Panasonic unveils a massive 152″ 3D plasma display at this past weekend’s CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. We installed the 103″ model two months ago (TH-103VX200) and that was a handful to deal with at 450 pounds. This TV weighs in excess of 1,000 pounds and is capable of full 4,096 x 2,160 (4K) resolution. Retail price for this bad boy should be North of $500,000.

With 3D front projection applications available from multiple manufacturers at a lower price point than the 152″ Panasonic, it is hard to imagine applications for this mammoth 3D capable display.

Check out Gizmodo to see a detailed explanation of the new beast of a TV.

For one, it will now dock and charge horizontally. It also adds 13 hard buttons for easy and quick navigation to certain control sections such as lights, music and shades. I personally like the feel of hard buttons when performing functions like channel surfing through a DirecTV guide. Even with the price estimated to be at around $500 for the Crestron iPanel, in addition to the price range of the iPad, it is still a much better and more functional deal than purchasing one of Crestron’s similar products, the TPMC-8X or the TPS-6X wirless touch panels.

TPS-6X

TPMC-8L

In general, the wireless on the iPad has proven to be far more reliable than on the TPMC-8X in the numerous installations we have done. Another major improvement of the iPad is the ability to roam around a large house from access point to access point. This was and still remains a major issue with the TPMC-8X. While that is an achievable function with the 8X, it requires far more network resources. Keep in mind, the entire system with the iPad still works on a Crestron backbone with a Crestron processor. You will also need a certified programmer to customize the touch panel application for your specific system and needs.

The Crestron iPanel will be debut at CEDIA 2010 this September 24-26 in Atlanta. Give us a call at 1-800-224-5721 to schedule a visit to our showroom in Downtown Los Angeles to check out the iPad in action.

I had an oppurtunity to demo the new Crestron Prodigy system this past week and was very impressed. Prodigy is Crestron’s budget automation system designed specifically to take aim at Control4. The system basically consists of a bunch of repackaged legacy product including the TPS-4L touch panel, the cameo keypad, the infiNET dimmers/switches, iDock and a re-boxed MC2E.

Through a simple wizard called “Prodigy Composer” the system can be programmed in under an hour for music, lighitng, hvac and audio/video control. The graphics are Crestron’s stock Destiny graphics and as of now can’t be changed. The graphics layouts can not be changed using the composer but that should be expected in a product designed to compete with Control4. More advanced systems and users will be better fitted to upgrade to a more robust system that allow more customization.

These systems are ideal solutions for retro-fit applications where running wire is not possible. All the devices are wireless except the touch panels which operate over standard cat5e networking wire. All together, this product line offers the ability to have a fully automated system for a 2,000 square foot home or condo for less than $10,000.

As I recently purchased a loft in Downtown Los Angeles, I have been checking out all the night spots. So I definitely had to check out the Edison Bar. Touted as LA’s first private power plant, most of the bar (located in a basement) consists of the original Edison electric equipment and structures. I was immediately impressed by the large audio video screens and top quality sound system throughout. But I come to expect these things at top quality night spots.

What absolutely mesmerized me was the installation they had at the bar where they projected an eerie black and white movie entitled “The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello”. This was then projected on a brass tile screen that created a truly unbelievable effect. Below is the link to the Edison Bar website and a youtube version of the movie. You can use your imagination of what the two would look like together of you can head there for a drink and check it out yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORsKyopHyM

https://www.edisondowntown.com

On top of all that, the staff is friendly, curteous and eager to tell you the entire history of the Edison Bar!

I am always skeptical of inexpensive solutions to expensive problems. If someone told me that they could get a 100 inch motorized screen, high definition projector, surround sound system, amplifier and dvd player for under $7,000 I would have told them they were crazy. That was until I came across Epson’s ensemble line. They offer the product in a 720p and 1080p version– although many aren’t intersted in the 720p version anymore.

Epson has partnered with Atlantic Technology to create an optimized surround sound system. The left, center and right are built directly into the motorized screen chasis and the rears are built into a shell that covers the projector. I recently had a chance to demo this unit and was extremely impressed. The sound was extremely dynamic and the bass was suprisingy responsive for a relatively low powered subwoofer.

This is the ideal solution for condo owners. Specifically, we are beginning to market this product to loft owners in downtown Los Angeles. It doesn’t take up much space and it allows the viewing wall to still showcase artwork or even a daytime viewing display. The system also includes a universal remote which has a database of pre-programmed codes. The IR sensor is built directly into the screen casing and it very responsive. It even has Lutron codes so the homeowner can add some dimmers and lighting control.

This unit will be featured in our new showroom at the Rowan lofts in downtown Los Angeles. Check out our website for more info and other loft packages.

As a long time fan of Microsoft’s Windows Media Center platform, I have been anxious to try out Exceptional Innovation’s LifeWare plug-in for MCE. A couple weeks ago, one of the local low voltage distributors in Los Angeles held a training to show off the new automation product they recently picked up (LifeWare is now exclusively available through AVAD). As a person who tried to build a full media center with DVR using MCE 2003, I have learned many of the ins and outs of the program, especially it’s limitations.

LifeWare’s biggest challenge is to refute the notion that you can’t run a stable system on a windows platform. I, for one, can’t even get the simplest things to work on my now current vista machine with regards to media center. The DRM (Digital Rights Management) for my Napster music content is all over the place, certain albums show up on my PC and not my extenders and vice versa, video codecs not being supported, now being able to add content without restarting the machine and opening MCE fresh…and the list goes on.

This software was the best example to date I have seen as a home control plug in for the media center environment. I have used mControl and Superna’s ControlWare. The great thing about LifeWare is that it looks like the real Vista Media Center. Many third-party applications I have used don’t render in full HD in VMC (Vista Media Center). They were either built for MCE 2005 or just aren’t coded very well. A great product that suffers from this problem is My Movies. Fantastic Windows interface and functionality outside of VMC, but poor rendering in the VMC environment. I prefer using the Windows DVD Library plug-in and using My Movies simply for disc management.

And now the LifeWare gripes…

As a Crestron Electronics dealer, I am very skeptical of new automation products such as Control 4 and LifeWare. So during the training I began with my usual barrage of questions. How do you control DirecTV with LifeWare in HD? I can’t pass the HDMI into the PC so how do I overlay the VMC guide over DirecTV?

I will continue to monitor the updates and progress of this platform as I believe the future of home entertainment and control lies within the integrated media box. I think Verizon’s FiOs and At&t’s uverse are building blocks to the intergrated media platform.

The Samsung LN-52A860 is perhaps the craziest display on the market. I recently purchased one for my office after installing numerous 750 series LCD’s in client’s homes. I decided to get the 860 because of the slim panel design at a mere 1.9 inches thick. The 750 has actually slightly better picture continuity because of the single backlight versus the multiple backlights on the thinner 860 panel.

Besides being 1080p, 120 Hz and all the other hot buzz words, Samsung’s proprietary Auto-Motion Plus is truly what sets this display apart from the rest. This series represents the end of digital artifacts, hum bars and other distortion in the picture. Blu-Ray is like the people are in your living room. The depth of field this TV creates is absolutely astonishing. A great feature is the demo mode for Auto-Motion-Plus where you can see a side by side split screen. The TV sells itself.

Some of my clients (many of which who have only recently experienced high definition) have called and asked why there TV looks “blurry”?? And my response is, “you just aren’t use to pictures this sharp.” After more and more phone calls I would have to go back and turn this Auto-Motion feature off. Then the clients were thrilled! The TV was just like any other HDTV (with superb colors and picture quality). I guess some people just aren’t ready to experience picture like that.

I agree it took me a while to get use to for everyday viewing in my office. But now I wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone who has come to my office has seen the “Dark Knight” demo and been absolutely blown away. And word travels fast as I have people continuously calling me to get a glimpse of this “Super Display!”

Live Nation contacted BCG Concepts to set up a proper conference room on the top floor of their building, as the temporary setup they had was just not making the grade. The scope included fabrication of a custom cabinet, installing motorized drapes, full 5.1 surround sound and touch panel control of the LCD and projector.

We chose Crestron Electronics for this application because of the well known brands expertise in automation and control for the past 30 years. An 8.4” wireless touch panel sits cradled in an in-wall dock for charging when not in use. Users have access to Cable TV, DVD, CD and a range of hookups from the center of the conference table including a laptop and mp3 connection.

This was a complete turnkey system from start to finish as the client expressed its needs and BCG handled everything from system design to procuring the reliable sub contractors to install the shades and custom cabinet. BCG prides itself on working with the best in the industry for all trades which allow us to have complete control of the project from start to finish.

Equipment Used: Crestron MPS-100 Processor, Crestron TPMC-8X Wireless Touch Panel with In-Wall Docking Station, Denon Receiver, Sharp 65” LCD, 120” Da-Lite Screen, BenQ Data Projector, Atlantic Technology Surround Sound System, Sonance In-Wall Subwoofer System, Crestron Flip-Top Box for Laptop hookup, Panamax Power Conditioner, Crestron infiNET Light switches, Somfy shades

More posts coming shortly!