Western Audio Video Blog

InfoComm12, WAV Team Ready To Go!

westernav — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:07:51 +0000

As people’s needs for new faster technology increase, WAV wants to make sure we know what we can do to provide our current and future customers with the best equipment. Like many other years in the past, the Western Audio Video Team will be attending InfoComm12. This is an Audio Video trade show in Las Vegas, this week long Trade Show features thousands of exhibitors, spectators, and anyone in-between. Attendees will get to see new, (yet to be in the market) products from some of the best companies. The conference will have classes, many demos of products, but the best part is getting to learn what each one does. We hope that any of the products we see we can use in our customers projects. We are very eager to find technology that integrates with mobile devices, reliable, and of course equipment that can be set to fit anyone’s life style. The days leading to the trade show we will be searching and keeping our ears out, to let you know what new device will be at the show. ‘Like’ us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to get quick announcements on products and projects we are currently working on.

Control4 Announces New Lighting Control Switch!

westernav — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:42:03 +0000

The new relay switch will increase the load specifications of the switch to 13 Amps or 1/2 HP. The new and improved switch will also be changing the model number to C4-SW2-Z-xx. It will still cost the same, but this will increase the load control capability. If you have already ordered the old version, don’t worry C4 has made sure that all customers who had placed an order, get the new version of the switch.

Recent Commercial Projects!

westernav — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:58:01 +0000

Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, SF

Good Earth's Second Location In Fairfax

Restaurants, Bars, Grocery Store Chains and

Nonprofit Community Centers,

Western Audio Video has the Bay Area Covered!

: Bi-Rite’s 18 Reasons Community Center

Jakes on Market, SF

Pacific Catch locations throughout the Bay Area

Whether they were in need of Closed Circuit Cameras, POS and Data Wiring, Sound Systems, Paging, Entertainment TV, Projector Screens and Telephone Systems, WAV was the choice for these satisfied commercial customers.

: The Monk’s Kettle, SF

We look forward to serving you in 2012!

Genesys upgrades their Visual Systems

westernav — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:16:54 +0000

“Genesys is the world’s leading provider of customer service and contact center software and services — with more than 2,000 customers in 80 countries. Drawing on its more than 20 years of customer service innovation and experience, Genesys is uniquely positioned to help companies bring their people, insights and customer channels together to effectively drive today’s new customer conversation.

Genesys software directs more than 100 million interactions every day in the contact center and beyond, maximizing the value of customer engagement and differentiating the experience by driving personalization and multi-channel customer service. Genesys software also extends customer service across the enterprise to optimize processes and the performance of customer-facing employees.

Genesys develops lasting and productive relationships with the world’s leading and most innovative companies to make the customer experience a key business strategy. Genesys customers include 60% of the Global 100 and the best and brightest brands acrossseveral industries, including banking, insurance, retail, airlines, automotive, telecommunications, and utilities.”

With a mission that strong, Genesys is committed to making their workplace environment the best it can be. To that end, they asked Western Audio Video to install a new TV and Video Teleconfrencing System in the meeting and break rooms. The Visual Systems project for the meeting and break rooms included the installation of two 60″ Full HDTV 3-D 1080p Plasma TV (LG 60PV450), X-Box, DirecTV and PS-3.

Genesys has the LG 60PV450

The sets were wall mounted using a Peerless Tilt Wall Mount and all the supporting gear was installed in a new Electronics Rack that has a high quality black wood grain finish and smoked tempered glass doors. A beautiful installation!

2D vs. 3D, Can you Have Both and a Great Picture? Yes!

westernav — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:03:40 +0000

“Samsung’s innovative technology pushes the possibilities of 3D to new dimensions. It’s not just 3D— it’s Samsung Active 3D, which means the 3D experience packs a more powerful punch.”

We were recently treated by Samsung to the unveiling of exciting new technology now being included in their current series of 3D TVs. This technology was developed in response to the constant demand by consumers for choice in the content they download and to view all sorts of programming now, including that from the internet on their own schedule. Their SmartTV line of sets allows the use of the TV almost like a laptop through their SmartHub which is a search engine built in. This allows you to enter the name of the content or key words you are seeking and the TV goes out to every site that has any such content and provides you the list to choose from. Thus you are no longer limited to the content your cable or satellite provider has listed, but will have access to YouTube, Amazon, and any other on-line source. It has been reported that Comcast lost over 30% of its accounts last year due to the interest in on-line streaming. Samsung Tvs with SmartHub enables you to generate your own content list and gives you freedom of choice.

The shift in the way we use our TVs continues to be met by Samsung in other ways. Their AllShare technology allows customers to view pictures, video and music stored on a network directly on their TV. AllShare goes directly to any fileset on any cellphone, computer, tablet or other wireless device and can push and pull the content at will to their TVs or back out to your device. SamSung also has available a free App for Apple users that allow one to use SDK (Software Development Kit) to program their remote and use the TV as a laptop to view internet content with AllShare.

The most exciting technology that is built into this year’s series of SamSung TVs is their 2D to 3D renderer processor. This is a built in setting in the microprocessor that allows the consumer to plug in any 2D device (personal camera, camcorder, etc.) and it uploads the 2D image in real time and then adds 3D effects. So if you create a video or slide show and the images that are motion oriented have added “pop out” effects that you can control as far as intensity. There is also a 3D button on the remote that is great for gaming as it it signals the TV to utilize the 3D renderer to capture the motion of the content and add the “pop out” effects. The more activity, the stronger the effects. The user can adjust the depth and perspective of the auto 3D image processor.

Many consumers do not realize that just because a TV has 3D capability, they do not have to utilize it. In early 3D televisions, 2D content was blurred. SamSung has addressed this and 2D content is just as clear and beautiful as it should be. The other complaint has been that the 3D glasses were too expensive, fragile and there was a line of site adjustment if you turned away and looked back that caused dizziness. Last night we were able to demo their newest generation of viewing glasses which use Bluetooth to sync rather than IR, thus line-of-site is no longer an issue. The glasses are lighter weight, more flexible and quite affordable, retailing for around $40.00 to $50.00, the Bluetooth enabled glasses are also more energy efficient than their IR predecessors, and have almost double the battery life. http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs-accessories/SSG-3100GB/ZA . They only work with this years, TVs, but Monster has a universal version that has both IR and Bluetooth so those of us with older 3D TVs can use those on the older and current models. For people that wear glasses and are uncomfortable with having to put 3D glasses on over them, Samsung is in contract negotiations with a major lenscrafter to make prescription glasses that have the 3D technology built in, so customers who already wear glasses will not have to wear them over their daily use glasses. Once again, the price point is surprisingly low, they anticipate about $40.00 per pair.

A frequent question when purchasing a TV is Plasma vs. LED. Especially in regards to 3D content, plasma has always been the first choice, however price points are significant and the most recent series of SamSung LEDs incorporates technology that adjusts the contrasts that happen when the additional frames necessary to view in 3D are added. The LED lights are set to flicker on and off which simulates Plasma and closes the divide between viewing clarity and sharpness. The new models have four HDMI ports built into the side of the set rather than on the front allowing for a more streamlined look.

Content has been an on-going issue, but the industry is expecting 60 major cinema releases in 3D this year and all the major sporting events including the Superbowl and World Series will be broadcast in 3D, so we can hope for a few ball tosses at the cameras! With SamSung’s 65” set, you can experience the beautiful small pixel pitch that they developed to allow a super large screen in a small space. Most consumers do not have enough room to sit back from their large screens 15 -20 feet, so while a 65”-80” set has a fantastic picture in the showroom, you can find upon home installation that the image is blurrier because you aren’t back as far in your own living room. SamSung developed a significantly smaller pixel pitch that allows you to sit 8-10 feet away from their 65” set and have a gorgeous picture experience. Closer is not a problem!!

If you are in the market for a new TV, go with a SamSung 8000 series and capture all of the afore-mentioned technology. Also, check out their website www.awesomein3D.com , this is a contest open to anyone! Submit your 2D video and if they choose yours, you can win a Gravity Tablet and more!

Blog by: Gillian Allen

AppleTV…Home For More Than The Holidays?

westernav — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:54:11 +0000

Apple through their AppleTV and iTunes products have created more of an incentive for families to use their Home as a Theater instead of going out…there has recently been a movement by the movie industry to allow “pre-theater” releases of selected movies for rent via Apple TV. If this continues, it will support the theory that the popularity of going to the big screen cinema has waned as the size and affordability of flat screens has increased. An ever-growing number of consumers have realized that having a large screen viewing of their favorite movie in the comfort of their own home has benefits not realized by going down to the local cinema. This is truer than ever with today’s prices, a Home Theater can easily have a 65″, 70″, or even 80″ screen for less than what a 50″ screen cost just three years ago.

Industry insiders predict that the public is enjoying more of the “private screening” aspect of a comfortable setting with personalized snack selection and view time! Beyond the convenience and comfort of the home setting, the affordability of these pre-release selections is less than a movie ticket, at $9.99 per movie, the rentals are more affordable and allow one to retreat from such annoyances including bubble gum on the seats and the gas to go out on the town! Who doesn’t want to create their own happening event by being the hub for a fun evening with friends.

As streaming movies and videos of all types increases in popularity the capabilities of the consumer’s wired and wireless high speed networks will have to continue to evolve and become robust enough to support this exciting trend.

Blog by: Gillian Allen/Larry Whitney

Lutron Sivoia QS Wireless Cellular Shades…We are your source!

westernav — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:08:45 +0000

Sivoia QS Wireless Cellular Shades

This beautiful shade line from Lutron offers incredible value at an affordable price and is the only shade line today that can integrate seamlessly with a whole-home control system. This gives you the ability to control your shades in conjunction with your lights, and transform your space for any activity. The Sivoia line adds convenience to your life by allowing adjustment with a wire-free handheld or wall-mounted remote from anywhere in the room. You can set multiple shades in motion with a single button press, making it easy to open and close hard to reach window treatments. Most importantly, these shades are very quiet and won’t disrupt any activity in the space.

As with other Lutron products, energy savings is a priority and the design of these shades provides just that.

Cellular Shade Pockets

The air pocket design traps heat to provide superior insulation for enhanced energy efficiency. Lowering shades in the summer helps reduce cooling costs and raising shades in the winter to let the sun in and then lowering them at night helps trap the daytime heat and reduce heating costs.

Perfect for providing privacy while you get in the tub, you can then raise them to enjoy the view! In the nursery, bright daylight can be disruptive…the virtually noiseless driver allows one to lower the shades and dim the lights with a Lutron dimmer…creating a peaceful environment so your baby can sleep soundly.

Choose from a variety of textures, fabrics , colors and styles. The distinguished pleats offer a crisp, clean look that is both soft and durable. The cord-free operation makes this a safe solution for homes with young children or pets.

Western Audio Video is a Certified Dealer and Installer of these gorgeous shades. Please call us for demonstration or proposal!

Blog by: Gillian Allen

Revolutionary Products from four world-class brands…

westernav — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:17:05 +0000

Last night Western Audio Video had the opportunity to preview several products that can only be classified as revolutionary. Sharp demoed their new 80″ high performance large screen LCD TV in conjunction with BOSE demoing their newest Soundbar product line.

Sharp 80" LC-80LE632U being used for a BOSE demo

The AQUOS LC-80LE632U is a full HD 1080p X-Gen panel that produces breathtaking picture quality that is second to none. This model has built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners and 4 HDMI inputs. It is compatible with 1080p signals and has one HD 1080p component input. This beautiful set also has subtle recessed bottom-mounted speakers.

“Our 80-inch AQUOS TV delivers more than double the screen area of a 55-inch TV, for an amazing viewing experience,” said John Herrington, president, Sharp Electronics Marketing Company of America. “It’s truly like nothing else on the market. Consumers want bigger flat panel TVs for deeper, more immersive viewing experiences and that’s exactly what Sharp’s delivering here,” Herrington continued. Western Audio Video would have to concur.

The picture image was fantastic utilizing an incredible dynamic contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1 combined with 120Hz Fine Motion Advanced which eleminated blur and motion artifacts of the fast-moving video shown. This model includes streaming capability, has a built in Wi-Fi connectivity and a built-in media player allowing the playback of video, music, and photos via the USB port.

Optoma-HD8300

Western Audio was also introduced to Optoma’s newest offering in Home Theater Projectors, the HD8300 and HD 3300 which are designed for smooth and subtle home theater projection. WAV staff was excited to experience a high-quality color and perfect motion performance from every angle while viewing in 3D. The glasses designed to work with this projector are RF which enable one to experience the PureMotion 4D processing as it delivers judder free images with a great deal of realism and there is not a bad seat in the house! While viewing the Lion King, one could almost feel the birds as they flew by our heads.

”Bigger is better” was the motto of the evening and was proven beautifully with this projector as it displayed images onto the 106″ screen with rich vivid colors. At an affordable price point, this projector which accommodates both 2D and 3D without ghosting is an excellent alternative to the consumer who is seeking 3D experience on a larger screen TV. With projector offerings like the Optoma HD8300 and the HD3300 providing such great picture quality, giving your family a bigger and better movie experience will continue to grow as 3D content becomes more available.

Lutron Demo of the Wireless Cellular Shade

Western Audio Video took a second look at the new QS Wireless Cellular Shade line being offered by Lutron. This innovative product offers the consumer battery powered, wire free, remote controlled shades. The technology behind the transformation utilizes a hybrid drive design and ultra-efficient standby power which extends the battery life to 3 years when tested in a 2 up and 2 down movement per day on a 3′ wide by 5′ tall shade. Also highlighted was the silence of the driver which enables an almost magical quiet movement of the shades. This shade line comes in four styles: Point bonded which is a light-filtering/room darkening fabric, Sheer which is light filtering with an airy, relaxed feel, Crush which pairs texture with a luxurious look, and Woven which is a clean and sophisticated option with a hint of linen.

Western Audio Video dedicates itself to searching out continuing education on the most current offerings in our product lines, as well as any innovations like that Lutron Shade system that will prompt changes throughout the industry. We are you source for information, purchase, installation and support. Keep reading these blogs for October and November are the big release months for manufacturers and we will keep you updated on the newest and greatest as they become available. Call us at 1-877-747-9447 for more information!

Blog by: Gillian Allen, WAV Staff

Teleconference, Video and Teleprescence Solutions!

westernav — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:36:01 +0000

Polycom RPX series

Western Audio Video is your source for

Polycom^® Video Conferencing and Telephone solutions. While attending the Enright Show today WAV staff experienced this line through a live demonstration and our top pick from the show is the Polycom^® RealPresence™ Experience (RPX™)

Touted as “The world’s only fully immersive telepresence solution.” The RPX line offers the user a stunning experience with HD quality for up to 50% less bandwidth with industry-leading H.264 High Profile support.This solution is ideal for executive meetings, board meetings, trainings, education, project management, and organizations with dispersed workgroups as it operates with full screen, cinematic view and seating capacity for 4 to 28 participants creates an immersive face-to-face meeting experience. RPX also utilizes transparent technology to eliminate distractions thus enabling more productive meetings.

The Polycom Solution Portfolio includes standard definition conferencing, integrated video and voice solutions, conference phones, and the Polycom Soundpoint IP phones that leverage the capabilities of SIP-based VoIP networks to deliver breakthrough voice quality and advanced features.

www.polycom.com

Also previewed at the road show was the Vaddio Squiggle which is a great solution for educators. The Squiggle Kit converts any existing whiteboard into Video Whiteboard with HD/SD outputs. By adding the IP Software the existing Squiggle Board systems now have the ability to stream live video. http://www.vaddio.com/category/squiggle-video-whiteboards

Contact us for more information 1-877-747-9447!

Blog by: Gillian Allen

Consumer Integration Show 2011, a truly collaborative event!

westernav — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:02:27 +0000

Yesterday Western Audio Video attended the Northern California Custom Integration Expo 2011 in Berkeley and was excited to see the growth in this pioneering effort by several industry competitors. Both the attendees and exhibitors were up by fifty percent over last year and with good reason. The event sponsor Redwood Marketing has done an incredible job of attracting industry exhibitors and creating a “mini CEDIA” out of this event.

Redwood Marketing, partnered with The Jan Tulloch Company, Steven Lester Company, Zone Pacific, Novidor & Firestone, Sierra Select Distributors, Profit Line Distributing, Electronic Stockroom and ANSR. The exhibitors included ARTISON, CHIEF/RAXXESS/SANUS, DRAPER, JLAUDIO, LIBERTY, MARANTZ, SPEAKERCRAFT, SONOS, TANNOY, Golden State Instrument, Clare Controls, Lutron, Yamaha, Samsung, JVC, Kinetics and more.

Some of the highlights include a new 100″ ambient light screen for home theaters which can be a solution for customers who do not have complete light blocking but still want the home theater effect. Lutron showed a battery operated electric shade system with an estimated battery life of 3-5 years, and Golden State Instrument touts several new analog cameras one of which has 8 LED motion activated lights and is an effective outdoor deterrent device for both commercial and residential installations. Clare Controls has IP camera solutions that work through cloud based technology and we invite you to contact us for more information if you have CCTV needs.

Tannoy always has strong offerings in both their speaker and amplifier lines, they have a beautiful pendant speaker now that will be excellent in commercial applications where there are high open ceilings. We were also impressed with Speakercrafts “BoomTomb” which is an in ground subwoofer for people who want bass levels in their outdoor musical entertainment environments that can shake their neighbors!

SONOS continues to be our favorite solution for residential wireless Hi-Fi systems that can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet, iPhone, iPad, Android or iTouch. Great to be able to play a different song in every room or the same one everywhere! “Freedom of Music”

While walking through this show, the news that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, had passed came about and gave us pause and reflection as his truly visionary work transformed several industries, including personal computers, movies, music and consumer-electronics retailing and whose legacy we think should be the impetus for continued collaboration throughout the trade. The CI Expo 2011 was an example of competitors coming together to educate and create an event that should continue to grow and be supported by our industry.

Western Audio Video is your source for automated Shades, Home Theaters, Closed Circuit Cameras, and Audio Video. It would be wonderful to share the information on the product lines that were demonstrated to us yesterday and incorporate them into your business or residential projects. Please contact us at 877-747-9447 or email info@westernaudiovideo.com

Blog by: Gillian Allen