CEDIA, the association for professionals in the home electronics integration industry is really on top of providing educational opportunities to our partners in the building and design industry. I wanted to pass on this invitation to a free webinar offered by CEDIA and the Home Technology Alliance. It looks like a really interesting topic, especially for those of us just a little over 45…
Opportunities in the Age-in-Place Market
With the aging of the baby boomers, there is a greater awareness of the need for residential spaces to adapt to changing needs. Evidence shows that people want to live in their homes for as long as possible, but can they? Learn why it is never too early to evaluate clients’ homes and learn about the pitfalls to avoid, view creative solutions to incorporate, and why it is a financially sound investment to make necessary changes that may save money in the long run. Finally, learn the value of teaming with professionals who are armed with the knowledge and resources necessary to meet this challenge and help create livable environments today that will endure the natural progression of a lifetime.
Click HERE for more information about the course and to register for this free webinar.
What an amazing Spring in New England! We are enjoying every moment we can outside. Like many of you, we are grateful for the opportunity to increase our living area through outside living space. There are so many great products that bring all of the comforts of indoors to the outside. How fabulous it is to have a products that really support out door living. We love our chiminea for the chilly evenings, out door furniture with fabrics and finishes that with stand the elements, a sturdy grill, a new Kubb court and a simple outdoor audio system that has encouraged a little dancing on the deck on more than one occasion.
There are some great options today for outside audio and video. The speakers are completely weather proof- we leave ours out all year. The volume and source controls are also weather proof. We are big fans of the handsome, high performance line from Bay Audio. There are a number of great sources for speakers that are shaped like rocks and hide nicely in your landscape. Out door video has always presented a challenge, but we have been very pleased with the performance of Sunbrite TV.
We vitamin D deficient New Englanders need to spend as much time as we can enjoying the great outdoors. Go dance on the deck-and don’t forget your sunscreen of course!
Please join us for an evening of fun and learning.
DC Home Systems is pleased to offer certified continuing education to our industry partners.
ASID-AIA-NAHB-AIBD
Please click ‘Invitation’ to view the full invitation and description!
HDMI (High Definition Multi-Media Interface) is the newest method for hooking up your audio video systems. When properly implemented, you can get the best possible connectivity between your new Blu-Ray player and 1080P TV. It is also the cause of a great deal of confusion, misunderstanding and unfortunately, problems.
What is HDMI? It is a protocol for transporting pure digital audio/video signals between devices in a manner that optimizes quality and resolution while also keeping it copyright proof (thanks Hollywood).
In the “old” analog days, you would hook up your equipment with RCA jacks. If the connection was good, you got a nice picture and sound. If the connection was bad, you would get a snowy picture or poor sound. Even if you messed it up completely, you might at least have something. 
In the digital age, it either works or it doesn’t: No picture. No sound. No control. Nothing. To complicate matters, there are a number of variables which can contribute to the HDMI failure, making the cause difficult to isolate.
So why HDMI?
Well a couple of reasons:
- Picture & Sound Quality: All new TV’s, Blu-Ray discs and cable boxes are capable of increasing resolution and clarity. This increase in resolution dictates more bandwidth and ultimately a different type of cable and hook-up method that can handle the signals.
- Compatibility between devices: Picture and sound resolutions are not standardized and come in varying formats…480i, 480P, 1080i, 1080P, 1080/24, 1080/60, and on and on… And unfortunately not every device is capable of each resolution. To get around this, the HDMI protocol includes a “handshaking” system where the devices talk to each other and match their best resolution capabilities. Here’s a typical conversation between Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma:
Mr. Blu-Ray Player: Hi Mr. 60” Plasma, Mr. Blu-Ray player here and I want to play this disc in 1080/24. Is that cool with you?
Mr. 60” Plasma: Yeah hi Mr. Blu-Ray. No, I don’t like 1080/24. Only my bigger brother can do that. Can you send it to me in 1080i?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Ok I guess. Not as nice a picture, but here you go. Enjoy the show.
- Control: We all wish we had more control and HDMI is lucky enough to say that it does. Inside the communication link of HDMI is a provision for devices to talk to each other. For example, the simple act of turning on your Blu-Ray player could trigger your TV to automatically turn on and go the right input. Pretty cool.
- Copyright Protection. This is the biggie. Hollywood is terrified of having perfect copies of their movies reproduced and subsequently sold by street merchants on sidewalks atop an old blanket. Not good for their image or profits. So, they imposed a system on HDMI to prevent unauthorized reproduction. Basically it requires the two devices to establish and maintain a dialogue the ENTIRE time picture and sound are being played. Specifically, the receiving device (the TV) requests to see a “key” from the sending device (a Blu-Ray player). If the key looks good, the show goes on. If not, the curtains come crashing down. This dialogue happens many times per second. Remember the conversation between Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma? Well, here is what their continued chatter looks like:
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
Wait 100th of a second
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
Wait 100th of a second
Mr. 60” Plasma: Hi Mr. Blu-Ray, can I see your key please?
Mr. Blu-Ray: Sure thing dude, here it is.
Mr. 60” Plasma: Thanks, looks good.
And so on and so on. Really boring guys huh?
All of the above sound reasonable so why is there a problem? Let’s look at the pitfalls of each:
Picture & Sound Quality: Frankly this is the best part of HDMI and rarely is there a problem with how good the audio and video can be using this medium. Score 10 for HDMI! 
- Compatibility between devices: The whole idea of the two devices working together to give you the best resolution sounds great right? Most of the time it is. But the issues it can create are irritating. When you start up your system for example, you will have this black screen that says “no signal” even though you get sound. And forget fast channel surfing: each time you change channels, Mr. Blu-Ray and Mr. 60” Plasma have to re-introduce themselves and negotiate a resolution. This means that you could get a blank screen for 3-5 seconds between each channel change. Score -3 for HDMI.
- Control: A little is good but too much is overbearing. Imagine keeping your cable box on to record a show while changing over to Blu-ray to watch a movie and the TV won’t let you? Or how about using the cable box to listen to one of the music channels on your stereo but you can’t because when you turn off the TV, the cable box shuts down. And there are many other little maddening scenarios which will leave you thinking that your system is possessed. Score -2 for HDMI.
- Copyright Protection: Remember I said this was the biggie? Well it is. If any one of the hundreds of boring conversations between Mr. Blu-ray and Mr. 60” Plasma TV gets interrupted, even just one, your screen goes blank. Nada. Zero. Nothing. And it could take 5-10 seconds for it to come back during which you will likely switch channels etc. trying to “make it work” which unfortunately makes it worse. Score -5 for HDMI.
How do get around these issues?
- Use great cables! HDMI cables will not only get you better picture and sound quality, they will help to make sure Mr. 60” Plasma and Mr. Blu-ray keep talking. Think of the cable as a marriage therapist.
- Install the cable correctly: Any little crimp or extra pressure on a cable will cause a breakdown in communications. You know what that means.
- Use compatible equipment: If you are insistent on building the system yourself use devices from the same manufacturer.
- Stabilize your power using a UPS: Any slight variations in power will impact the conversations between Mr. Plasma and Mr. Blu-Ray.
- Do NOT attempt to run HDMI long distances (beyond 18’), regardless of what the specs say. Unless you are lucky, it will not work right.
Adjusting the lights in your home through programmed controls is becoming more and more desirable, not only for the convenience but also for reducing energy consumption and costs. This technology is more widely available than ever before. Thanks to recent product innovations, retrofitting your current lighting to controllable lighting is as easy as replacing a light switch. You can choose to replace one switch or have as many as 200 switches programmed on to the system. Start with just a single room or area and expand the system to the most logical spaces. The right dimmers, switches and keypads talk wirelessly to a central control point, enabling control of all of the lighting in your home with simple, intuitive keypads, both in-wall and table-top. And as an added benefit, the controls are elegant and available in many colors and styles.
From This....
to this!
As switches are added, groups of lights are programmed to come on to preset levels based on the ambiance you want for the occasion. Now, as you enter the den, you press a button on a keypad near the entry and your over head lights come on to a dimmed setting, your desk lamp turns on and the art light illuminates your favorite painting. Lights can be programmed to turn on, off or dim according to the time of day or occupancy patterns, saving energy and bulb life. Further, with a built in astronomical clock, your system can be programmed to turn lights on automatically at sunrise, whatever the time of year. You can even turn off all the lights in the house from a keypad beside your bed with the push of a single button.
Your system can include progammed sensors which automatically turn the lights on when movement is detected in a room. Conversely, when you leave the room and the sensor doesn’t detect movement for a few minutes, the lights will turn off to save energy.
Car visor controls provide an additional level of safety and security. When you leave your home, you simply press one button to turn off all the lights, except the lights that provide security in your absence. Similarly, when you return, a button on the visor control illuminates a safe path to your entrance and task lighting inside the home.
Sophisticated systems aim to optimize not only electric light but also natural day light. Motorized shades are an important part of light and energy management. The shades/drapes can be programmed to rise with sun. The shades lower with the mid day sun, to protect upholstery, flooring and minimize energy spent on cooling. You adjust the shades to any level you choose using simple keypad buttons. The shades are whisper quiet in operation, offer a variety of privacy levels and come in a beautiful array of fabrics.
Visit these sites to learn more about these well engineered solutions for total optimization of both electric and natural light.
http://www.lutron.com/
http://www.crestron.com/
By far, this is biggest question we get. Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer as each of the technologies offers differences that benefit certain applications. Plasma still provides the best picture assuming you do not have high ambient light or reflectivity. In contrast, LCD is great for those high ambient light rooms. And “new” LED technology is simply a twist on LCD that enables TV’s to become ridiculously thin.
On any given Sunday there will be a flyer showing the latest sale prices on a TV. This past weekend I saw a 42” plasma on sale from Best Circuit for $475. Wow. Just five years ago a 42” plasma was nearly $5,000!
Now it would seem that the installation shouldn’t be much more right? I mean after all, it’s just a TV.
No, not really. Even a “simple” installation requires thought, planning and good supporting products.
Let’s start with the TV. The one on sale is probably not all that great. It is there to catch your attention from a price perspective. Even if you don’t hire a professional for installation, get the better TV. It will be worth it.
Next there are the cables, mounts and surge protectors. Get good ones. It makes no sense to have a cheap mount that won’t secure the TV or cheap cables that can’t carry the HDMI signal properly. And surge protection, you bet. One nearby lightning strike can destroy your investment.
Then there other important items like having a small cavity behind the TV to store wiring, a great remote control to simplify your system, a conduit for future wire runs, and connectivity for Ethernet.
The advances in technology provide us with an incredible viewing experience, but the days of opening a box, placing the set on a coffee table and adjusting the bunny ears are long gone.
Automated and motorized window treatments will enhance your control of energy costs both in winter and summer. In winter, shades that automatically lower at dark will block heat from leaving your home. Conversely, in the summertime, shades that automatically lower during peak sunshine will prevent heat from coming in your home and straining your air conditioner. Fabrics come in an excellent variety of styles and colors. You need a certified professional to properly design, measure and install the ideal treatment for your home. Additionally, if you have a lutron or litetouch lighting control system, you can most likely be able to adjust your programming to minimize lighting consumption-little changes can make a big difference.
Safe At Home
I am excited to report that today I have seen an application of our home automation technology being put to use in caring for our elderly. I have have been noodling the concept for a few years and was pleased to find a company that has developed an engineered and scalable solution.
The core concept is to install sensors that can monitor the key activities of a loved one like: movement in the home, opening and closing of doors and medicine cabinets, flushing of toilets, use of a vehicle, etc.. These sensors are tied to a processor that will present real time information via the web, email or smart phone. Triggers can be set up so that certain events, or lack of events, can send an emergency email or phone call.
Another option with these systems is to add a video camera for remote monitoring and a “message” board that would permit you to type or even draw messages to a screen. You can even post photo’s, videos or music for them as well.
Finally, lights and heat control can be automated with occupancy sensors so that the person does not need to fumble in the dark or try and read a thermostat with small print.
I am particulalry excited about this application of technology as it takes the core elements of systems that we have installing for years and makes them available in a focussed way for our elderly and those in need.
