Strategy in TECH...
Vanco continues to impress me with their wide assortment of solution products needed and used by integrators every day. But they aren’t just an outlet for useful tools and gadgets – they also know how to push the envelope in core product performance. No better example of that exists than their latest announcement of the launch of a new line of Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cables.
These cables aren’t just fast…they are certified fast by HDMI themselves.
With many just getting their arms wrapped around the new HDMI 2.0 specification, we now learn that the HDMI Forum – parent of HDMI Licensing, LLC – has released a new HDMI 2.0a specification. This new spec update is said to add support for high dynamic range (HDR) transmissions.
On the eve of the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show we received the announcement of the launch of a new kind of connectivity supplier called Future Ready Solutions (FRS). Launched by Bodley & Associates founder Eric Bodley, we have learned that FRS is a distinctly different kind of company – sort of a hybrid really – seeking to set the standard as your preferred provider of mission-critical connectivity solutions.
Metra Home Theater Group will launch a line of HDMI cables engineered from the ground up to deliver real 4K Ultra HD performance at the upcoming 2015 ICES in Las Vegas. Did you think ALL HDMI cables deliver reliable 4K performance? Think again…
Yamaha Corporation of America announced this week that it has updated its well-regarded RX-V line of A/V receivers adding several new and popular features such as new wireless capability, a new surround capability, and new streaming services. Included in this update are the 7.2-channel RX-V777BT, RX-V677, RX-V577…as well as the 5.1-channel RX-V477. The company notes that these models embody a rare combination of sound quality, convenience, and accessibility.
As we walked the halls of CE Week, we kept running into old friends and well-known industry personalities. We met both at once when we ran into Eric Bodley of PPC/Perfect Path who was at the show to support various partners of the company. PPC was recently purchased by cable giant Belden, Inc. and we’ve been anxiously awaiting more details on how this consolidation would be implemented.
Bodley wasn’t in a position to comment on that quite yet, but we took advantage of the meeting to ask him about a couple of other recent issues.
Tributaries announced today that it has revamped its HDMI cable line-up with an all-new approach that the company says will deliver better, and more reliable, long distance performance. As part of this line overhaul, the company is introducing a new IHEC long-run cable – and an active extender, the HX102.
One of the more interesting stops we made during our rounds at last month’s 2012 CEA Line Show was to see a new company with a brand new product not yet on the market…but coming soon. That company, Engage Audio Design, has announced and shown a simplified total home theater package called Unity Home Theater. If the actual shipping product adheres closely to the prototype shown at the show – they just may have a real winner on their hands!
[Read more…] about If You Want Real Unity – You’ve Got to Get Engage[d]
Years ago, the step-up component audio world was dominated by the big three: Yamaha, Onkyo, and Denon. Having joined Onkyo in 1985, I got to participate in what some people called the “meat of the market.” These brands hit the optimal “sweet spot” of volume and profitability and literally could be the difference between life-and-death for dealers.
And we knew it. Those were heady times, and often we let our egos run wild – turning our noses up at mass market brands such as Sony, Kenwood, and Pioneer. Well, I’m older and wiser now – the big three aren’t what they used to be – and I recognize smart and savvy moves when I see them…and Pioneer is impressing me. [Read more…] about Is Pioneer Another Name for Innovator?
Monster’s New Global VP of Marketing and Web
At the CEA LineShow last week, Monster put on a press conference that, as usual, was quite a show. And the first surprise was that the event was kicked off by a new Monster – recently appointed Global VP of Marketing and Web Tracy Benson. Benson, a former Senior Director at Best Buy, wasted no time launching into the presentation by reminding reporters that Monster Beats “proved them wrong” when many said consumers would not pay more for a better, more richer listening experience. [Read more…] about Monster Announces New Monster, New Partnerships, and Mini-Fashion Show
