While I'm at it.....Do I ever stop?


Maybe a note to all those fine companies that are marketing Theater Furniture.

GET A GRIP!

The per seat pricing is so completely out of line, it rediculous.

I looked at some recliners (the ones that were made "tall", so the floor didn't need to be platformed) that were priced at $2,800.00 wholesale. I could have the same thing made locally in NC for roughly $100.00 to $200.00 per seat.

And the reclining mechanism in these particular chairs was the absolute cheapest garbage made. It took a marathon effort to get them to recline. In fact, one was so bad it wouldn't work properly at all.

I'd be embarassed to have some of that junk on the floor.

This show should run in conjuntion with CES... The exhibitors would save millions. But it will never happen. CEDIA makes too much money on their show and CES wouldn't share the pie. I had some guys tell me in Denver rooms and restaurants within walking distance of the convention center are a lot fewer than in Indy. I have been to Denver but always have visited and stayed in the burbs and never stayed downtown so I can't really say. Indy is my hometown so I would actually rather not have it here. It's too close to the office, home, service calls, etc. I wouold rather get away so I don't have to deal with the other stuff and could totally concentrate on the show. I go to 2- 3 shows a year in Vegas and thats really enough me although I do think Vegas is the perfect convention town. Vegas wouldn't even know Cedia was on town. I vote for Orlando or Atlanta.

Small note here...the AFA and Garden of the God's are in Colorado Springs...125 miles from Ft. Collins


VERY true here, the People's Republic of Boulder is an event all it's own...but what the hell is NCAR?

I hope that Julie can get a story out of this. If she does, it will probably be about where to locate the show, not about the highlights of the show.

Good luck, Julie! I'll be watching for your article.

Yeah, i think we've all been known to get off topic just a little bit every so often! Sorry Julie, back to the topic at hand - was there a show, what happened?

Julie's column is going to be called

"Dealers mad at CEDIA Indy....beg CEDIA to move to better party town"

Actually, the thought had occurred to me. If you've read any of my editorials you'll realize it's not a stretch. Stay tuned.

I would, however, like some insights on products and technologies, especially for the December products-of-the-year awards. Here's how it went down last year:
[Link: ce-pro.com]

thanks,
julie

Doh! Thanks for the catch. About 50 miles south of Denver.


National Center for Atmospheric Research. Sits atop Table Mesa immediately above Boulder. Self paced waliking tours including one of the oldest and still functioning Cray computers. [Link: ucar.edu] We used to fly RC gliders off the mesa right from the parking lot during lunch breaks. Also serves as trailhead to Bear Mtn, Bear Canyon and a host of other outstanding day hikes.

Julie,

Hope this helps! Here is a brief synapsis of my post Cedia notes.

Control 4- All the rage, all the buzz.... What do we get? Vaporware and some really good marketing hype. Be very careful the path of least resistance.

Crestron- All the rage, all the buzz...What do we get? Some really kickass new profit oppurtunities. Already transfered all my P.O's for two way panels to the new I/O wireless piece. Showed they were serious about releasing a wireless lighting solution, cool new auxillary room remote in a mx-3000 chassis, new keypads. All in all good show for them.

AMX-Going down a different road on marketing. Showed Cafe Duet JAVA programming. Have to wait and see how that approach shakes itself out.

Sony- They showed the coolest product at the show, in my opinion. Wireless ethernet touchpanel tv in two sizes. My head is spinning with control and conveniance applications. The bigger panel with the gateway is only going to retail at $1800. WOW!

Matrix Audio- A relitevely inexpensive distributed audio, one box solution, that is modular. Has good communication protocal to integrate with third part control. Was waiting for a good solution...Looks good.

Request- Gaining market share. New product releases drop price points and increase functionality. Start at $2000 now, the fusion line will go to four zones. The best is starting to gain value...Watch out. New web server gui is a touchpanel emulation, good integration oppurtunities.

Vantage Mounts--- Well, who isn't going to buy their product now. Whoever was there knows what i mean.

Omnimount--Killer selection of user friendly, nice looking cantilever arms.

That is a tiny splattering. All in all, the show was very dull this year. Not a lot of really cool new technologies.

I think the internet guys suck... they cloud the issue... Crutchfield is the best of the bunch though...

So you guys like the ZON stuff... Klipsch just began offering it to thier dealers

At last...some good info. Thanks digitlife.

I agree the Sony touchscreen TV (LocationFree TV) was an awesome gizmo and could serve as a low-cost interface for Web-enabled control systems. Base station has tv tuner plus 2 video inputs, ethernet, IR blaster. stereo speakers. Display device has card slots and other goodies--if nothing else, great for mobile tv/video. The 7-inch version (LF-X5), including the base station and docking station (I think) retails for $1100. I want one.

Also cool: Philips RC9800i touchscreen remote. Uses Wifi to access content from connected computer and IR for controlling av gear. Audio available through the touchscreen remote, but if you set it in docking station it sends audio to connected speakers. Furthermore, Philips apparently has been listening to integrators. Lots of improvements on iPronto.

Lots of wireless lighting on display: Watt Stopper (RF), Universal Powerline Bus (powerline) from HAI, PCS and others, Control4 (zigbee RF), Zensys (RF), Lutron and Vantage extending range and reducing price of RF, even Crestron showing a variation of Zigbee for wireless lighting control.

IP-enabling devices all over the place: icommand (B&W, Rotel), Barix, Extron, HomeLogic, Xantech, Global Cache.

AMX going down the right path with Java programming option (4.2 million java programmers; 10k Netlinx programmers), and Crestron on target with Isys I/O (Not just a generic Web tablet, but perfect balance between touchscreen controller and Internet access). I have high hopes for Control4, too.

Nobody asked, but I've got plenty more opinions.
-j

My biggest complaint with Sony is that they won't sell to us 'little guy' installers. Nice stuff, but out of reach for us.


I was one of the integrators that got to sit in a 'brainstorming' session with Philips when they were looking to make changes to the iPronto. I'm glad to hear that they took our advice. I still wish they'd build the 'smart box' they talked about...something like RTI's box but with WiFi to give 2-way feedback to the remote.



I think Control4 has the right idea, lets see if they can actually deliver what they promise and not repeat their 'Phast' fiasco. Last thing I want to do is put a system of this stuff in, have it not work, then have them fold up shop and support again...


Don't forget Polk Audio's IP addressable speakers (uh) and their NetStreams partnership (promising, but limited).



Again Control4 has hope, but I need to see how they handle rollout. The pricepoint looks fantastic, bringing automation to the masses. Crestron and AMX are still out of the price of the 'average' consumer.


I have to say I was under-impressed this year. Nothing really said 'WOW' to me. Even the new 6 3/4" DLP RPTV's didn't blow me out of my chair.

Just my $.02 worth.

Speaking of Sony, did you all see their new "black screen" technology? They were showing a screen material with a plastic substrate that only reflectsly light in the frequencies relevant to SMPTE. Turn on the lights, or even shine a flashlight on it, and the picture does NOT washout! Pretty cool and a real potential problem solver. What was most interesting about it though was having this naive product manager/engineer ask me how it could best be sold to our market. I of course told him that what his "bosses" were most likely to do would be to sell it as a package deal with a PJ to Best Buy and that would be scary to say the least....

1 - The Runco room still had the best "show" but the room was freezing!

2 - The coolest after hours entertainment was Kool & the Gang.

3 - If you wasted your time just for a free beer or two at Fridays, join the club - so did I.

4 - Speaking of beer - where was it? I only found one area inside the convention center serving it up for free. Much worse than in the past. Is everyone getting cheap?

5 - Nothing really exciting as far as I'm concerned. In Focus wants way too much for a projector that equals some of the competition selling at half the price.

6 - Marantz is getting smarter on the back of their receivers - offering FOUR component video inputs, while most others have only two, maybe three.

7 - Of all the plasma flat screens, I liked Pioneer the best - best quality for the buck.

8 - HDMI - didn't see enough of it. Almost looked like an afterthought on some products. And only one input if it was there. Sounds like planned obsolescence to me!

9 - Why were vacuum cleaner salesmen there! Why not toaster salesmen then?

10 - I wish I took the time to go to the free Pronto classes, but they conflicted with some of the classes I attended. Next time....

Didn't see it. Not a Runco dealer. Many of the sound rooms I did visit were cold though. Maybe it's a new trend?



Didn't go. Not my thing really.



Only free beer I had was at the NEC party at Jillian's on Saturday night .



NEC had free beer at their booth Friday, but the pressure tank ran out, so the beer couldn't be pumped after the inital "run". Also had free brew on Saturday afternoon.



What projo is that? Seems like Infocus is more realistically priced than Runco. No?



That's nice, but it would seem that most all video sources are going to DVI/HDMI. Day late, dollar short?



I've always thought the Pio pieces were right up at the top of the heap.



Prolly to many choices for most manufacturers? Sort of a which output do we support.



Lot's of the companies do central vacuum as well as A/V systems, that's why. And unlike the A/V lines, central vacuum still has great margins......



I use URC remotes, so I didn't bother with Pronto classes. Maybe be a good idea anyway. But, like you, I had way too many other classes.