library for our customers,” explained Autonomic CEO Michael de Nigris. “UltraViolet fits perfectly into our goal of making media available when and where our customers want it. Supporting UltraViolet is consistent with the types of relationships we have initiated with our audio partners for streaming content,” de Nigris added.

 Autonomic’s UltraViolet license will enable users to watch their movies and TV shows on any of their Mirage Media Servers, portable devices, or computers wherever life takes them. The content is archived securely in the cloud, and can be downloaded to the Mirage Media Server for reliable, uninterrupted playback in the home cinema without a full time dependency on an Internet connection.

 “We are pleased to have Autonomic join the UltraViolet ecosystem and, further underscoring interest in the UltraViolet entertainment industry standard to their customers through the CEDIA channel,” stated UltraViolet’s General Manager, Mark Teitell. “Autonomic is one of a growing number of companies that value the benefits of UltraViolet’s viable, open cloud-based rights system that enables access for multiple account members via a wide range of today’s digital devices.”

Autonomic Controls, Inc. (www.autonomic-controls.com) introduced the world’s first cloud-based media server, making audio and video consumption more reliable, easy and fulfilling. Exclusively engineered for control system integration, Autonomic products have become the standard for converging content for multi-room distribution from the most popular sources, such as iTunes, Windows Media, Last.fm, PANDORA® internet radio, Rhapsody®, TuneIn Radio, SiriusXM Internet Radio and Spotify.

New Products, Runco

Runco Broadens Award-Winning LightStyle Series with High Bright Projector

The new 3-chip DLP LS-10HBd provides homeowners exceptional entertainment value without compromising video quality or scale

Beaverton, OR – Runco International, the leading brand in luxury display solutions and part of the global leader in specialty display solutions Planar Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: PLNR) is taking its award-winning LightStyle™ Series to new heights of brightness and scale with the new LS-10HBd.  Measuring more than 3,780 lumens before calibration, this high-bright 3-chip DLP® projector creates stunning video at a scale unattainable by other display types, in environments that may not be conducive to other projection technology, and offers customers an affordable big screen video experience in virtually any room of the house.

With its 3-chip, 1080p design and stunning brightness, the LS-10HBd opens up new projection possibilities in the home, especially in “Flex Theaters”—living rooms, media rooms, and entertainment spaces in the home where big screen entertainment is only a portion of the room’s purpose, and where even the highest performance front projection systems can struggle with environmental factors like ambient light and shadows. The incredible brightness, along with the ISF™ Day and Night modes of the LS-10HBd, make it possible for families to truly get the most from their DVDs and Blu-ray® discs, television programming, internet video, and computer-based media and spectacular sizes, without compromising the room’s design or décor. 

“When clients rave about the quality and the range of options available, it is clear why the LightStyle series is one of our best selling projection lines,” said Jennifer Davis, vice president of marketing for Runco. “The new LS-10HBd projector truly enhances the line by bringing it into bigger and brighter spaces than ever before, without compromising quality, value, or the sleek, stylish industrial design for which LightStyle is known.”

Runco’s LightStyle Series projectors are well-regarded for their craftsmanship and video quality, and in taking the line to new heights of brightness, the LS-10HBd still maintains the performance and integrity of its predecessors. It boasts flawless 1080p full high-definition presentation, full integration with the leading home automation systems, and a sophisticated industrial design that complements any space. 

Runco’s LightStyle Series combines state-of-the-art DLP-based SuperOnyx™ technology with the ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration suite for optimal performance, further enhancing the flexibility of installation and use. The LS-10HBd also ships with Runco’s award-winning Digital High-Definition 4 (DHD 4) external video processor for the utmost in processing, scaling, and control. Designed to be rack mounted, the external DHD 4 offers advanced connectivity options, as well as installation flexibility, because it can be located next to, and connect directly to, all other source components with a single-wire connection from the controller to the projector, making it an ideal solution for retrofit installations.

As with all other LightStyle projectors, the LS-10HBd is available with Runco’s optional  CineGlide™ lens solution, which enables viewers to switch from 16:9 content to 2.35:1 ultra-widescreen films without black bars on the top or sides of the image at the touch of a button. 

Its sleek design can be customized with Runco’s FinishPalette™ design options, which offer full-color design options, ranging from matte white to camouflage ceiling installations to a gallery of artist impressions, a line of Signature colors, or even custom client-supplied artwork.

For more information about Runco or to find a local dealer in your area, please visit www.Runco.com.

Lutron, News

Empire State Building Selects Lutron

Lutron Electronics has been selected by the Empire State Building Company, LLC, owner of the Empire State Building (ESB), to provide sustainable lighting control solutions for pre-built tenant spaces throughout the iconic, 1930s, pre-war structure.

The Lutron solution, developed in collaboration with ESB property manager Jones Lang LaSalle, is expected to provide total lighting energy savings of up to 65 percent and a reduced installed payback period of 2.75 years (down from 6 years).

ESB is undergoing a building-wide retrofit to improve energy efficiency and financial performance as part of the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Building Retrofit program. The project is designed to reduce the building’s energy use by 38 percent and energy bills by $4.4 million a year, while also preventing 105,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years.

ESB pre-built tenant spaces offer companies turnkey solutions for building out offices that exactly meet their needs. The ESB’s goals for the energy retrofit of these spaces include: enhancing performance while reducing renovation costs; reducing the cost and time required for future tenant improvements; not compromising on tenant service and comfort; and adopting solutions that integrate and interoperate with other building systems.

The use of Lutron solutions in these spaces will help the ESB meet their goals and offer potential tenants the opportunity to operate in energy-efficient spaces while saving energy and benefiting from reduced electric bills, the company says.

“Lutron is proud to be an integral contributor to the sustainable nature of the ESB and to collaborate with them on creating a space that is highly rentable, attracts and retains high-quality tenants and reduces operating costs over the life of the installation,” said Michael Pessina, president of Lutron. “The solution we’ve created together can be easily repeated in any whole-building retrofit.”

“The Lutron products used in ESB deliver create savings, are easy to install, and help us and our tenants improve our bottom lines,” said Anthony Malkin of Empire State Building Company. “The resulting integrated product solution, including both wireless and digital controls, is expandable throughout ESB, and is repeatable in virtually any commercial office building. It is also helping us in our effort to exceed our building-wide energy-reduction target of 38 percent.”

Apple, Apps, News

Amazon Instant Video launches on Apple’s iPad App Store

Amazon Instant Video for iPad

An app enabling iPad owners to view Amazon Instant Videos was released Wednesday by Amazon.com, the company announced.

The app enables Amazon customers to stream or download Amazon Instant Video movies andTV episodes from their video library directly on their iPad, according to the company.

The app also makes more than 20,000 titles from Prime Instant Video available to Prime members such as TV shows like “Glee,” “Downton Abbey” and “Fringe,” or movies such as “Mission: Impossible 3,” “Mean Girls” and “Ocean’s Eleven.”

The iPad app is available for free at the Apple Store.

The company said it has 120,000 titles in Amazon Instant Video and 20,000 in its Prime Instant Video plan.

Kaleidescape, News

Kaleidescape Granted Appeal Request

The California 6th District Court of Appeal has granted Kaleidescape’s petition for a stay of the injunction issued by the lower court in its legal proceedings with the DVD Copy Control Association. As a result, Kaleidescape will be able to continue manufacturing and selling Kaleidescape Systems with its current features while the appeal is pending.

Kaleidescape’s Disc Vault for Blu-ray discs 

The California 6th District Court of Appeal granted Kaleidescape’s petition for a writ of supersedeas on July 20, 2012. The writ stays the injunction that was issued by the Superior Court. 

Like all manufacturers of DVD players, Kaleidescape has a license to use the Content Scramble System (CSS) from the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA). CSS is the method used to scramble video and audio data on DVDs. In 2004, the DVD CCA sued Kaleidescape for breach of contract, claiming the Kaleidescape System violates the CSS license agreement because it copies DVDs to hard disks and enables playback without the DVD disc being present.

On March 29, 2007, Judge Leslie C. Nichols of the California Superior Court ruled that Kaleidescape was in full compliance with the CSS license agreement. As part of his statement of decision, Judge Nichols noted Kaleidescape’s good faith in its efforts to ensure that its products were fully compliant.

The DVD CCA appealed, and on August 12, 2009, the California 6th District Court of Appeal remanded the matter back to the trial court.

On March 8, 2012, Judge William J. Monahan of the California Superior Court ruled in favor of the DVD CCA and issued an injunction (that did not come into effect) that states that any Kaleidescape System sold after the effective date of the injunction should not play a DVD from a copy on hard disk.