CEDIA EXPO 2004
Nov 1, 2004 12:00 PM,
By Mark Johnson
CEDIA EXPO 2004 EDIA EXPO 2004 exceeded all previous attendance records over its 15-year history. The Colts, Indianapolis’s NFL team, played their season opener in New England, which was a good thing. With more than 24,500 attendees (a 20 percent increase over 2003) and about 550 exhibitors (again a significant increase), the Colts would have had to compete for space on the RCA Dome floor. Exhibitors occupied every corner of the Dome and Indiana Convention Center.
CEDIA Expo 2004, with 24,500 attendees, enjoyed a 20 percent increase in attendance over last year.
Each year, as part of the Electronics Lifestyles Awards ceremony, Sound & Video Contractor sponsors and presents the Manufacturers Excellence Awards. The 2004 Best New Product winners were OmniMount Systems’ U3, Artison’s Portrait LCR front speakers, Crestron’s iSys i10 TPMC WiFi tablet touchpanel, Universal Remote Control’s MX-3000, and ReQuest Multi-media’s Video ReQuest.
Here are some of the product highlights from the show. (For more from the video side, see Jeff Sauer’s “Picture This,” page 22.)
AMX announced Duet, an extension of the NetLinx platform that provides the ability to integrate AMX’s control systems using Java.
Auralex released its Elite ProPanels, pre-engineered, decorative, acoustic absorptive panels. ProPanels are offered in four types with varying size and style options. Also introduced was the SubDude isolation platform to isolate subwoofer and loudspeaker systems.
Bohlender Graebener celebrated its 10th anniversary by announcing the expansion and enhancement of its Z series loudspeakers.
Boston Acoustics introduced a number of new products, including the Bravo II compact multi-purpose, high-performance loudspeaker, which features a quarter-cylinder, wedge-shaped enclosure with one 4in. woofer and a 1in. dome tweeter. Also unveiled was the P 400 high-performance slim theater speaker, which combines the LCR speaker systems in a single enclosure.
Chief Manufacturing launched the UPA series universal projector mounts and the Vista Series of flat-panel mounts, including the GSU Fixed Universal Flat-panel TV Mount and the GTU Tilt Universal Flat-panel TV Mount.
Control4 debuted as a company and introduced its line of wired and wireless IP-based home automation products.
Crestron showed for the first time at CEDIA its iSys i10 TPMC WiFi tablet touchpanel. The panel has a Windows operating system and embedded PC applications for popular file formats and control of home systems.
Dymo had its Rhino Pro 3000 portable label printer.
Extron Electronics added four new products to its extensive line: the VTG 400 video and audio test generator, the AVT 100 TV and cable tuner, the MGP 462 and 462D multi-graphic processors, and the Universal BNC crimp tool.
Gold Line showed its TEF EZTune System for sound system analysis.
JBL came with a wide range of products for the custom installation market, including the Synthesis Hercules Junior ultra-high-end multi-channel home theater audio system and the Audio Access WHEN (Whole House Entertainment Network) system.
Kaleidascape announced the K2500 digital movie player, which is capable of delivering DVD and HD movies in digital format from source to display without analog conversion.
Key Digital showed HD Hanna and the Digital Blaster video processors. HD Hanna is a digital set-top box that receives, decodes, and scales video with a choice of nine output resolutions. HD Hanna also offers FireWire/5C and DVI-D connectivity. The Digital Blaster converts SDI to DVI-D.
LG Electronics brought a number of new display products and announced innovations designed to extend the life and enhance the performance of plasma display panels (PDPs) and LCD displays, including new DoubleLife technology for panels.
Manufacturers Excellence Award recipients George Feldstein (president, Crestron, far left) and Christopher Landers (marketing coordinator, ReQuest Multimedia, middle) and Joseph Gersuk (CEO, ReQuest Multimedia, right).
Lucasey showed its Perfect View articulating flat-screen wall mount.
Meda Systems showed its new Brávo 16 and 20 and Bravádo 1 and 4 music servers designed for multi-room and zone applications. Meda also introduced the DEOS version 2 digital entertainment operating system, which is available with the new Brávo and Bravádo systems and as an upgrade for existing system owners.
Middle Atlantic debuted its new ASR series for installation in custom cabinetry. The ASR series is a shelving system that slides out and rotates, providing easy rear access to equipment connections.
Netstreams showed DigiLinx IP-based audio distribution system that distributes audio over Cat-5e using TCP/IP on an Ethernet network.
Oculus Designs debuted a number of products, including the LTI-100 Laptop Interface for converting the audio output of laptop computers to 600Ω balanced signals and the AVI 100, which converts the output of practically any consumer audio product to professional balanced low-impedance or mic-level signal.
OWI had its Distributed Audio/Video Entertainment System (DAVES) on display. DAVES provides for distribution of up to four AV sources for routing to four rooms.
Parasound added four new models to its Mini Component series: the Zphono preamplifier, the Zselect loudspeaker selector, the Zamp v.3 amplifier, and the Ztuner FM/AM tuner.
Premier Mounts premiered its PSD-TTS universal tabletop stand, the UFM universal flat mount for LCD, and plasma displays from 37in. to 61in.
Revel showed the I20 and I30 in-wall loudspeakers. The speakers’ cast aluminum baffles and aluminum driver frames to help reduce resonances.
Sencore showed its new DAG5161 Surround Pro digital audio generator that provides test signals for multi-channel audio systems.
SpeakerCraft introduced its SLS (Slim Line Surface) mount speakers, which feature extruded aluminum enclosures with solid wood baffles. The 1in. aluminum anodized pivoting dome tweeter allows installers to adjust high frequencies toward the optimum listening position. Also announced was the BassX HF12 digital powered subwoofer.
Sonance announced its completely redesigned 13-model Symphony line of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. The company also announced the first in-wall iPod docking station.
In a dramatic departure from its image, Tannoy premiered Arena, a highly stylized satellite/subwoofer loudspeaker system. Arena is available in four different high-gloss finishes: silver, black, white, and bronze.
Theil Audio announced the Smart Sub bass systems — the SS1, SS2, SS3, and SS4 subwoofers, SmartSub Integrator, and PX02 and PX05 passive crossovers.
Tripp-Lite introduced a new line of surge suppressors, UPS systems, and cables designed for home and business theater applications. Featured products were the HT Powerbar 10 isobar and HT1010SAT3 surge suppressors.
Wireworld introduced a number of new cables, including DVI and HDMI cables in three performance levels and lengths up to 65ft.
Xantech Corporation introduced the RS2321X8 eight-channel serial I/O router. Controllable via both IR and RS232 with inputs for both RS422 and RS232, four RS232 outputs via DB9, and four RS422 outputs via RJ45, the RS2321X8 enables multiple RS232-controlled devices to be controlled from a single CTD touchscreen display.
