HCD hits the 60-issue milestone

The November edition of HCD (Home Cinema Digest) is the 60th issue of the publication. Boasting a super-sexy landscape, or ‘widescreen’ cover for paper edition subscribers, featuring Yamaha’s amazing new range of sound projectors, the issue also boasts an exclusive on Runco’s new brace of LED projectors, plus a clutch of feature and interview material.

HCD is going from strength to strength, with the new publishing team bedded in, recently expanded subscription base (approximately 20,000 readers as of November) and exciting new plans for the title for the 6-year-anniversary December edition. 2010 promises to be the best year yet for the trade’s favourite read, and the trade magazine of the year! Watch this space for further announcements.

For now, our 60th issue is jam-packed. Our green special explains why saving the planet can help boost profits, and we also pick some of the best new green-savvy products – with a big focus on LG; a wall-mounts feature looks at essential brands and their ranges; interviews include Martin Harding from BMB and Graham North from Humax; columns are from our very own editor/publisher Jamie Carter (now on his own dedicated page), guest columnist Chris Emerson from Alphason, our CI expert Martyn Williams and regular columnist Wendy Griffiths from CEDIA.

And with a focus on Freesat’s training team, plus regulars like news, product news and our CI training guide, you’ve got plenty to keep you busy until our 6-year-anniversary December edition arrives ahead of Christmas. In the meantime, keep in touch with all that’s going on here at hcdmag.com – there’s no better trade website.

Click here to read the latest edition electronically.

Organisers add demo rooms to ISE 2010

Next year’s ISE event in Amsterdam will have Audio Demonstration Rooms for the first time. Hosted by the RAI venue’s new Elicium building, the rooms will give exhibitors the chance to show-off their new products in a controlled, invitation-only environment.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director, Integrated Systems Events: “ISE prides itself on being a ‘quiet’ show where attendees can talk business without competing with high-level sound. But we have been aware for some time that many of our audio exhibitors would like to be able to demonstrate their systems at higher sound levels than our show floor policy permits.

“We have been working with the Amsterdam RAI to come up with a solution that meets these companies’ needs, and I am delighted that the upper floors of the Elicium are now ready for use and available to exhibitors at ISE 2010.”
www.iseurope.org

CEDIA introduces free ISE seminars

Custom installers’ trade body CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) has announced plans to stage a huge education programme at February’s much-anticipated Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) event in Amsterdam.

Due to be held once again at the city’s RAI venue, the 2-4 February 2010 event will see CEDIA hold free daily seminars from its stand covering a range of popular and topical subjects - and completely free to all visitors. Courses  will include ‘Technology and Consumer Trends, ‘Riding the ECO Wave - Solutions for your clients’, ‘Embracing the Cloud - How to Deliver Internet Content’, ‘Technology Trends in Home Cinema Audio and Video’, ‘Hiding Technology -Solutions and Techniques’ and ‘Get to know CEDIA - how we can help grow your business’.

All seminars will be hosted by industry experts, providing the audience with views of both the experts and their peers. CEDIA will also offer a range of paid-for seminars in the training seminar rooms at the RAI, providing detailed, in-depth education on a variety of relevant subjects. These include a day long ‘Home Cinema Design Workshop’, plus training on ‘Selling to the rich’; ‘Profit - the reason you are in, and stay in this business’; ‘TCP/IP for Integrators’ and ‘Designing Infrastructure for Ethernet’.

Robert Hallam, CEDIA Chairman: “CEDIA is continuing to develop internationally throughout Region 1.  It is extremely rewarding to witness this expansion which is reflected in a CEDIA Board comprising three non-UK members, including myself as Chairman.

He continued: “Attending ISE is a very important date in our calendar, as it provides us with an ideal opportunity to meet, educate and inform our growing international contingency face-to-face. And, I am delighted to offer such an extensive training offering for residential integrators visiting ISE”.

Tickets for the free seminars taking place can be obtained from the CEDIA stand on a strictly first come, first served basis. Delegates wishing to book a paid-for course, can reserve a place via the ISE website.

CEDIA’s own annual Expo - now re-branded as the CEDIA Home Technology Event, in an effort to drum-up awareness of the CI industry among the wider industry of architects, interior designers and property developers - will be held at ExCeL London from 15-17 June 2010).
www.iseurope.org
www.cedia.co.uk

Armour Home chums-up with Chumby

Armour Home has inked a deal to distribute an internet-enabled device called Chumby throughout the UK and much of Europe.

About the size of a grapefruit, the £139.95 Chumby presents online content such as news, weather, stock quotes, celebrity gossip, podcasts, music, streaming internet radio stations as well as the ability to share photos, widgets and e-cards with family and friends.

The catalogue of over 1,200 widgets include ‘Facebook Status, enabling you update Facebook status and view and comment on friends’ status messages, and ‘Twitter,’ which keeps users up to date with the latest tweets from people they are following on Twitter.

Glenn McClelland, Armour Home’s Managing Director commented: “The Chumby device is a truly innovative product that is deservedly enjoying growing success in North America, Japan, and Australia, and I’m completely confident we can mirror that success here in the UK and across Europe.”

Stephen L. Tomlin, CEO and founder of Chumby, added: “We were approached by a number of UK distributors, but Armour’s reputation and established relationships in the appropriate channels to market made them the stand out choice.”

Armour Home will take Chumby to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Finland, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Alphason finds a new home at Harrods

Harrods, London’s iconic departmental store, is now also home to Alphason’s new luxury range of AV furniture designed by Conran.

The new media cabinet (pictured above with Alphason’s Chief Operating Officer Chris Emerson, and friend) can be found in The Sony Galleria in Harrods.

Says Chris: “We are delighted that the Conran products are on sale in such a prestigious venue where I understand they are attracting a lot of attention. The product, which is the first of a range of luxury products to come from Alphason, has been hand-built at our state-of-the-art production facilities in Wigan and aimed at the discerning AV enthusiast and so is perfect for the typical Harrods customer.”

Alphason have launched a mini website for the range which can be found at: www.alphasondesigns.com/studio

Breaking down barriers

Home entertainment used to mean a box in the corner of a room - but even today’s slimmed-down flatpanel TVs can seem restrictive. Which is why LG has launched its stylish new range of flatscreen TVs - a stunning line-up of sets that use all-new LED tech not only to produce even better picture quality, but truly break down all the barriers and open up the TV to everyone in a room.

And breaking down barriers is something LG, as a brand, has always believed in. LG believes that to capture consumers’ imagination and emotions effectively, TV entertainment has to expand beyond the borders of the TV screen into the home.

It’s not just physical - though using the very latest technology, the SL8000 and SL9000 TVs, announced at Berlin’s IFA show during September, are constructed to be simple for consumers to use.

They also have environmental advantages on their side - an increasingly important selling point. It’s the 42 and 47-inch SL9000 TV series - pictured above - that is the leading light in LG’s brand new range. The SL9000 uses LG’s Edge LED TV tech, something that brings consumers higher picture performance as well as some aesthetic opportunities.

LED technology refers to the backlight system in some LCD televisions. LG LED edge technology uses LED lights around the perimeter of the TV frame to enable an ultra slim depth of under 3cm. This means the TV can be hung on the wall like a picture frame.

As well as its innate slimness and unique slim-frame design - a lot of so-called flat TVs have very bulky wraparound frames - the SL9000 has two other unique selling points.

Most importantly for AV fans after the best picture quality, the SL9000 can produce extraordinary contrast ratio figures of 3,000,000:1. That allows for the SL9000 sets to create sharp, crystal clear images to contain far deeper blacks compared to rival sets.

Another great selling point - especially in these times of recession, rising electricity bills and concern for the environmental impact of our digital lives - is the SL9000’s much lower power consumption. As well as improving picture performance, using LED tech inside the panel cuts power consumption by as much as 40 per cent (so it uses around 75 per cent less power than most similarly sized TVs). The SL9000 series is also certified by the Energy Saving Trust.

Elsewhere in LG’s new line-up is the 32, 37, 42 and 47-inch SL8000, a super-slim LCD TV range that also embraces the slim-frame concept. Just like the SL9000 Edge LED TV, this Energy Saving Trust-certified series features gently curved edges and a new high-gloss material that gives it a stunning finish. This is the set to sell to customers primarily concerned with the way a TV will look in their home.

That’s LG’s all-new approach to panel design, but what about the nitty gritty? Once again, LG has made things simple by fitting all of its new range of screens with series with almost exactly the same specs.

Each has four HDMI inputs to make interacting with the hi-def world as easy as possible.
Digital files are also encompassed, with each set able to play MP3 music files, DivX video files and display JPEG photos from a memory stick attached to the TVs’ USB 2.0 port.

That might meet the demand from consumers for future-proof TVs that are versatile enough to cope with digital files, but LG has gone one step further.

As well as enabling consumers to connect a digital camera, MP3 player or flash memory device via the USB port to show off their holiday snaps and music collection, the SL9000 and SL8000 are also compatible with DivX HD - so high definition DivX movies are also possible. It’s a true multimedia experience; by moving digital files around the home quickly and simply, LG’s new TVs do away with the need for a DivX-compatible DVD player.

Innovative connectivity doesn’t end there - each set is fitted with Bluetooth, primarily to enable users to listen to the TV wirelessly using Bluetooth headphones. Alternatively, it’s possible to send music and pictures to the big screen wirelessly from a mobile phone.

All models also feature the LG Intelligent Sensor II, which analyses the ambient light in the room and automatically optimises the TVs picture settings, something that also reduces energy consumption.

“We want LG to be the top name in home entertainment,” says George Mead, TV
marketing manager. “To make this happen, we have listened closely to our customers and invested heavily in product development. These TVs look better than any others on the market and the viewing experience is second to none.”

This combination of beautiful and practical aesthetics and top-notch tech makes LG’s LED and super-slim screens ones to watch.
www.lge.co.uk

Urban myths dog digital switchover

The Granada region in England’s North West is about to receive the UK’s first Freeview HD broadcasts, but are consumers ready? In a special report, HCD brings you the latest from the digital switchover now underway in the North West.

A new survey by LG has revealed that 57 per cent of North West consumers in the Granada region – where the digital switchover process started on 4 November – believe all UK TVs have to be upgraded.

It’s common myth. Happily, 87 per cent of consumers from the Granada region claim to know what the Digital Switchover is, though that increases with age. Around 93 per cent of ‘silver 60s’ claim to be prepared for the switch in comparison to 63 per cent of under 30s who incorrectly believe that all of the TVs in the UK need to be changed to make them ‘digital-ready’.

Most alarmingly, 31 per cent are unsure of how to determine if a TV is able to receive digital broadcasts.
Though there is a thirst for Freeview HD, it seems; 33 per cent of people in the Granada region want to receive high definition programming as part of their digital package – as long as it doesn’t cost more.
Liverpool proved the most reticent about HD, with 30 per cent of respondents saying they were not interested in high definition. And in football-obsessed Manchester 43 per cent said they are not interested in watching next June’s World Cup in HD.

George Mead, TV marketing manager, Home Entertainment, LG Electronics says: “We’ve recognised that there is confusion surrounding TV tech jargon, and the ongoing research we conduct supports this. It’s a point that we are actively addressing through a variety of ways – including the LG Xperience educational roadshow and the LG Online Buyers Guide – which aim to correct any myths and assist consumers in making the best home entertainment choices”.

The Granada region includes Liverpool, Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and North Staffordshire.

Screen Research announces restructuring

Screen Research (distributed in the UK by Pulse Marketing) has announced a restructuring program in response to changing market conditions and to focus on new product development and introductions. Following an extensive investment program during 2007 and 2008 (including a new manufacturing facility in Nantes, France, and the recruitment of senior staff), the Screen Research group - with sales of $5.5million - has successfully strengthened many aspects of its business. These include product portfolio development, enhanced technical support and marketing tools.

These investments were planned when looking at a healthy market showing high growth potential. However, the knock-on effect of the recent global economic downturn has seen a couple of business quarters performing below expectation. The company had previously experienced a growth rate of 30% year-on-year, but has seen this slow to 2% within its Systems Integration business.

Taking a realistic view of a continuation of this stabilisation of sales levels, the company has considered how to meet the challenges of the prevailing market conditions. Screen Research’s strategy is to adapt to this situation and re-organise the company in order to secure its long-term stability within an increasingly competitive market.

Under French regulations, any re-organisation generates a significant short-term impact on the company’s cash-flow. By seeking the protection of the government during this period, the company is able to focus on cash-flow and on market and product development issues rather than on any intrinsic re-structuring costs.
As with many manufacturing businesses, the restructuring is targeted toward the production facility and to a much lesser extent to the operational services based at the headquarters in Nantes.

The US subsidiary office in Atlanta and Asia/Pacific office (based in Bangkok, Thailand) are not affected by this procedure in both financial and legal terms. To the contrary, the company anticipates that it will be able to reinforce its US operation in the short term by bringing additional team members to support the US market. The performance of the recently established Atlanta office has been extremely encouraging.

Yves Trélohan, C.E.O and Founder, comments: “We feel very positive about the timing of this program as we recently introduced our new Classic 2 product line and successfully launched our new ISF(r)-certified MultiPix(tm) range of screen fabrics at the CEDIA Expo 2009, indicating a promising business quarter ahead.

“Mike Beatty of Pulse Marketing: “We at Pulse are delighted to hear the recent news regarding Screen Research’s restructuring. It allows Pulse to continue supplying UK dealers with the world’s finest selection of projection screens.”

With 6 patents and unique product solutions such as the award winning LeWing(tm), Screen Research has been recognized as a innovative company. Trélohan continues: “R&D efforts are our short and mid-term priorities as we are involved in a constantly evolving market requiring new solutions to match rapid developments in the video projector technology, pricing and application. We plan to introduce more new products a the ISE show in Amsterdam, in February 2010.”

The company communicated its plans to its distribution network recently and has been pleased with the support it has received. The current revenue trend is fully in line with its expectations. Screen Research is convinced that this action had to be taken in order to secure its financial position and has a strongly belief in the ability of the company and its distribution network to be able to successfully introduce a comprehensive new product and fabric program and implement an IP protection strategy.
www.pulsemarketing.com
www.screenresearchuk.com

Freeview hi-def set for pre-Xmas switch-on

High definition is about to go mainstream with the launch of Freeview HD services on 2 December. The Granada region in England’s North-West - including Manchester and Liverpool - will be the first area in the UK to receive BBC HD, ITV HD and Channel 4HD when the Winter Hill transmitter starts to broadcast in MPEG-4.

London’s Crystal Palace transmitter will follow in late December, while Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds should be covered well before June 2010.

That’s a magical date for consumers, because that month’s World Cup in South Africa will be broadcast in high definition on both BBC HD and ITV HD.

By the end of 2010 the BBC is hoping that Freeview HD will be available to 16 million people, though it’s the world Cup that could put a spike in sales of new Freeview HD set-top boxes and integrated TVs.

The likes of Humax, LG and Panasonic are expected to sell Freeview HD set-top boxes early in 2010, though Sony demoed a Freeview HD-equipped LCD TV at September’s IFA.

With the BBC keen to introduce iPlayer to the Freeview service, the new generation of Freeview HD set-top boxes are likely to feature an Ethernet port.

Freeview HD is scheduled to take around three years to rollout to the whole of the UK, and broadly follow digital switchover - only transmitters that have gone digital-only can broadcast HD channels. 2012 should also see the arrival of the Five HD channel.

Retailers could have a tough time explaining the ‘HD switchover’ process to consumers, especially in the early days; with no Freeview HD set-top boxes currently on sale, Freeview HD is likely to have a very soft launch in December.

September’s ‘big retune’ helped clear Multiplex B - the spectrum reserved for high definition DVB-T2 broadcasts across the whole of the UK - of all SD streams, though that’s meant sacrificing a video stream on the BBC’s Red Button service and the BBC News Multiscreen stream.
www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/Services/Freeview-HD