Pulse takes AudioControl to the UK market
Pulse Marketing has signed an exclusive deal to distribute AudioControl’s successful array of AV and hi-fi products to the UK custom installation market.
Based in Washington with facilities in Mountlake Terrace (just north of Seattle) and Spokane (Eastern Washington State), AudioControl began business in 1977 and now sells over fifty products in three major markets (car, home and professional), in twenty-six countries.
The first AudioControl product to come from Pulse is the hugely successful Concert AVR-1 premium surround sound receiver/controller. Developed on AudioControl’s new-generation, high-definition home theatre platform, the AVR-1 is designed to offer maximum system flexibility matched with advanced technology. It supports Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master, accepts signals from up to five discrete high bandwidth (1080p) HDMI inputs, and boasts 120 individual input and outputs for video and audio.
www.audiocontrol.com
www.pulsemarketing.com
Peerless launches premium furniture
Wall-mount supremo Peerless has launched a new range of premium TV stands, in three designs, at three ‘designer’ price-points: Manhattan (Best), Broadway (Better) and Hudson (Good).
Intended as a premium solution, the range includes the Manhattan corner unit, one of only a few designer corner units currently available.
“The days of cheap and not-so-cheerful TV stands is over, and today’s consumers recognise that they need to buy great-looking, well-built furniture to support and complement their flatscreen TV,” Gordon Dutch, Managing Director of BBG/Peerless commented.
“Our new range of furniture provides consumers with three premium options, all beautifully designed, and all built to the highest specifications.”
Manhattan comes in three sizes: 1200, 1000 Corner and 800mm, supporting screen sizes up to 60, 42 and 32inches respectively. Side panels are finished in five-times painted and polished, multi-layered lacquer, whilst a UV-bonded top glass shelf and cable tidy provide additional elegance.
There are two Broadway sizes - 900 and 1100mm, intended for up to 37inch and 50inch screens – finished in durable black and supplied with a choice of colour inserts - black, red, white and silver.
Hudson is available in four sizes - 1200, 1000, 800 and 650mm - and utilises space-saving D-shaped glass and integrated cable management throughout.
www.bbg.eu.com
HCD goes widescreen
The latest edition of HCD boasts an exciting new ‘widescreen’ front cover. Showcasing a Philips Cinema 21:9 TV, the landscape design is the first in a series of super-impact front covers from the HCD team - click the cover, left, to see a bigger, hi-res version.
Featuring this year’s EISA awards, the issue also includes a special on touchscreens, report from IFA, a preview of the first Manchester Sound & Vision Show, interviews with Alphason’s Chris Emerson and AWE’s James Drummie - plus columns from the countries leading hi-fi, AV and CI commentators and our news and product news sections. Digital editions will be emailed to subscribers on September 29, with the paper version hitting desks before the end of the month.
The new issue also sees Editor Jamie Carter step up to Editor/Publisher and Linda Dorling to Associate Publisher, Promotions. CI expert and ‘roving reporter’ Martyn Williams takes on the role of Contributing Editor.
Click here to view the digital version of the new edition – which boasts both ‘widescreen’ and portrait versions of the cover.
IFA: special extended report
The stands may have been a little less exuberant than in previous years, but this year’s International Funkausstellung (IFA) in Berlin once again proved its worth as Europe’s best consumer AV event.
It was smaller than in 2008, but only by 1,000 square metres - barely noticeable for the many international dealers and journalists tasked with tramping around the entire show in an effort not to miss anything new.
With the recession pressing on R&D budgets, this year’s IFA was always going to lack the usual spate of new technology previews. There was scant mention of OLED, and very little news on the coming era of 3DTV. No, IFA in 2009 was more about refinement; perfecting existing technology, and making it smaller, sleeker, eco-friendlier - and more appealing to consumers. The pre-IFA conference circuit was thus quieter than usual, though the Presidents of Panasonic, Samsung and Sony all spoke.
For our extended IFA 2009 special report please click here
Niko UK appoints Habitech as sub-distributor
Niko UK has announced that it has appointed Habitech as a sub-distributor to supply the wide range of Niko home automation and lighting systems to high-end specialist installation companies.
“We are delighted to be working with Habitech,” Niko UK’s Steve Calder said. “Niko is fast building a strong market for its home automation and lighting solutions with the trade, interior designers, architects and home-owners. Working with Habitech will ensure that we can offer the same high standard of support and service to all our customers, no matter how big or small… With Habitech, we can be sure that our systems are more widely available throughout the UK.”
Based in Wrecclesham near Farnham Surrey Habitech has a large training, demonstration and workshop facility, with representatives that cover the whole of the UK.
Niko (UK) Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Belgian manufacturing company, Niko nv and its UK headquarters in Toddington, Bedfordshire are equipped with a fully fitted Showroom and Training facility.
To find out more about Niko, email: info@nikouk.com. Habitech can be contacted on: sales@habitech.co.uk
