Bristol show a ‘bargain’
Bristol Sound and Vision, the ‘UK’s largest’ hi-fi and AV consumer and trade show has announced its entry prices for 2009, and it’s reckoned to be a ‘bargain’ compared to its London-based competitors.
According to the show’s PR representative, Rob Follis, the 22nd annual show is “bigger, better and now a darn sight more affordable, than any other show of this type in the UK”.
Prices are a reasonable £8 for adults (£4 for children) - which compares favourably to the Stuff Show, which is at £20 for adults, and the Heathrow event which charges £12 entry.
And there’s more reasons for attending, according to Follis: “In addition this is a selling show and visitors will be able to choose from hundreds of bargains and offers from the exhibitors and the Audio-T chain.
More than 60 companies with 131 brands have already confirmed their attendance, according to Follis.
The show takes place Friday 20 to Sunday 22 February 2009 at the Bristol Marriott hotel, from 10am until 5pm every day.
www.bristolshow.co.uk/
Armour guide fires sales imaginations
Armour Home’s biggest product guide yet is now available. The Autumn/Winter 2008/09 Guide - the 15th issue from the Bishops Stortford based company - weighs in at 320 pages, 10% larger than the previous edition.
The new guide features even more new and award-winning products, with a specifically strengthened portfolio in those market segments that continue to be most active, notably iPod friendly products, headphones, all-in-one systems and of course custom installation and multi-room.
In his foreword, Armour MD Glenn McClelland touches on the uncertain economic climate and the forecasts of turmoil ahead, commenting: “We can’t promise we won’t all experience some buffeting, but the whole Armour Home team is ready to help you through the gathering storm”.
McClelland also talks about the success of Armour’s On-line ordering service for dealers, which he says goes ‘from strength to strength’.
Also highlighted are Armour’s training courses. McClelland urges dealers to take “full advantage” of the training seminars available in both Bishops Stortford and Manchester. “It’s no coincidence that those dealers who consistently invest in staff training are also the ones best placed to face the future,” he adds.
Amongst notable firsts in the latest edition are the new Musical Fidelity ‘V-Series’ products, the distributorship of which was recently agreed with Armour, and an extensive Alphason section, which includes both furniture and the new ‘Viewsmart’ accessories.
To obtain a copy of the new Guide, please contact Armour Home’s sales team: Tel. 01279 501111 or email sales@armourhome.co.uk
Meridian goes live with new site
Meridian Audio has announced the launch of a new website, reflecting the Huntingdon company’s status as a true 21st century brand.
Meridian has designed the website to reflect the brand’s values, with its clean, modern design mirroring the quality of its new product line-up.
As well as delivering a complete and authoritative guide to every Meridian product available, the stylish site also offers an intelligent navigation system that lets you find what you want, as quickly and painlessly as possible.
This is yet another phase of Meridian’s development as it pushes into the 21st century and is a positive manifestation of the recent investment in the brand.
“We wanted the new website to accurately reflect Meridian’s contemporary new corporate identity whist still emphasising the values on which the company has been based for over 30 years,” explains Meridian’s Chief Marketing Officer Graeme Taylor.
“Our design team has constructed a clear, customer-focused site to enable visitors to easily discover more about the brand and, importantly, where they can experience it, by directing them to one of our retailers and, in the UK, one of our Premium Partners. We feel that the goal of creating an easily navigable menu of products with an in depth archive of materials from datasheets, user manuals to firmware updates has been achieved. Also - this is very much ‘Phase 1′ of the site’s development and we have a number of interesting and customer relevant -additions being made in the coming weeks.”
Online, consumers can search for products either by type, such as CD players or surround sound processors, or by exact model number. Once a product has been located comprehensive information and specifications are at hand, along with image galleries, press recognition, and brochures. Meridian stores - whether it is a Premium Partner, a Compact System Reseller or Design Consultant - can be found by simply tapping in a postcode. In addition, Meridian will shortly be introducing a worldwide map function, which lets you select a continent followed by country, and then postcode.
Elsewhere a news section keeps visitors up keep up-to-date with all the latest developments, while there are a series of downloadable White Papers illuminating and explaining Meridian’s technology, detailing research and development programmes. Existing customers can also register products online.
www.meridian-audio.com
Science proves Russ right
Russ Andrews Accessories has announced that scientific research has finally proven the company’s claims to the effectiveness of its mains products in reducing the negative effects of radio frequency interference on the performance of audio systems.
During 2006 the Advertising Standards Authority were alerted to Russ Andrews’ advertising claims and after a twelve month hiatus ruled against its claims that the mains cables and mains conditioners rejected RFI due to insufficient scientific evidence to back up the claim. The ASA did not rule that the products do not work.
Following the ruling, Russ Andrews set out to obtain the necessary scientific measurements to ascertain exactly the effect on RFI rejection that its products provide. Employing the services of respected mains expert, Ben Duncan, to devise a testing procedure, the company submitted a selection of mains cables and spike reduction units for in-depth and robust testing.
According to Russ Andrews, Ben’s results have proved without doubt that the products do effectively and dramatically reduce the transfer of RFI to audio equipment - confirming the theory and listening tests carried out by Russ Andrews.
More testing is due to be undertaken and the test results will be peer reviewed and published in a white paper later in 2008.
For thirty years Russ Andrews, founder of Russ Andrews Accessories Ltd. has been researching the effects of mains pollution on the ability of audio systems to faithfully reproduce music. His research led to a long standing and ongoing collaboration with USA based cable manufacturer Kimber. Russ found that Ray Kimber’s products, with their woven construction, were the most effective at rejecting RFI.
Russ Andrews launched the world’s first audiophile mains cable in 1986, constructed using Kimber’s woven cables. Since then, many additional cables at various price points have been introduced into the range. Russ has subsequently conducted extensive research into the effects of mains spikes and ‘dirty’ mains on the audio signal and produced many products aimed at countering these effects.
www.russandrews.com
Hitachi to use Pana panels
Hitachi is set to source all of its plasma panels from Panasonic from 2010. The two Japanese giants are set to officially sign an agreement any day now, which includes the co-development of new, ultra-thin PDP glass with improved energy efficiency.
Currently Hitachi’s plasma panels are made by Hitachi Plasma Display Ltd.
The companies have been working together on LCD development since 2005, most notably on the creation of IPS Alpha technology, which is said to improve the clarity of off-axis viewing, and the plasma deal strengthens the existing alliance.Hitachi says it will also continue to develop IPS Alpha LCD panels with Panasonic.
Britons prefer shopping online
More than 11 million Britons are now shopping online at least twice a week, with nearly half prepared to buy consumer electronics on the web, and 79% of those surveyed preferring online to in-store, according to a new online survey.
Commissioned to launch Shopzilla.co.uk’s first ever UK Circle of Excellence Awards, the UK-wide survey of 3,118 people shows that clothing, books, CDs and DVDs among consumer’s favourite items, while more than 1.3 million are logging on every day to purchase goods and services.
The nationwide study of Britain’s online shopping habits also shows that the British love affair with online shopping now even outstrips that of the US with around nine out of 10 of us shopping online at least once a month compared with around seven out of 10 Americans.
Worryingly for some retailers, people are enjoying their online shopping experience much more than scouring the high street. When scoring satisfaction from one to 10, 79% of shoppers give the online experience eight out of 10 or above, compared to just 27% for high street stores. Satisfaction with the customer service offered by online retailers is also significantly higher - 55% of shoppers give internet stores eight out of 10 or better compared with only 28% for their bricks and mortar counterparts.
Perhaps encouragingly for non-online retailers, only a third of those polled said they were planning to do the majority of their Christmas shopping online this year, while a further third plan to make around half of their purchases online. Of those polled, one in four said they had already started their Christmas shopping and the same number plan to start before the end of October.
And it should also be pointed out that the survey was taken online - so perhaps it is not quite so representative of UK buying trends as it thinks it is. Retailers, however, should still take note and do all they can to increase footfall in the run up to what’s looking like one of the toughest Christmases ever.
The survey goes on to suggest that Britons are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their online shopping habits with most of us willing to spend time surfing around for the best deals and services. More than 39% of those surveyed said they usually or always use price comparison sites to find goods, while 53% reckoned feedback on retailers from other consumers was influential (eight out of 10 score or above) in the final decision to purchase.
More than seven out of 10 Britons think the experience of shopping online is now ‘much better’ than it was five years ago and that advances in online security give shoppers peace of mind. However, it seems many are still not ready to buy certain goods online. More than half (54.7%) would still not consider buying a car online, while musical instruments and food and drink are still no go areas for three out of 10 and two out of 10 consumers respectively.
Meanwhile, the credit crunch looks set to trigger an even bigger stampede towards online shopping. More than half of shoppers polled said they were now more likely to hunt for a range of items online in a bid to save money. Clothing, entertainment products (CDs, DVDs etc.), electrical items, health and beauty products and items for the house and garden were among the favourite items for purchase online during these times of economic uncertainty.
Scott Macon, Managing Director for Shopzilla Europe, said: “This survey shows that Britons are among the world’s keenest online shoppers and that they are becoming more and more sophisticated. While price and convenience are still key motivators for shopping online, people also want to know more about the online retailers they are purchasing from.”
KEY FINDINGS:
What do you mostly buy online?
Entertainment (books, music, DVDs, CDs etc.)
68.4%
Apparel (clothes, shoes, jewellery etc.)
50.3%
Electronics (digital cameras, TVS, DVD players etc.)
45.8%
Computer Hardware
34.3%
Computer Software
32.4%
Office Supplies
32.4%
Health & Beauty products
31.1%
Food & Drink
29.7%
Toys & Video Games
29.1%
Gifts & Flowers
26.4%
Freesat hits 100,000 sales
Freesat, the joint venture between the BBC and ITV offering free, digital satellite television has reached 100,000 sales within just five months of launching in May.
Sales of high definition Freesat boxes have been helped by a summer of major sporting events in HD such as Euro 2008, Wimbledon and Olympic Games, as well as ‘event programming’ such as The Proms and movie blockbusters such as King Kong.
With an autumn schedule boasting UEFA Champions League, England World Cup qualifiers and FA Cup football on ITV HD exclusive to Freesat, as well as first class dramas and entertainment including Heroes and Strictly Come Dancing from BBC HD, strong sales are set to continue.
Emma Scott, MD of Freesat commented: “There’s no denying how much people enjoy watching in high definition once they see it for themselves and the success of Freesat proves that. Unfortunately there are still a lot of people out there who think they’re already watching in HD because they have an HD ready TV - but they aren’t.
“We want to help everyone understand that HD Ready is not the same thing as’HD now’. Without an HD digital receiver connected to an HD Ready TV or an integrated TV with Freesat HD built in you can’t watch an HD TV programme. It needn’t be complicated or costly. For those people that already have a satellite dish installed, they may simply be able to take their Freesat digital box or integrated TV home and plug it straight in.”
As well as the range of Freesat HD digital receivers, Freesat standard definition digital boxes are available for under £50 - a cost-effective option for a second room and homes that cannot receive Freeview.
Looking forward, Freesat is continuing to improve its offer and distribution including introducing Freesat+, a digital television recorder (DTR), in November; increasing its number of manufacturers and retailers; launching more exciting new channels and services every month.
“We’ve done a great job so far, and we’re delighted that so many people are now satisfied Freesat homes. We look forward to continuing to work with all our partners to build on our success for Christmas and into 2009,” said Scott.
For more on Freesat, check out our monthly Freesat Forum in HCD. Click here to subscribe.
Multi-Room Co brings CasaTools to UK
Cheltenham based distributor, The Multi-Room Company, has been appointed sole UK distributor for the innovative CasaTools range of multi-room audio products - following meetings at September’s Cedia Expo in Denver.
Commenting on the appointment, Rob Hay, business development manager for The Multi-Room Company said: “CasaTools have created a simple solution for anyone wishing to venture into multi-room audio that enables a standard PC to become the heart of a multi-room system. Intergration with our existing Russound products or the Nuvo range allows existing installations to be quickly and easily upgraded with a futureproof and robust media server solution, utilising an existing PC.”
The flagship product, CasaTunes, enables a Windows equipped PC to become a multi-room, multi-zone distributed audio server. Working with 32 and 64 bit Vista Home, Premium, Business and Ultimate, plus XP Professional and XP Media Center, the powerful software at the heart of the system enables PC based music to be played in up to 48 rooms throught the home.
The Multi-Room Company was established in 2000 to provide a one-stop solution to the developer, self-builder and custom installation market. Initially importing and distributing multi-room AV brand Russound, the business swiftly added lighting control and automation specialists Centralite, structured wiring specialists Levition Integrated Networks, and automation and security specialists HAI and recently speaker specialists Atlantic Technology to their portfolio.
www.multi-room.com
PSCo to distribute 108in Sharp
PSCo, specialists in AV hire and advanced product sales, has been appointed as distributor of Sharp’s newly launched 108in LCD TV - the largest LCD in the world! PSCo will operate as ‘preferred partner’ to support the sales and hire integration of this unique TV.
The relationship is designed to ensure integrators have access to PSCo’s specialist support services, with trained technicians on hand for advice on the specification through to the installation of the screens, making the product more accessible.
Since its unveiling over 18 months ago, this much anticipated screen has drawn interest from around the world, as the largest flat screen display on the market. With very high resolution and perfect picture quality, the 108in is one of the most exciting products to launch in the AV industry in recent years.
PSCo has invested in specialist lifting equipment and accessories to make the installation safer, simpler and cost effective, for their clients, as well as investing in a demonstration unit, which will be available for clients to use.
PSCo has also invested in a bespoke manufactured screenlifter for the Sharp 108in LCD, to make lifting and positioning the 195kg screen simpler. This enables the screen to be lifted up to 3 metres in the air at the touch of a button and is an ‘in flightcase’ solution, meaning that the screen is already mounted on the stand in transit.
The 108in LCD is also now available on PSCo’s trade rental fleet with its Screenlifter, making the screen perfect for temporary installation at events and exhibitions. A range of solution accessories for the screen are also available from PSCo, including a pedestal stand and bracket.
Stuart Holmes, Managing Director of PSCo explained: “We are delighted to have secured the distribution partnership with Sharp, as testament to our specialist experience in big screen technologies. The demonstration unit will be available in October for our clients to use, and we already have rentals lined up in October for the screen!”
www.psco.co.uk
Chief bags CEDIA Award
Wall-mount manufacturer Chief has won the CEDIA US 2008 Manufacturers’ Excellence Award for Best New Product in the residential electronic systems industry, for its PIWRF No-Profile In-Wall Swing Arm Mount.
“This is a great honor for our Chief brand of professional mounting solutions,” said Scott Gill, President & CEO of Milestone AV Technologies (of which Chief is a subsidiary). “The installer-focused and end user - friendly design elements of the PIWRF clearly differentiate it from the competition.”
The innovative design of Chief’s In-Wall Swing Arm Mount is said to solve the common challenge of stud placement, a significant obstacle when wall mounting a flat panel TV. The mount’s patent-pending design allows unlimited placement of the in-wall box between studs, permitting the flat panel to be positioned at the perfect wall location (without cutting into studs or install headers).
In addition, the mount offers a full set of user features including Centris LP(tm) fingertip tilt, 15 inches of extension and 40 degrees of left or right swivel, all while supporting flat panels up to 200 lbs (90.7 kg).
www.chiefmfg.com
