All posts by swav_consulting

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.

Apple, News

Apple TV quietly gets Hulu Plus app

Apple’s streaming-video box gets one of the most requested streaming-video services.

The Apple TV is one of the best streaming boxes on the market and it just got a little better.

As of this morning, Hulu Plus is now available on the Apple TV. The app showed up without fanfare, with its icon popping up next to Netflix without an announcement from Apple or a required firmware update.

Hulu Plus was one of the major missing streaming-video services on the Apple TV, which has been available on competing devices like the Roku HD, PS3, and Xbox 360 for quite some time. As is often the case on the Apple TV, the user interface eschews the standard look available on other devices, instead featuring an Apple-customized look similar to the Netflix app. The Hulu Plus app also allows you to purchase a Hulu Plus subscription ($8 a month) right on the box using your iTunes account.

The Hulu Plus app has an Apple TV-customized look, rather than the standard interface available on other devices.

The new app comes on the heels of the new AirPlay Mirroring functionality, which enables users to watch Hulu (free) — or any Flash video — on their Apple TV, as long as they have a compatible Mac running the latest Mountain Lion software.

 

History

Flash-Matic: See The World’s First Wireless Remote Control

Before the Remote app for the iPhone and the many-buttoned universal remote, there was Eugene Polley’s Flash-Matic, the world’s very first wireless remote control.

An engineer for electronics company Zenith, Polley passed away on May 20 at the age of 96. His Flash-Matic invention dates all the way back to 1955.

Take a look at the revolutionary device:

1955 - Zenith's Flashmatic Remote Control

 

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Zenith had released the Lazy Bone remote control five years prior to the Flash-Matic in 1950. While the earlier remote could turn sets on or off and change channels, it was inconveniently connected to the TV with a cable. “It turned out that consumers did not like the cable because it caused frequent tripping,”

New Products, URC

URC’s Thermostat Offers ‘Comfort Recovery’

While the THZ-100 offers five thermostat buttons, users can also enjoy two-way control of the thermostat via URC Total Control remotes, keypads, touchscreens, and third-party controllers like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Among its features, the THZ-100 offers Intelligent Comfort Recovery, which monitors the current environment and then slowly heats or cools accordingly, with dollar-saving efficiency, until it reaches the preset. Additional features include password protection for homes or businesses where access must be limited, and optional wired remote sensors to increase efficiency and accuracy of programmed temperature adjustments.
 
“With the THZ-100, users can control the temperature of a home or business simply by picking up a remote control,” said Doug Cole, senior vice president and general manager of URC. “The automation possibilities are endless; for example, our dealers can have the drapes automatically close when the air conditioner kicks in, to help cool the building more quickly and save energy. For the ability to set the climate from anywhere, look no further than the THZ-100 coupled with the Total Control system. It does everything but control the weather.”
 
The THZ-100’s backlit two-inch color LCD is designed to be easy to read with background graphics and colors that automatically change to indicate visually whether the system is heating or cooling during transitions.
                                  
The THZ-100 is programmable via the internet via the MRX-10 Advanced Network System Controller. Like all Total Control products, the THZ-100 is programmed using URC’s Accelerator software. A mounting template, bracket and screws are included.

Apple, News

Apple’s ‘iPad mini’ rumored with 7.85″ IGZO display

The latest details claim Apple’s so-called iPad mini will be as thin as the iPad 2, according to anonymous sources who spoke with the Chinese-language site MyDrivers.com (translation, via Unwired View). The machine translation indicates that the “endurance has also been strengthened,” perhaps referring to the battery life of the rumored device.

The report also said that Apple’s smaller iPad will feature Sharp’s IGZO display technology, named for its use of indium, gallium and zinc. The new screen would be optimized to reach 330 pixels per inch, according to the latest rumor.

Finally, the new iPad is rumored to have a capacity of 8 gigabytes with a price between $249 and $299. It was said that Apple’s primary target with a smaller iPad is Google’s newly unveiled Nexus 7, as well as the Amazon Kindle Fire, both of which are available for $199.

But the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire feature 7-inch displays, while Apple’s rumored new iPad has been said in various reports to feature a slightly larger 7.85-inch display. Rumors of a smaller iPad have lingered since Apple launched its first model in 2010.