It’s that time of year again. CEDIA 2017 was held in San Diego from the 5th to the 9th September. This exhibition is an opportunity for the industry to get together and show off their latest innovations and give installers a chance to get their hands on all the new products and ask questions directly to the manufacturers.
The exhibition tends to attract around 19k attendees who turn out to see over 500 exhibitors across the home technology industry. Many of our suppliers were present to demonstrate their latest innovations.
Lutron Electronics were there launching their RA2 Select, a new simple solution for whole home lighting and shade control – you can see details of the product here. Russound were also on hand to showcase their new MBX Amp wireless zone amp capable of streaming to 32 different channels. They have also added new services equipped with the latest streaming capabilities. You can find out more about the amp here.
Our friends at Control4 released a whole host of new products and upgrades to their range and we’re really excited to start using them in our new installations and upgrading existing ones. In addition to new hardware there are big improvements and upgrades in their software to help you further customise your automation – integrating Spotify and the Control4 door station services. Also after listening to the demand of their users, Control4 have now launched glass square keypads (pictured) in black and white for the UK/European markets.
Some of the biggest pieces of news included:
Door stations. There is a new ‘mini’ version available to purchase. You will also be able to answer your intercom from your mobile phone, Worldwide (4Sight subscription required) as well as dial any of your T3 touchscreens from your phone. There are a number of audio announcement improvements to eradicate the delays that have been experienced in the past. If you have CCTV, we can even route any of your cameras through to your TV or touchscreens, so if someone rings a connected doorbell you can see who it is.
When >> Then. Enables programming for the end user/client direct from the app or touchscreens allowing for further personalisation and timed events. ‘When’ something happens (time of day or when a specific function is activated) ‘Then’ carry out the following (an action as a result).
TRIAD ONE streaming amp (pictured). This might be the most significant addition to the Control4 range. Imagine the SONOS Connect AMP but better. If you want to add a Zone/room for your audio where you have no speaker cable runs, we can add one of these to the additional room (we just need a network cable in place), you can even improve the sound quality of a TV. Spotify Connect has also come to Control4. So if you’re a Spotify user you can now have your music play via the system.
You can see the full break down of the Control4 launches at CEDIA 2017 you can find more information on the Control4 website.
If you have any question about upgrading or installing any of the new technology mentioned in this blog please get in contact with us on 0345 505 1760 or email us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
San Diego feature image credit: welcomia
