HiddenWires’ most-read stories of 2016: 4K and IoT dominate

“We’ve learned to live with “Sky Boxes” because they come up at almost every single job. An entire industry has cropped up with accessories to make these things work in a much more expensive whole-home setup. But just as they changed the game with Sky+, where you could pause live TV and record TV straight to the box itself, Sky are making another sweeping step set to shake things up once more” - Daniel Adams, director of technical at HDanywhere. > Read more

“The introduction of the LED caused a multitude of problems mainly concerning colour temperature and dimming ability but we have seen great advances in recent years to the point where it is really no longer an issue. Power consumption from these fittings is up to 80% less than the halogen incandescent load it replaces. As energy costs rise technology has changed and with a good LED lamp and a great control system you really can save money but still achieve amazing results with your lighting scheme” - Phil Pini of Crestron EMEA’s Residential Business Development. > Read more

"Kaleidescape's leaders have not given up, there is a strong desire to see it recover, and some are working tirelessly to find a buyer or investor that can recognise the value K brings to home entertainment. We'll see!" > Read more

And less than a month later we did see as CEO Cheena Srinivasan announced that new funding meant the sixteen-year-old company would live on with a smaller team and focus on early-release film downloads.

“For the systems that you are designing now, consider doing the following:

1. For sales staff, please take the time to understand what ‘4K’ means so that when discussing the options with customers you can explain the above in non-technical terms in order to justify your design recommendations and the extra costs associated with them” - Peter Aylett, technical director at Archimedia > Read more 

    

“One of the largest shifts to occur is that electronics are connected to the home network and, quite likely, the cloud. The IoT world has exploded with more and more devices being added into homes and further expectation that our solutions can control those devices. When we started we did foresee a day where this was the case and now that is a reality.” > Read more

“The client, a famous TV personality, and his technical team had some very unique requirements. Firstly, they wanted the maximum number of seating possible. They also requested a very large 4:3 screen. The cinema room, which was in a basement, included wide doors that open into the basement lounge, so the client wanted the cinema set up so that people who are sat in the lounge can still view the screen in the cinema. Also, the cinema had to be DCI compatible with the latest in immersive audio. Lastly, the client required a vintage-looking cinema that matches the decor of their home” - Sawan Nichani, director of MACBEE. > Read more

“A little bit of madness, in moderation, is a great thing in an industry that values reliability and architectural discreteness over and above flair and making an artistic statement. This madness was on display at the wonderful Munich High End show. Twenty-five years ago, the vast majority of ‘industry’ companies came from the hi-fi industry. Then, audio quality of installed system was top of the agenda, an emphasis that today is sadly often compromised at the altar of making technology invisible. On display at the Munich show were speakers ranging from small, inexpensive and sensible, to huge, eye-wateringly expensive and just downright bonkers” - Peter Aylett, technical director at Archimedia. > Read more

“At the event, Sonos announced the company’s first-ever endorsed partner integrations with connected home leaders Crestron, Lutron, Savant, Control4, iPort and Deutsche Telekom’s QIVICON. These joint collaborations seamlessly integrate Sonos’ sound platform into the connected home, making it even easier for customers to control their music at home, whether from a touchscreen panel, a light switch or a remote control, all with the simple push of a button.” > Read more

“It’s not often the case that one of the busiest stands at a trade show is a first-timer, but when you have the gravitas Amazon has (and you're located in the centre of the show floor) people are going to take notice. Only perhaps Sony’s stand rivalled Amazon in traffic during the show. With debuts from the likes of Amazon and Google, and a small presence from Crestron at the Sonos stand, 2016 signified how the mould for the typical CEDIA exhibitor is evolving. And speaking to Giles Sutton, chairman of CEDIA, he agreed: “We’re starting to see exhibitors from CES starting to emerge with CEDIA.” > Read more

Best Practice: AV Systems Setup Checklist

“The best equipment does not necessarily give you the best performance. It is essential that every system be set up correctly so as to maximise the performance of the installed equipment. For many automation systems, it is either going to work, or not. There is little or no grey area. For AV systems, however, it is not enough to simply get a picture or hear a sound; every system needs setting up correctly. The following is a simple and basic checklist to use on every AV system you encounter…” - Peter Aylett, technical director at Archimedia. > Read more