AV Adviser

Explaining what I do for a living

Cleveland - I've been in the custom integration business for a long time.  Back when I started they didn't even call it that.  In fact, there really wasn't a name for it.  Custom AV is probably the closest.  Then along came home theater and we got pigeon-holed as doing that.

So it's tough to explain what it is I do for a living.  In those early days I really enjoyed going to the industry trade shows, mostly because I was surrounded by thousands of people who did the same kind of work and had the same problem in explaining it to the unfamiliar. 

It's fun to come across a story that does explain the custom integration business.  Here's one just published by the Springfield News-Leader, Bringing theater into your home.  The subject of the article, Mitch Smith, has been in the business for about the same amount of time as me.  So I'll let him tell you what I do.

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Hoping hot real estate market in California spreads across the land

Cleveland - The California real estate market is hotter than it's been in years, Inventories are turning the corner in runaway California markets.  The west coast has been a trend setter in many ways from fashion to film.  Here's hoping a real estate wave makes it's way west and helps lift the rest of the country further out of the recession. 

A hot home market creates jobs in many ancillary businesses.  That includes my business, custom integration.  Home Theater Review is looking positively at this trend, How California's Real Estate Boom Could Revive the Home Theater Business Nationwide. 

We at K+ Integration Systems have noticed a nice increase in business so far this year.  Some of it is a direct result of the real estate market as we're wokring on houses recently bought by our customers.  Others are simply remodel projects that long time home owners have decided to invest in.  That decision to invest in their properties could have to do with the slow but steady rise in the value of their homes. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

 

Your audio/video design needs to be in place at the start of the project

Cleveland - I preach it over and over to architects and interior designers.  The design of the audio, video and home integration system needs to be in place at the start of the project.  I won't say it's as critical as lighting or HVAC but when it becomes an afterthought compromises are made.  The results can be, well, less than pleasing. 

The worst is when I get a call from a home owner who's doing some sort of project, be it a remodel, an addition or even a new home.  He wants to add AV and needs it pre-wired.  He tells me the drywall is going up next week.  I cringe. 

I don't expect the home owner to be an expert on construction but where was the general contractor's head at.  Or maybe there was an architect or interior designer involved.  Why hadn't anyone discussed this with him in the planning stages? 

Take a look at this story from CE Pro, Architectural Horror Stories: Technology Assumptions Gone Haywire.  Read about the nightmares this custom integration company has faced in the past.  Every one of us in the business has similar stories of woe. 

I like the first sentence of the solution to avoiding the problem.  "Engage a design-minded custom audio/video installation company for preliminary low-voltage design only. Make sure they speak the design language of architects and interior designers."  The company I work for, K+ Integration Systems, has a sister company, a custom home builder.  We work closely with architects, interior designers, and every trade on the job.  You'd be hard pressed to find someone here in Cleveland  more versed in the their language. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

CNET is losing some cred

Cleveland - I use CNET all the time.  It's a great place to see what I thought, up until this week, was unbiased opinions and reviews of products.  A kind of Consumer Reports for the tech age.  I often send customers there in order to back up my advice on what sort of equipment I've recommended. 

The Consumer Electronics Show, which ended over the weekend and which I've been discussing for the past week has a close relationship with CNET.  Annually, the website announces it's products of the show awards with the blessing of the Consumer Electronics Association.  Here's this year's winners, Best of CES Award Winners.

The problem is that one of the big winners isn't on the list.  The Dish Hopper, a DVR type device from Dish Network which allows you to skip commercials, was pulled from the list by CNET's parent company, CBS.  You can see the conflict of interest.  CBS makes their money off of advertisements and here's a device that allows consumers to avoid them.  That doesn't make companies that advertise on TV very happy, and CBS is obliged to make their advertisers happy.

So CBS told the CNET editorial staff to drop the Dish Hopper from their list.  This didn't sit well with some of the CNET staffers.  Here's a story from the Washington Post, CNET reporter quits after CBS vetoes best CES gadget pick due to dispute with Dish Network.  That's understandable as the journalist now has lost credibility and integrity.  Where's the objectivity and transparency?  What else might CBS be telling them to not write about.  Or, conversely, what might CBS tell the staff to hype? 

It's a conflict of interest and will become more prevalent as big media companies continue to buy online start-ups.  Who do you trust?  I thought I could trust CNET for unbiased advise on home theater gear and other electronics.  Now they've lost some credibility. 

Honestly though, I rely just as much if not more on the readers comments and personal reviews.  Sure, that can be gamed, but only if there's just a few customer reviews.  The more reviews the harder it is to avoid the true story of a product.  I guess that means it's up to all of us to help each other in our buying decisions.  And isn't that one of the beauties of social media?

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Final take on CES 2013

Cleveland - To wrap up my version of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for 2013 I'll simply give you some links to some media stories who give their opinion as to what were the best things they saw at the show.

Phildaelphia Inquirer Jonathan Takiff: Standouts from the CES show in Las Vegas

Los Angels Times CES 2013: Content and connectivity beat hardware in show buzz

Tech Crunch The Best And Worst Of CES 2013 NSFW Blooper Reel

The Guardian CES 2013: a vision of the future, or tomorrow's landfill?

Wired CES 2013 Gear Headed to an Office Near You

Engadget How hardware startups changed the face of CES

Paste 10 Best Gadgets At CES 2013

Forbes CES 2013: The Four-Sentence Summary

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

 

 

CES 2013, walking the floor, part 2

Cleveland - Here's part two of CES 2013, walking the floor.  While yesterday's TWIT coverage dealt more with gadgets.  Today we follow Home Theater Geek's Scott Wilkinson around as he talks to TV manufacturers and others in, well, the home theater business.  

Home Theater Geeks 144 | TWiT.TV.         

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

CES 2013, walking the floor

Cleveland - Today I'll share Part 1 of This Week In Tech's coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show.  What I enjoy about head TWIT, Leo LaPorte's approach is his almost real time strolling of the aisles.  It gives you a feel for what it's like to be there.

2013, and wondering what products will actually make it to market

Cleveland - Remember last year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  There was much ballyhoo about OLED TVs finally ready for market.  LG promised shipment in 2012.  Now it's 2013 and there's still no release of OLED. 

An OLED screen looks fabulous.  The problem is they are very difficult to get right in mass production.  Word is that out of 100 that come off the assembly line only 10 to 15 work.  That's an astoundingly poor yield and will keep the price way too high.  Besides, would you want to pay an exorbitant price for a TV that may break way too soon?

So I wonder how many of these products being shown at CES 2013 will actually make it to market.  Vaporware is what we call products that aren't ready to ship.  We'll believe it when we see it.   

Here's PC World's take on 30 products shown at CES this year, The best of CES 2013.

                                                                                                                                                                  

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

CES 2013, the relevant and the absurd

Cleveland - The Consumer Electronics Show, going on right now in Las Vegas is an overload of gadgets, contraptions and components.  Some of them are relevant and some of them are simply absurd. 

Here's some photos from CNN showing some of the absurd you'll find at CES 2013, Photos: New gadgets unveiled at CES.  And here's some things CNET's Rick Broida found relevant, Three things I saw at CES that I'd actually buy.

So you can see why, unless, you really have to be at CES for business, ie. meetings, there really is no reason to attend.  You end up wading through miles of aisles of stuff.  Though, truthfully, I know of some people that would love wasting their day away at such an over the top event. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

 

CES 2013, a chance for old guard to shine

Cleveland - For the first time in years Microsoft has no presence at CES 2013.  Apple and Google do not have booths either.  That leaves plenty of room for the old school consumer electronics companies to shine.  And the take away from day one is that they're letting those ultra high def TV sets take the spotlight.

As TV set prices drop, consumers are able to buy larger and larger screen sizes at lower and lower prices.  The problem is that the larger the screen, the easier it is to spot the imperfections.  In other words, if you sit too close to these large screens you'll be able to see the pixels (dots). 

The solution is higher resolution.  That's what 4K, and down the pike 8K, gives us.  the consumer electronics industry decided to call this 4K technology ultra high definition.  So manufacturers are bringing to market these ultra high def TVs.  The catch is that there's little content to see in 4K.  And there won't be for some years to come. 

Here's a recap of day one from US News & World Report, Samsung, Sony Impress at CES 2013 Day One.

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal