Apple TV 1080p Coming Soon!

From CE Pro:

" Amid the excitement over the New iPad was the barely mentioned Apple TV.

No this isn’t the iTV or Apple smart TV many thought was coming. It’s just an updated version of the earlier Apple TV, but it comes with some welcome updates.

The most important upgrade for home theater fans is the new support for 1080p video. You can get 1080p video from iTunes and other services and enjoy them in all their pixels on a 1080p display. "

Read the full article here.

With Fiber, It's Not Always the Optics That Matter

Builders have the often thankless job of dealing with multiple contractors in order to ensure smooth project completion for a homeowner. For a builder, knowing everything about each trade that comes into a home is an impossibility, and one of the more complicated areas of subcontracting lies within the scope of an electronics system contractor – whose job it is to provide and install the latest technology desired by a homeowner.

New advancements in digital television and high-end sound systems have necessitated a number of changes to the way in which electronics system contractors do business, and one of the most recent and notable is the increased use of what is known as “digital media fiber.” To a technician, this cable represents a high transmission rate for information including sound and images, far greater than typically seen when using copper wiring, and often with far less latency.

For a builder, its most notable feature is that it is made of glass.

This alone can be cause for concern, but also that is due to its nature: it will break or tear easily or that it could be damaged accidentally and no longer work. Couple that with the fear that the DM fiber may not be compatible with all other systems in a household, and it’s no wonder that builders have questions about the use of this new technology.

Fortunately, digital media fiber not only stands up better to the test of time than copper and is less vulnerable to failure. But it is now being supported by some of the biggest names in the business – names like Crestron, for example.



Digital media fiber may look less robust than its copper counterpart, but provides not only better durability, but also greater functionality across the board.

Uncrossing The Wires

Being a homebuilder is no easy task. Aside from managing the concerns of a new homeowner, you have to deal with each and every one of the contractors that comes into the home. For better or worse, you're the face of the home, and that means that if something goes wrong, it is likely you that ends up with the black eye.

As a builder, you tend to be a jack of all trades. Bringing together so many different pieces of the home puzzle means that it is nearly impossible for you to be an expert in all fields, and high-quality A/V has changed significantly in the last few years. From custom speaker installations to full-home automation systems and televisions on motorized brackets that can slide away behind a picture or under a bed, the world of in-home electronics has become extremely complicated, especially when it comes to programming new pieces in a home.

Two of the best things that any Electronic Systems Contractor can do for you are to ensure that not only every piece of equipment they bring to the home is ready to go, but that they also take the time to program and test the same equipment before it ever arrives. Simply put, testing and programming before equipment leaves the shop leads to faster and more efficient installation times. Further, everything from television color and stereo sound can be tweaked, all before a homeowner ever sees it.

If you find yourself with equipment that hasn't been properly tested, you'll need to have it removed, serviced and properly re-installed. By finding a company that can set up racks, fit stereos and program components in-house before they are ever installed, both you, the builder, and the owner can save time and money, the two most valuable commodities in any home design.

At Kiwi Audio Visual, we know how important in-house testing and programming is to every new home project. For that reason, we never leave you in the lurch. Come see what we can do to make a project flow more smoothly.

Super Bowl Syndrome

Everyone needs a new TV for the big game, whether it’s to watch celebrities like Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber awkwardly interact in yet another legendary commercial or to watch famous attendees feed each other (thank you Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez). So, shoppers flood the big box stores to find themselves staring at countless televisions with repetitive images. Relating these devices to a family's needs requires more than cursory examination. So, the smart shopper researches televisions leading to confusion over acronyms like LED, LCD, 3D, plasma, CRT, DLP, ICBM and FDIC. All of this information can overwhelm a shopper before he or she even enters the store.

Shoppers tend to rely on the knowledgeable associates who, they believe, will be ready to untangle the technology and confusing advertising claims for them. Although sales associates are indeed knowledgeable, all they really have at their fingertips are the two least helpful statistics available: the size of the screen and the price. There happens to be a great deal more to large screen televisions than screen size and price.

Scenarios like these, which result in regrettable choices, can be avoided by engaging the assistance of electronic systems contractors. Experienced A/V consultants protect clients by asking questions of substance; questions about the size and configuration of the room in which the TV will sit, the viewing habits of those expected to use the device, and any other equipment it may need to accommodate will all be handled by A/V professionals.

Further, consultants like the professionals at Kiwi Audio Visual can typically source various brands of equipment and demonstrate enough expertise to help clients choose the best device while simultaneously staying under budget using the technological specs they are familiar with.

Crestron's DM (Digital Media) System

Crestron has long been known in the electronics industry for supplying the best in both technology and innovation; the company has never been satisfied with simply following trends. Instead, it focuses on creating them, on thinking outside the box before anyone else has ever figured out just what the box looks like. Now, Crestron has once again created a solution intended to help audio and videophiles get the most from their systems - their line of Crestron Digital Media (DM) products. Intended to work with a wide variety of input types over a large range, the DM line of switchers and input cards helps homeowners to find a unified system that streamlines all applications through one simple-to-use console. The DM concept has proven popular - Microsoft, Time Warner, and ESPN all have Crestron systems working for them, as do Rice, Midwestern, and Ohio State Universities to name a few.


The DM Advantage - Getting Specific

New technology leads to innovation, but also to a reduction in support for signals of a previous generation. Not only that, but multiple media sources will often use different inputs and outputs, leaving a homeowner struggling to find an overall solution that minimizes cabling issues. Fortunately, the Crestron DM system is designed to deliver in a big way. Take the entry-level DM-MD6X1 as an example. The MD6X1 supports RGB, HDMI, multi-format BNC video and SPDIF audio. In addition, the HDMI input comes with support for HDCP and DVI. This gives the MD6X1 the ability to take input from virtually any source in a home - computer, laptop, cable, or satellite box - and effortlessly route it where it needs to be. Speaking of routing, the system also allows for extra inputs up to 450 feet away from the source box with extra DM transmitters, giving MD6X1 systems the power to perform both in residential homes and in large business complexes with equal facility. Now you can stream multiple video and/or audio sources across several rooms in your house; all in the highest quality with no lag time or distortion.


Tying It In - Using DM with Other High-Quality Products


Crestron's technology is such that it can broadly accept inputs from a variety of audio and video sources, giving a consumer and an electronics systems contractor the ability to create a full-home theater system from the ground up. No longer will you be limited from putting in a custom-built Triad or Prodigy sound system or a wide variety of both Plasma and LCD TV inputs. Ease of use is key for Crestron technology, as evidenced in their use of QuickSwitch technology when changing between HDMI signals. In order to minimize latency and lag time between signals, QuickSwitch ensures that an HDCP connection is maintained with each device in the system, meaning that no re-authentication of a new signal is necessary, greatly reducing lag experienced by users.


Crestron continues to push the home theater edge with innovations such as their DM system, helping to drive the entire industry forward. Visit our Website for more information on Crestron products.

Runco’s WindowWall Offers More Than a Pretty Picture

Runco has long been known as a leader in the fields of high-quality home theater and whole-home entertainment; they have now taken their product line to the next level with the introduction of the WindowWall.

Intended to create a “unique visual lifestyle solution,” the WindowWall is a combination television and digital photograph display that can easily enhance the look and feel of any room in a home.

With an ultra-thin profile at only 7.3mm and a range of configuration options – 3x3, 2x2 and 5x4 faceted, to name a few – a Runco WindowWall is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the home.

The WindowWall can display anything from still images to broadcast programming, and can also be set up for video conferencing. With a native resolution at 4098 x 2403 and scalable to 1080p and 720p, the WindowWall is able to accommodate any functional user need and return to a stunning still image when its video capabilities are not required.

Featuring Runco’s signature design and all-around quality, the WindowWall is a stunning choice for a homeowner looking to not only increase the visual functionality of their home, but also do so in a way that is both subtle and stylish.

With a myriad of installation options and customization configurations, the WindowWall is a step forward in the fusion of home theater function and the beauty and elegance of form – all backed by Runco, an industry and technology leader.