California TV Ban Even Worse Than We Thought
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
By Steve Crowe
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) just released a statement about the California ban on inefficient TVs.
CEDIA says it's "outraged by the adoption of the unnecessary and harmful regulation" that was approved on Nov. 18, 2009. Below is CEDIA's entire statement.
Click here to read CEA's reaction.
CEDIA says it's "outraged by the adoption of the unnecessary and harmful regulation" that was approved on Nov. 18, 2009. Below is CEDIA's entire statement.
Click here to read CEA's reaction.
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is outraged by the adoption of the unnecessary and harmful regulation regarding the California TV energy efficiency standard the CEC chose to adopt yesterday.
Despite continued efforts and data outlining the negative ramifications of the ruling provided by CEDIA and the Californians for Smart Energy coalition, the CEC chose to adopt regulations on the energy consumption of televisions sold in California. This regulation will have a significant negative impact on the sale and installation of flat-panel displays and the businesses in the residential electronic systems industry.
"CEDIA has worked tirelessly on this issue and is dismayed and frustrated at the CEC's decision to pass the ruling," said Utz Baldwin, CEDIA chief executive officer. "From the beginning of the hearings it was evident that the CEC had already determined the outcome before they started and had no intentions of factoring in any other viewpoints."
According to Baldwin, not only does the ruling negatively affect CEDIA members' ability to do business, it also minimizes their ability to provide enhanced energy-efficient solutions to their clients.
"The television is often the first point of…Posted by Steve Crowe on 11/19 at 03:04 PM
Blogs, Product News, Displays, TVs, Events, CEDIA, Legal, (3) Comments, Permalink
By Julie Jacobson
In our story about the new Walmart installation program through NEW, one dealer commented that the program was a complete ripoff of Zip Express Installation.
"If I was Zip, I would sue the you know what out of these copy cats," wrote James Carlson.
That's not gonna happen.
"At first I was deeply concerned about how similar their program was to our Zip Express Installations program," Zip founder and president Chris Mauzy tells CE Pro. "Similarities include verbage, processes, policies, artwork, voucher design, scheduling process, value propositions, and many more."
Ultimately, Mauzy says he would abide by the adage that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Nevertheless, the Walmart roll-out is keeping him on his toes:
Mauzy tells us to stay tuned for an "exciting, innovative" offering coming from Zip in early January.
Zip claims to have a network of 16,000 independent…
"If I was Zip, I would sue the you know what out of these copy cats," wrote James Carlson.
That's not gonna happen.
"At first I was deeply concerned about how similar their program was to our Zip Express Installations program," Zip founder and president Chris Mauzy tells CE Pro. "Similarities include verbage, processes, policies, artwork, voucher design, scheduling process, value propositions, and many more."
Ultimately, Mauzy says he would abide by the adage that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Nevertheless, the Walmart roll-out is keeping him on his toes:
NEW and Walmart have been working on this for the past 12 months. I had been eagerly awaiting this launch, since I was confident that it would include some great innovation, exciting packages and forward thinking. Innovation is what drives me personally to always make sure that my company and my team is leading the pack with cutting edge solutions and world class customer service.
This roll-out left me wanting more as there was nothing new or exciting. We will use this as a near-miss reminder that we need to continue leading the pack and never look back as there will always be "Fast Followers" trailing and imitating.
Mauzy tells us to stay tuned for an "exciting, innovative" offering coming from Zip in early January.
Zip claims to have a network of 16,000 independent…
Posted by Julie Jacobson on 11/19 at 08:20 AM
Blogs, Big-Box Retailers, Installation, (0) Comments, Permalink
Blogs, Big-Box Retailers, Installation, (0) Comments, Permalink
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By Steve Crowe
Jason Oxman, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) senior VP of industry affairs, reacts to the California Energy Commission's decision to pass a ban on inefficient TVs:
"CEA is extremely disappointed in the CEC's decision to regulate TV energy use. Simply put, this is bad policy—dangerous for the California economy, dangerous for technology innovation and dangerous for consumer freedom. Instead of allowing customers to choose the products they want, the Commission has decided to impose arbitrary standards that will hamper innovation and limit consumer choice. It will result in higher prices for consumers, job losses for Californians, and lost tax revenue for the state.
"The CEC's actions over the past year demonstrate that this regulatory process is broken. The commissioners repeatedly rebuffed attempts from the CE industry to provide input or correct the litany of errors and flawed assumptions upon which these misguided regulations are based. With tax revenues and jobs at risk, the citizens of California deserve a more reasoned and fact-based approach to regulation. The Commission has ignored the concerns of small business owners and consumers who will be adversely impacted by these regulations and the detrimental effect they will have on California's job market and economy.
"Energy efficiency is a shared concern for all parties. In fact, the consumer electronics industry has led the effort to reduce energy usage by with innovative, energy-efficient products, and consumers have responded with increased demand for these products. The industry has been so successful, that in the last two years alone energy efficiency of televisions has improved by 41 percent. But…Posted by Steve Crowe on 11/18 at 02:13 PM
Blogs, Product News, Displays, TVs, (6) Comments, Permalink
By Julie Jacobson
United Technologies Corp. (UTC) sent an email to dealers on Monday, Nov. 16, about its $1.8 billion acquisition of GE Security (full text below).
Beyond the usual platitudes, the letter said little, and not a word about its residential business.
The only potentially interesting bit of the notice was this: "For all product lines there will be a transition period with respect to use of the GE brand. For certain product lines, particularly U.S. intrusion and global video, the deal provides UTC with the right to use the GE brand for an extended period of time, including the right to grant sublicenses to authorized third party resellers for at least five years."
But then, we already knew that.
While UTC reserves the right to perpetuate the GE Security brand for some time, however, the company has not stated if they would actually use it.
Meanwhile, GE Security dealers in the GE Home Technologies Group, managed by the AIN Group, fret that GE may pull the substantial funding it provides to the organization.
In addition to the dealers, other CE-related vendors involved with the program -- including Sony, Control4, Klipsch and Legrand (formerly OnQ) -- rely on GE's investment in the group.
Neither UTC or GE Security has spoken publicly about its plans for the residential market or its channel partners, other than to say -- surprise surprise -- that UTC "remains committed to the company's independent channel partners"
…
Beyond the usual platitudes, the letter said little, and not a word about its residential business.
The only potentially interesting bit of the notice was this: "For all product lines there will be a transition period with respect to use of the GE brand. For certain product lines, particularly U.S. intrusion and global video, the deal provides UTC with the right to use the GE brand for an extended period of time, including the right to grant sublicenses to authorized third party resellers for at least five years."
But then, we already knew that.
While UTC reserves the right to perpetuate the GE Security brand for some time, however, the company has not stated if they would actually use it.
Meanwhile, GE Security dealers in the GE Home Technologies Group, managed by the AIN Group, fret that GE may pull the substantial funding it provides to the organization.
In addition to the dealers, other CE-related vendors involved with the program -- including Sony, Control4, Klipsch and Legrand (formerly OnQ) -- rely on GE's investment in the group.
Neither UTC or GE Security has spoken publicly about its plans for the residential market or its channel partners, other than to say -- surprise surprise -- that UTC "remains committed to the company's independent channel partners"
…
Posted by Julie Jacobson on 11/18 at 06:53 AM
Blogs, Mergers and Acquisitions, Security, (5) Comments, Permalink
Blogs, Mergers and Acquisitions, Security, (5) Comments, Permalink
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Viper SmartStart from Directed Electronics, a free app for starting the car from an iPhone, was one of six awards in vehicle-related categories.
By Julie Jacobson
The Consumer Electronics Association has named its "Best of Innovations" for CES 2010. What a disappointment to the CE pro community.
Of the 36 product categories and hundreds of entries, only five winners – six if you count the Eos wireless multiroom audio product -- had any relevance to CE pros or integration.
The other winners were largely gadgets for the car and personal use – keyboards, cameras, headphones and a whopping six winners related to in-vehicle accessories.
Yet there were no "Best of" winners in the categories of video displays and video components.
Also snubbed: audio components, home networking and home theater accessories.
Does the list of winners represent CES's return to trinkets, or did the CE guys simply fail to enter the contest? A look at the finalists in the various overlooked categories suggests there were decent CE entries aplenty.
Whatever the case, it's a sad state of affairs.
Not to worry, there will be plenty of custom goodies on display at EHX at CES 2010. Check it out in the LVCC South Hall.
Not to take away from the industry folks who did win "Best of Innovations" awards. Congratulations to them.
Category:…
Of the 36 product categories and hundreds of entries, only five winners – six if you count the Eos wireless multiroom audio product -- had any relevance to CE pros or integration.
The other winners were largely gadgets for the car and personal use – keyboards, cameras, headphones and a whopping six winners related to in-vehicle accessories.
Yet there were no "Best of" winners in the categories of video displays and video components.
Also snubbed: audio components, home networking and home theater accessories.
Does the list of winners represent CES's return to trinkets, or did the CE guys simply fail to enter the contest? A look at the finalists in the various overlooked categories suggests there were decent CE entries aplenty.
Whatever the case, it's a sad state of affairs.
Not to worry, there will be plenty of custom goodies on display at EHX at CES 2010. Check it out in the LVCC South Hall.
Winners in the CE/Custom Categories
Not to take away from the industry folks who did win "Best of Innovations" awards. Congratulations to them.
Category:…
Posted by Julie Jacobson on 11/17 at 12:19 PM
Blogs, Product News, Events, CES, (8) Comments, Permalink
Blogs, Product News, Events, CES, (8) Comments, Permalink
By Arlen Schweiger
Remakes of original classics can be very hit or miss, even with top directors on board (I'm looking at you, Gus Van Sant and Psycho). There have been so many versions of Star Trek to come and go, it seemed like we really didn't need another one.
Turns out, maybe we did. This summer's version of Star Trek arrives on Blu-ray today, and it's been very well-received, with the distinct possibility that it'll be all over the demo scene at tradeshows like CES and CEDIA.
Perhaps the infusion of young talent like Lost's J.J. Abrams was a major factor, but this remake delivers the goods, and now you'll be able to have your own demos of it on Blu-ray, with full 2.39:1 super widescreen and rocking Dolby TrueHD soundtrack.
As long as you're in a testosterone-fueled movie mood, you can also check out Fight Club, which also makes the format debut this week. The Brad Pitt/Edward Norton flick was pretty much an instant classic. You also get it in the native 2.39:1 aspect ratio, with the other uncompressed high-res audio format of DTS-HD Master Audio providing the soundtrack.
If you're in a bit of a lighter mood, there's a Kevin Smith box set out this week, as well as the individual release of Clerks (in time for its 15th anniversary). So in case you've forgotten some of those classic lines you memorized back in the mid-90s, here's a good excuse to learn them all over again.
It's also a good week for cable TV releases, sure to keep you glued to your set for…
Turns out, maybe we did. This summer's version of Star Trek arrives on Blu-ray today, and it's been very well-received, with the distinct possibility that it'll be all over the demo scene at tradeshows like CES and CEDIA.
Perhaps the infusion of young talent like Lost's J.J. Abrams was a major factor, but this remake delivers the goods, and now you'll be able to have your own demos of it on Blu-ray, with full 2.39:1 super widescreen and rocking Dolby TrueHD soundtrack.
As long as you're in a testosterone-fueled movie mood, you can also check out Fight Club, which also makes the format debut this week. The Brad Pitt/Edward Norton flick was pretty much an instant classic. You also get it in the native 2.39:1 aspect ratio, with the other uncompressed high-res audio format of DTS-HD Master Audio providing the soundtrack.
If you're in a bit of a lighter mood, there's a Kevin Smith box set out this week, as well as the individual release of Clerks (in time for its 15th anniversary). So in case you've forgotten some of those classic lines you memorized back in the mid-90s, here's a good excuse to learn them all over again.
It's also a good week for cable TV releases, sure to keep you glued to your set for…
Monday, November 16, 2009
By Robert Archer
It's more important than ever for installers to have at least a basic understanding of common terms in the computer field.
To help installers with just that, Universal Remote Control (URC) is holding a 60-minute home networking Webinar on Tuesday Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.
The Webinar will cover topics like Mac addresses, static IP and DHCP IP addresses. Webinar participants will also earn CEDIA CEA credits.
Click here to sign up for the Webinar.
To help installers with just that, Universal Remote Control (URC) is holding a 60-minute home networking Webinar on Tuesday Nov. 17 at 10 a.m.
The Webinar will cover topics like Mac addresses, static IP and DHCP IP addresses. Webinar participants will also earn CEDIA CEA credits.
Click here to sign up for the Webinar.
Friday, November 13, 2009
By Jeff Boccaccio
Just think how far TV has come over the last 10 years.
Compare it to 60 years of NTSC with its biggest improvement being the addition of color.
Since then, most of the improvements have been self-induced between scalers, line doublers and conditioners.
But DTV is so expandable. New features and improvements are announced almost annually. This is good!
The only real thing that gets in our way is the actual silicon that makes up our electronics. That said, the announcement that HDMI 1.4 supports 3D TVs allows makers to push forward toward real-life 3D viewing.
3D viewing is nothing new. Those of you who have been around as long as I have will remember the View Master system — really, the first commercial 3D viewer, developed in 1939. A "stereo image" gets computed in the mind to replicate human 3D viewing. Our brain takes advantage of motion parallax, binocular parallax, convergence and even history to name just a few.
The bottom line is, to achieve a 3D picture with any decent resolution, the interface integrity becomes a major issue. In addition, there would have to be some extra intelligence to manage each format.
Let's hope hardware makers can get on the stick and produce products that are compatible with each other.
Compare it to 60 years of NTSC with its biggest improvement being the addition of color.
Since then, most of the improvements have been self-induced between scalers, line doublers and conditioners.
But DTV is so expandable. New features and improvements are announced almost annually. This is good!
The only real thing that gets in our way is the actual silicon that makes up our electronics. That said, the announcement that HDMI 1.4 supports 3D TVs allows makers to push forward toward real-life 3D viewing.
3D viewing is nothing new. Those of you who have been around as long as I have will remember the View Master system — really, the first commercial 3D viewer, developed in 1939. A "stereo image" gets computed in the mind to replicate human 3D viewing. Our brain takes advantage of motion parallax, binocular parallax, convergence and even history to name just a few.
The bottom line is, to achieve a 3D picture with any decent resolution, the interface integrity becomes a major issue. In addition, there would have to be some extra intelligence to manage each format.
Let's hope hardware makers can get on the stick and produce products that are compatible with each other.
By Julie Jacobson
Lifehacker, the site that brought us 10 Useful Add-Ons for Windows 7, now gives us Top 10 Apps that Boost Your Media Center.
There are a few repeats in there (like the Hulu work-around) but there are also a few goodies like commercial-skipping:
Lifehacker's list includes:
There are a few repeats in there (like the Hulu work-around) but there are also a few goodies like commercial-skipping:
Some commercials are worth their short time commitment, but sometimes you just want to watch exactly 24 minutes of condensed television. Windows Media Center plug-in Lifextender does the job inside your hooked-up PC, while DVRMSToolbox runs through Media-Center-recorded files independently, and can then export them to more generally usable formats than Windows' somewhat locked-down system. (Original posts: Lifextender, DVRMSToolbox)
Lifehacker's list includes:
- Give your tunes the covers they deserve
- Remove ads automatically from recorded TV
- Boost Boxee with repositories and feeds
- Rename files for easier detection
- Plug Hulu into Windows Media Center
- Rip DVDs the easy way
- Schedule TV recording from any browser
- Media center remotes for your phone (or iPod touch)
- Make your router more media-friendly
- Convert and transfer tracks to your portable player
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By Julie Jacobson
The Japanese have come to enjoy some amenities that we Americans rarely afford ourselves.
On a recent trip to Japan, I was confused by the toilet that awaited me in the hotel room.
And then I sat on the warm seat. All my troubles melted away.
The next day was a chilly one, and I rushed to my room to warm up … on the toilet seat. I read the first 500 pages of Crime and Punishment.
Alas, such amenities come at a cost.
In Japan, only 1.6% of household energy consumption is attributed to dishwashers and 2.8% to clothes dryers.
But "hygiene toilet seats" consume 3.9% of the energy, and electric carpets (which I was not fortunate enough to experience) consume a whopping 4.3%.
So, if toilet seats had an energy monitor, would there be a Prius effect?
The research came to light during a presentation by Kuniaki Okahara, director of Panasonic Corp.'s Corporate Environmental Affairs Division.
Naturally, Okahara did not focus on the toilet seats and carpets but on Panasonic's efforts to green up the world … starting with Panasonic itself, whose motto is: "eco ideas for Products, eco ideas for Manufacturing, eco ideas for Everybody, Everywhere."
Stay tuned for a tour of Panasonic's eco ideas House ….
Panasonic heated carpet
On a recent trip to Japan, I was confused by the toilet that awaited me in the hotel room.
And then I sat on the warm seat. All my troubles melted away.
The next day was a chilly one, and I rushed to my room to warm up … on the toilet seat. I read the first 500 pages of Crime and Punishment.
Alas, such amenities come at a cost.
In Japan, only 1.6% of household energy consumption is attributed to dishwashers and 2.8% to clothes dryers.
But "hygiene toilet seats" consume 3.9% of the energy, and electric carpets (which I was not fortunate enough to experience) consume a whopping 4.3%.
So, if toilet seats had an energy monitor, would there be a Prius effect?
The research came to light during a presentation by Kuniaki Okahara, director of Panasonic Corp.'s Corporate Environmental Affairs Division.
Naturally, Okahara did not focus on the toilet seats and carpets but on Panasonic's efforts to green up the world … starting with Panasonic itself, whose motto is: "eco ideas for Products, eco ideas for Manufacturing, eco ideas for Everybody, Everywhere."
Stay tuned for a tour of Panasonic's eco ideas House ….
Panasonic heated carpet