The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) said today that their annual tradeshow – the EXPO, taking place next month in Denver – will have over 150 exhibitors launching new products or introducing their businesses to the industry for the first time. Saying these companies “choose CEDIA EXPO as their launch point,” the trade group says that new product launches have already been announced in wireless audio, motion sensors, lighting solutions, TV & control mounts, and keyless entry.
Industry Trends
Dolby Atmos – Take Two
GUEST POST
My Take After a Dolby-Controlled Demo of
Both Commercial and Home Atmos Versions
Someone (even Google can’t tell me who) once said “Nothing is new, only rediscovered.”
Case in point: Dolby Atmos, now being touted as the Next Big Thing in surround sound technology. [See A Deeper Dive into Dolby Atmos and Atmos Attacks at CE Week] The two most definable points that are said to differentiate Atmos from earlier surround formats (height information and “sound objects”) are, in reality, surprisingly mature approaches to multi-dimensional sound reproduction.
But height may not be as important as you (or Dolby) may think… [Read more…] about Dolby Atmos – Take Two
Another OLED Breakthrough? Japanese Consortium Forms to Test New OLED Production Method
A Who’s Who collection of significant panel and display manufacturers in Japan says they will collectively invest ¥20 billion ($193 million) into a test production line for OLED panels using a new manufacturing process that promises to move the industry closer to mass production of what many feel is the next-generation video technology. If all goes well, the consortium will be mass-producing large quantities of relatively inexpensive OLED panels by 2018.
Learn more about this significant effort to push OLED technology forward… [Read more…] about Another OLED Breakthrough? Japanese Consortium Forms to Test New OLED Production Method
Bodley Exits PPC to Start a Company Selling What? Why PPC, Of Course
When Belden bought PPC at the end of 2012, Eric Bodley thought this was going to be great news for both PPC and its Perfect Path line, where since 2009 he had led the charge in establishing the cable and satellite connector company’s locking HDMI connectors into the custom integration channel. And while he would argue that this acquisition by Belden was, in fact, a good thing for PPC, he soon came to realize that there was a challenge for him that was difficult to address.
That realization led Bodley to leave Belden/PPC and start a new company – to sell PPC… [Read more…] about Bodley Exits PPC to Start a Company Selling What? Why PPC, Of Course
In Semi-Annual Update, CEA Says Industry Sales Will Hit New High
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) maintains a semi-annually updated forecast for all major categories of consumer electronics and has announced the results of their latest update for July saying the industry will hit another new high watermark in industry-wide sales. In a minor revision of their initial January 2014 forecast, the CEA now says total industry shipments in dollars will total $211.3 billion.
What product categories are driving this growth? See more below… [Read more…] about In Semi-Annual Update, CEA Says Industry Sales Will Hit New High
Put a Little Bounce in Your Sales with Spring Deck
Imagine this – your sales team heads out to meet with prospective clients for your integration business somewhere in your service area. In a meeting, the client likes what they hear, but wants to see just exactly what the salesperson is referring to.
Like magic – presto changeo – your salesperson whips out an iPad and instantly pulls up a sharp, colorful image of the key components being proposed. What’s that you say, Mr. Prospect? You’d like to know how many HDMI inputs this unit has? Another click and a pdf of a manufacturer’s product cut-sheet opens up to detailed specifications – ah, there’s the answer.
Oh wait! – your salesperson exclaims – let me show you this short video made by the manufacturer that demonstrates a key feature that would be perfect for you. A colorful video plays instantly and smoothly, without any “buffering” hesitation.
Is this a pipe dream? No…its Spring Deck – an all-new central resource for your sales team.. [Read more…] about Put a Little Bounce in Your Sales with Spring Deck
Needing Cash, Sharp Will Sell Land Under Major Factory
Sharp Corp. is said to be in the process of selling the land under one of its major factories in Osaka, Japan, in a bid to raise cash. The transaction, reported by the Nikkei, is said to be happening as early as the current fiscal year.
But that’s not all the company is selling… [Read more…] about Needing Cash, Sharp Will Sell Land Under Major Factory
Dazed and Confused About Hi-Res Audio? Here’s Help…
GUEST POST
(PHOTO: Len Schneider)
Quick: What’s the most misused term in audio next to “subwoofer”?
You, yeah, you in the back there – did you say “hi-res”?
No more calls, folks, we have a winner!
[Read more…] about Dazed and Confused About Hi-Res Audio? Here’s Help…
Thiel’s New CEO Says Company ‘Struck a Chord’ Compelling Him to Join
In a telephone interview today, new Thiel Audio CEO John Wittman told us that the company “struck a chord with me personally,” virtually compelling him to take over as CEO after the owners’ invited him to look at the company last winter. Over the course of an interview that went on for more than a hour, Wittman candidly shared his thoughts and perspectives in an enthusiastic and – to the degree he felt appropriate – open manner.
See what Wittman had to say about where Thiel is at…and where it’s going… [Read more…] about Thiel’s New CEO Says Company ‘Struck a Chord’ Compelling Him to Join
Good News: Sharp is Forecast to Lose 2 Billion Yen in Fiscal 1st Quarter
Report Says Sharp Plans to Withdraw from Consumer Electronics & Solar Businesses in Europe
In a new report out of Japan, the Nikkei is forecasting that Sharp Corp. will book a net loss of around ¥2 billion ($19.6 million) for their fiscal first quarter (April – June) this year. The report further says that the company plans to exit both the consumer electronics and solar panel businesses in Europe in order to refocus their efforts on other markets.
