Indholdsfortegnelse for November/December 2021 i Residential Tech Today

Apollo 13 While the last year has been a challenge on several different levels, it has been a watershed moment for in-home entertainment. Hollywood, Borehamwood, and Bollywood have all been warily tracking the gradual shift toward in-home viewing for several years. Streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu all had significant subscribers pre-2019. The floodgates really opened right before and during the pandemic, though, with the launch of Disney+, Peacock, AppleTV+, HBO Max, and Britbox. The largest of the streaming providers aren’t just providing a platform for playback but are also making massive investments in original content. It is reported that Netflix will spend $17 billion, Amazon Prime Video $11 billion, AppleTV+ $6 billion, and Hulu $3 billion on content creation in 2021. These spending levels put…

TCL’s Smart TV lineup is expanding with the introduction of the brand’s new 6- and 5-Series models, powered by Google TV. Mention the phrase “Roku TV” to most consumers and their answer will most likely include TCL as the brand. While there are more than a dozen Roku TV brands, TCL has by far been the most popular, regularly ranking in the top four best-selling TV brands, often as high as second. However, it is less well known that TCL has also sold sets in their 4- and 3-Series lines powered by Android TV. If you don’t follow these things closely, Google TV is the latest version of Alphabet’s TV user interface, first introduced with their Chromecast with Google TV product. Eventually, it will likely replace the original Android TV…

Lutron Electronics’ RadioRA lighting control system was named for the wireless way that it communicates and in honor of the Greek sun god. The newest version of the line, RadioRA3, is even more elegant than its predecessor and easier than ever for custom integrators to program. RadioRA3 brings together the company’s popular light bar dimmer switch design with the Internet of Things connectivity, a new all-in-one processor powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet), and new simpler PC programming software and app-based editing features. Lutron believes that RadioRA3 will transform how installers – and their customers – experience home lighting control. Installers can now entice their customers with new, beautiful, customizable controls that offer the smart home features homeowners want most, such as coming home to a well-lit house and transforming…

In America, 70 percent of adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at least one night a month, and 11 percent report insufficient sleep every night. It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes.(sleephealth.org) Sleep and I have never had a great relationship. I have tried every gimmick and recommendation out there. I do not drink caffeine after noon. I turn off all my screens an hour before bed and read after that to take my mind off of life. My schedule is consistent, often starting my bedtime routine by 9:30 pm. And, yet, I cannot tell you how often my kids and husband come to bed much later than I and are snoozing while I lay awake waiting for…

Jan/Feb 2022: The Evolution of Video Technology. Picture quality of TVs and projectors have never looked better or been more affordable. What’s the next step for video technology, how do you plan for it, and what do you need to know to prepare for the future? • Home Office Tech • Home Theater Speakers Mar/Apr 2022: Outdoor Entertainment. The global pandemic generated more interest in enhancing home entertainment system both inside and outside the home. Now, more than ever, the quality of outdoor speaker, TVs, lighting, and Wi-Fi coverage is at the front of mind for homeowners. • Doorbell and Security Cameras • Touchscreens and Remote Controls May/June 2022: Access Control and Home Security. From video doorbells to professional-quality surveillance cameras, alarm panels, and motion sensors, the home security system…

RTI has launched its new RTI Music product as an all-in-one experience for streaming up to three sources at once from a single MS-3 Music Streamer. “What’s great about RTI Music is that it provides native RTI control on a single app for streaming music,” explained Neal Ellsworth, director of product management for RTI. “There’s no need to go to your Pandora or Spotify app and then use Spotify Connect or anything like that. You no longer need to use Favorites within the control system to get to streaming sources. Now, with RTI Music, it’s all native, built-in, with full-functionality. For the residential market, RTI Music is launching with the following streaming services: Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, iHeartRadio. For the commercial market, the company is offering Sound Machine and Sirius…

Kaleidescape has unveiled three new movie servers. The Terra 72 is for the ultimate movie collector and the Terra 12 and Terra 18 are for customers who want the Kaleidescape experience but are not ready to commit to a larger movie server. The compact Terra 18TB ($9,995) can store up to 300 4K movies with download speeds equivalent to the larger Kaleidescape four-drive Terra servers. With 50 percent more storage than the Terra 12TB ($7,995), it’s considered a “mid-level” addition to the company’s Terra product line. With the power to download feature-length 4K movies in as little as 10 minutes on a gigabit internet connection, the Terra 12 and 18 are meant for customers looking to invest in an entry-level Kaleidescape system that can instantly play movies, television shows, and…

Roku is showing that it is not going to rest on its laurels in the race to be the top dog for streaming devices and services. The company has unveiled an update to their Roku OS that expands the features available to their existing devices as well as two new streaming products. Roku claims to be the number one streaming platform in the U.S. with more than 55 million active accounts, which was last updated to Version 10.0 back in April. The company will soon see the rollout of Version 10.5. While the “.5” designation may, at first glance, lead one to think that there are a few minor feature improvements, the new OS version brings some concrete advancements designed to keep up with and then separate Roku from its…

While RadioRA3 is the biggest news of 2021 for Lutron in its lighting control line up, the company also enhanced its shades control offerings with the launch of the Palladiom Wire-Free Shading System. Lutron first introduced the Palladiom shade aesthetic in 2017 as a wired solution and as the pinnacle of design and performance in Lutron’s automated shading portfolio. Eliminating the need for pre-wiring allows this style of shade to be installed at any point in a project’s lifecycle – even after construction is complete. The system runs on Active Energy Optimization, Lutron’s new patent-pending battery management architecture. This shading system uses no more than six D-cell batteries – 60-percent fewer batteries than other Lutron battery shades – while still maintaining a battery life of three to five years. Shade…

While some hold to a regimen of “spring cleaning,” others clear things out at year-end. You know the drill: Throw out those magazines that have piled up unread, remember to make those year-end tax payments and charitable contributions, prepare to replace the current calendars with ones for the new year. I’m certain that you have a similar routine. Mine, however, is a bit different. Over the course of a year, it is simply not possible to write about all the new products that are appropriate in our business space and personal lives. The mess that passes for my office has a few shelves devoted to products I couldn’t mention or review simply due to the press of other news in our constantly evolving industry. However, as the year comes to…

The past couple of years have been a little daunting, to say the least. I lost my license after crashing my car through a driver’s school, got my license back, then accidentally ran over my instructor. Also, some things happened in the news. All of this negativity has one thing on our collective minds: the apocalypse. According to my fellow doomsday preppers, the end is near, and it’s coming fast. Luckily, I’ve been taking classes on surviving the end of civilization at the learning annex, and they’re already paying off. I’ve already learned how to turn an ordinary bowl into a colander and developed a filter that turns human sweat into a delicious sports drink. Patent pending. With the holidays, and the end of civilization, on the way, I’ve put…

COVID-19 has been horrible in too many ways to count, and the resulting supply chain hiccups continue to reduce the availability of just about every consumer product in the world. That being said, two areas of the economy seem undeterred and maybe even positively affected by the global pandemic: home sale prices and home improvement/remodel expenditures. This month we take a closer look at these trends, primarily from the DIY perspective, but also by looking at broader sales and remodel statistics. Google Search Trends for the Home Improvement Industry Search Term: “Home Remodel” 39% March 2020 93% March 2021 Source: kitcheninfinity.com Projected Total Home Improvement Sales in the U.S. in 2024 $ 510 Billion/USD Source: Statista.com U.S. Home Center Sales $ 253.3 Billion/USD Source: Statista.com U.S. Hardware Store Sales $ 61. Billion/USD…

The first-ever Direct View LED (DVLED) display series from LG Electronics was designed specifically for high-end residential installations. The LG DVLED Extreme Home Cinema line is available in screen sizes up to 325 inches diagonal, in 4K and 8K models. DVLED Extreme Home Cinema uses 2 million to 33 million individual diodes (depending on resolution) to deliver high performance with exceptional brightness, years of residential lifespan, wide viewing angles, and a very high color gamut, even in rooms with high ambient light. DVLED Different from LED TVs Direct-View LED technology is visibly and fundamentally different from “LED TVs,” which are actually LCD TVs with LED backlighting to boost brightness. Direct View LED technology images are created directly by the LED diodes and provide high contrast ratio and brightness, creating some…

The CM Series from AudioControl are the first amplifiers engineered specifically as a true “resimercial” solution, blending the power, performance, and reliability of a commercial amplifier with dual-mode capability, digital audio inputs, and DSP features from AudioControl’s residential amplifiers. Three CM Series amplifiers from AudioControl feature compatibility with both 70-volt and 4/8-ohm loudspeakers (dual-mode) plus optional Dante digital audio networking capability. There are three available channel configurations for the CM Series amplifiers: CM4-750 4-channel high-power dual-mode DSP-enabled amplifier, the CM3-750 3-channel high-power dual-mode DSP-enabled amplifier, and the CM2-750 2-channel high-power dual-mode DSP-enabled amplifier. Each of the three CM Series amplifiers utilizes Constant Power Mode architecture that was engineered by AudioControl to deliver more output power, greater efficiency, and high-quality sound quality. This proprietary amplifier delivers 750 watts per channel in…

Imagine my surprise one day about seven years ago when a colleague called me to talk about “some new smart speaker thing that Amazon has just announced.” We were all amazed that it could not only play music but answer questions, set timers, and control other devices. I was a bit skeptical at first but ordered one anyway. Who would have thought that the all-black cylindrical speaker would be the start of a wide product category and offshoots like the new Ring home security products, smart thermostats, and health and fitness products that were recently introduced? Amazon Smart Thermostat Amazon Smart Thermostat is the company’s first entry in that growing category. Developed with Honeywell’s technology, this is a rather basic unit whose features don’t compare with Nest, ecobee, and similar…

With more time spent at home than ever under pandemic circumstances, consumers have new concerns about the health and safety of their home environments. Subsequently, the adoption of connected health devices has grown year-over-year, with 42 percent of U.S. broadband households report owning at least one connected health device as of Q2 2020, which is up from 24 percent in 2013. The ever-expanding ecosystem of smart products that can enable various health and wellness use cases also has contributed to this strong growth. There are many device types that collect various data, causing several new connected health opportunities to emerge. From the more established use case of remote-patient monitoring for chronic condition monitoring to devices like smart mattresses, connected fitness devices, robot vacuums, smart kitchen appliances assisting in healthy cooking,…

When I first started automating my home in the 1980s, X10 was the only protocol that enabled information to be communicated between smart home devices. Thankfully, there is now a wide range of modern smart home protocols and devices that incorporate them. Protocols used by today’s smart home devices include: Zigbee, Z-Wave, Z-Wave Long Range, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, Thread, HomeKit, DotDot, and Sidewalk. With much thanks to Johan Pederson, manager, product marketing – smart home & consumer IoT at Silicon Labs, this article will try to make sense of today’s smart home protocols and talk about the changes coming in the near future. The Zigbee standard was developed by the Zigbee Alliance, which re-branded itself as the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) in 2021. Today, the CSA is a…