6 Pop Songs Great for Audio Demos
Worst DIY Installs Ever Part 7
10 Must-Have Products for Your Next Install
6 Amazing High-End Home Theaters
Print
Email
Comments (1)
Share
Top 5 Custom Technologies to Watch in 2008
Video monitoring, IPTV, retrofits, HDMI and gaming should be on your watch list for this year.
For the third year, CE Pro is mirroring the effort of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) by identifying the "Top 5 Technologies to Watch in 2008 for the Custom Industry."
The CEA issues every year at the Consumer Electronics Show its list of the "Top 5 Technologies to Watch," but those topics are often slanted toward mainstream products that do not necessarily require professional installation, such as portable products like MP3 players.
There, however, are several custom-oriented technologies that could be ready to have a breakout year:
Video Monitoring: For years, CCTV was a purely commercial play. But now, several trends are converging that might make residential cameras an increasingly viable play.
Cameras for the front door, swimming pool and driveway have become smaller, less obtrusive, IP-based and part of a home intercom system, making the category ripe for integrators to install and remotely monitor.
HDMI: The high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) is blessed by Hollywood and is included in nearly every manufacturer's video product lineup, so it seems that the only group still not won over is integration companies.
IPTV: If you've ever used IPTV, you know that the speed of the channel switching can be a bit clunky and confusing, but will the clarity, costs and downloading capabilities win over the public?
No matter the outcome, this is a technology that integrators need to keep on top of.
Retrofits: It's not enough for an integrator to merely decide to concentrate on the existing home market.
You will need to alter your marketing approach, set a new pricing structure and train your technicians on how to do an installation when the drywall is already up -- not to mention invest in tools, booties, brooms and tarps.
Gaming: When a single product ("Halo 3") sells $300 million in its first week and retailers take in more than 1.7 million pre-orders for that product, it better be on the radars of integrators -- especially when it can potentially link into a home theater system.
Do you have a "Halo 3 home theater package" developed yet?
The CEA issues every year at the Consumer Electronics Show its list of the "Top 5 Technologies to Watch," but those topics are often slanted toward mainstream products that do not necessarily require professional installation, such as portable products like MP3 players.
There, however, are several custom-oriented technologies that could be ready to have a breakout year:
Video Monitoring: For years, CCTV was a purely commercial play. But now, several trends are converging that might make residential cameras an increasingly viable play.
Cameras for the front door, swimming pool and driveway have become smaller, less obtrusive, IP-based and part of a home intercom system, making the category ripe for integrators to install and remotely monitor.
HDMI: The high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) is blessed by Hollywood and is included in nearly every manufacturer's video product lineup, so it seems that the only group still not won over is integration companies.
IPTV: If you've ever used IPTV, you know that the speed of the channel switching can be a bit clunky and confusing, but will the clarity, costs and downloading capabilities win over the public?
No matter the outcome, this is a technology that integrators need to keep on top of.
Retrofits: It's not enough for an integrator to merely decide to concentrate on the existing home market.
You will need to alter your marketing approach, set a new pricing structure and train your technicians on how to do an installation when the drywall is already up -- not to mention invest in tools, booties, brooms and tarps.
Gaming: When a single product ("Halo 3") sells $300 million in its first week and retailers take in more than 1.7 million pre-orders for that product, it better be on the radars of integrators -- especially when it can potentially link into a home theater system.
Do you have a "Halo 3 home theater package" developed yet?
 | Video Monitoring  With the price of IP network cameras dropping and the cameras themselves becoming easier to use, video security solutions are more affordable.HDMI  Why is HDMI on the minds of so many integrators and why does it promise to be one of the Top 5 Tech Trends for 2008?IPTV  Through the use of the Internet, consumers are now able to stream high-definition (HD) video into their homes -- and even onto their mobile devices.Retrofits  At a time when economic and construction forecasts are dismal, retrofits, remodeling and home additions can provide integration companies with invaluable stability.Gaming  2007 was the year that gaming finally broke through the perception of being a niche business and moved into the realm of the mainstream. | |
| ||
Subscribe to the CE Pro Newsletter
Read more News stories
People On the Move: Milestone AV, Definitive Technology, JL Audio, NACECEDIA White Paper Examines How to Build Mobile Device Wireless Networks
Arizona Passes Statewide Alarm Licensing Law
6 Pop Songs Great for Audio Demos
Channel Vision Adds 6710, 6721 Outdoor PTZ Cameras
More in News
About the Author
Jason Knott, Editor, CE Pro
Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990. He joined EH Publishing in 2000, and before that served as publisher and editor of Security Sales, a leading magazine for the security industry. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He is currently a member of the CEDIA Education Action Team for Electronic Systems Business. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California.
1 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
Page 1 of 1 comment pages
I think that storage will become important too. All those photos, music and videos will need to be put somewhere. Networked storage will come of age in the home. And where there is storage, other needs will follow, like back-up and maintenance.