There’s no question that the digital age is here today. Analog television is off the air; practically every device that plugs into a display has an HDMI port; the latest MacBooks only provide DisplayPort outputs; laptops now include built-in Blu-ray players; and the latest video conferencing systems feature HDMI/DVI outputs exclusively. The products you’re using now won’t work for much longer. Crestron DigitalMedia™ (DM) is the only solution that answers the challenges of tomorrow – today.

Crestron began designing products with HDMI technology more than five years ago, and have shipped thousands of HDMI products over the last three years. But DM is more than just another HDMI switcher or extender; it’s a complete, integrated solution that manages, controls and distributes all analog and uncompressed HD digital content over twisted pair or fiber. DM matrix switchers are flexible, modular systems that can accept virtually every signal type and transmit them long distance as digital DM signals. Built-in exclusive QuickSwitch HD™ technology pre-authorized HDCP keys and maintains a constant handshake for continuous, glitch-free HD switching. At the end points, DM receivers control and output HDMI to the display.

Crestron DigitalMedia is the only solution for the digital age, distributing all analog and uncompressed HD digital signals, and managing embedded data such as HDCP, EDID and CEC.  With the introduction of their next level of DM, 8G will allow all of the audio, video and communication signals to be sent over a single wire.  The Integrated Home has successfully implemented a large number of DigitalMedia systems throughout the region and would love the opportunity to discuss this technology and its benefits with you.  Please feel free to contact us to ask any questions or to get more information from our team!

Connect your iPod to the home network for a seamless, elegant solution to manage your iTunes® library and enjoy music and more throughout the home.  Crestron Mobile™ harnesses the power of 3G and Edge networks to stay connected to the home or office when you’re on the go. View alarm status, adjust lights and room temperature while lying on the beach or sitting in traffic. Crestron Mobile Pro™ provides even greater power and flexibility to control your whole house, including pre-set audio and lighting scenes, home entertainment and more.

Interfaces for iPod®

Crestron CEN-IDOCV (-DSW) provides full iPod functionality, allowing users to do everything that they can do from their iPod and more from a whole house audio system via a Crestron touchpanel or APAD wall mount controller.

XPanel for PC and Mac®
XPanel for Mac delivers Crestron touchpanel control to any MacBook. Access and control any device or environmental system remotely from a Mac computer.

Please visit Crestron for more options and contact TIH for information on how to add these features to your home or business!

Kaleidescape just announced its new M500 and M300 Players.  Built on the company’s proprietary M-Class architecture, this next generation of players delivers a new and improved onscreen user interface and Blu-ray support.  The M500 Player copies Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs onto a server.  The imported content can then be played back instantly by M500 and M300 Players, creating the world’s first multi-zone movie server for Blu-ray.

To address the concerns of the studios, Kaleidescape requires the disc to be present when playing Blu-ray content from the server.   Today this means the Blu-ray Disc must be in the tray of an M500 Player.  To enable the full Kaleidescape experience for Blu-ray, the company is developing a disc loader which will keep a large number of discs present within the Kaleidescape system.  It will also provide bulk import, and make it easy to find and retrieve a disc.

“We have invested a great amount of time and resources in developing the M-Class architecture, which is our platform for future innovation,” said Michael Malcolm, Kaleidescape’s founder, chairman and CEO.  “We now have the tools to improve our world-renowned user experience and offer an even greater variety of content.”

Further enhancing the Kaleidescape experience, the company’s award-winning onscreen user interface has been substantially improved with M-Class players.  The Kaleidescape Movie Guide, the largest and most comprehensive of its type with over 135,000 titles, has been expanded to include over 3,300 Blu-ray Disc titles.  Your treasured collection of movies and music is presented in high definition, with eye-popping detail and improved performance.  The company’s patent pending video bookmarks enable advanced features, including instantaneous start of a feature or concert, easy access to favorite scenes or songs, and control triggers to automatically adjust screen masking, lighting and curtains during playback.

The Kaleidescape M500 and M300 Players, when coupled with a Kaleidescape server, play back Blu-ray content and include support for 1080p video with 24 frames per second and bitstream pass-through of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The Integrated Home is accepting orders now for M500 and M300 Players, and shipments are scheduled to begin May 18th from Kaleidescape.  U.S. MSRP is $3,995 for the M500 Player and $2,495 for the M300 Player.  Both players are compatible with existing Kaleidescape products.  The disc loader is expected to be available in the first half of next year.  Please contact us or visit the new M500 Player Page for more information about the new players and trade-up program for current systems!

Article courtesy of Electronic House Magazine and Photo courtesy of Michael Valentine

Elegant Theater Controls Entire Home

Racks serve audio, Kaleidescape video, Blu-ray and DVRs to any room in the house.

SILVER WINNER: Home Theater $25K-$50K

May 03, 2010 | by Stephen Hopkins

This elegant theater can control the entire house. Most of the time it’s bad when the tail wags the dog, but this elegant theater space serves up audio/video and control of the whole house with composure and class.

When you step through the first set of custom-made brown leather tufted doors, you might think you’re on the wrong side of a bouncer at a trendy club. A red velvet rope separates prying fingers from Middle Atlantic racks serving audio, Kaleidescape video, Blu-ray and DirecTV DVRs (one for each family member) to any room in the house.

The entire rack, including components, was assembled, programmed and tested off-site for easy on-site installation. The theater, along with the rest of the home, is driven and controlled by a Denon audio/video receiver and a Crestron Infinity automation system.

Step through another set of doors and you immediately forget everything in the adjacent room, as you marvel at the elegance and detailed craftsmanship of this dedicated theater. With a JVC HD-ILA projector flashing against a 120-inch Stewart Studiotek 130 screen hiding Paradigm Studio speakers, you’ll just as quickly lose yourself in a classic film or high-def sports action.

“The homeowner had a very clear vision of what he wanted, including all design, construction, and equipment functionality,” says J.W. Anderson of electronics installer The Integrated Home in Charlotte, N.C. The builder, Arcadia Homes of Charlotte, N.C., was instrumental in the craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Items like the custom doors and ceiling finish were selected and arranged by the homeowner, who was extremely hands-on throughout the process. This forethought and focus on priorities led to very few changes and a final cost close to the original budget.

Value speakers, an audio/video receiver and a projector, along with an entry-level Samsung Blu-ray player, were selected for their high performance-to-price ratio, as they could be upgraded at any time.

More expensive items, such as the Kaleidescape DVD server and Crestron control and A/V distribution system, were used because there were few or no other options with the same functionality desired. Room construction and home integration took precedence over pure A/V performance. The custom Crestron interface is identical throughout the home, and all A/V sources can be navigated and selected from any display.

While the homeowner doesn’t have any immediate upgrade plans, there is one major thing he would like to do over. “The homeowner enjoyed the entire build process so much, he says he would love to do it all over again,” says Anderson. He enjoys the theater and control system, but he enjoyed the design and build just as much.

Balancing the Budget
The homeowner and installer focused the budget on room build, automation and equipment not easily upgradeable. A tight balance of modest A/V equipment with strong price/performance ratio kept the room looking and sounding great, while putting the bulk of the electronics money toward automation and distribution.

The Kaleidescape DVD server and Crestron system controls that feed A/V sources throughout the entire house couldn’t be easily integrated later, so they were prioritized as higher-cost items. Speakers, receivers and Blu-ray players are value models, and good candidates to be hot-swapped down the road.

About the Author:

Stephen Hopkins Stephen Hopkins is chief technology editor for EH Publishing. He writes product reviews, features, and focuses heavily on 3D TV, iPhone and iPad apps, and digital content.

Installer/Equipment List

System Design & Installation
The Integrated Home
Charlotte, N.C.
http://www.theintegratedhome.net

Builder
Arcadia Homes
Charlotte, N.C.
http://www.arcadiahomesinc.com

Room Size
22 x 20 feet

Equipment
Samsung BDP-1500 Blu-ray Player
Stewart Filmscreen 120” Luxus Deluxe Fixed Screen
JVC DLA-HD1 1080p Front Projector
Denon AVR-4308CI 7.1 channel receiver
4 Paradigm AMS-150R-30 In-Ceiling Loudspeaker
2 Paradigm DSP-3400 14” front firing powered subwoofer
2 Paradigm Reference Studio 40 2.5-way bookshelf loudspeaker
Paradigm Reference Studio CC-690 center channel loudspeaker
Premier Mounts NOVA-EXT Universal Projector Mount
2 Middle Atlantic Products clamp kits for custom racks
AudioQuest HDMI extender
AudioQuest 1-meter HDMI cable
AVL Systems custom sound panels
4 Dynamic Control DynaBox
RGPC PowerLink in-wall extension kit
Robinson & Robinson non-motorized luxury theater seating

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefit of technology in their homes and businesses, yet are often under-educated on their choices and need a guide to help them maximize their investments.  The Integrated Home stands poised to provide this guidance and supply our clients with the experiences they seek at a value position that allows peace of mind with their investments.  The main component of this ability is the combined experience of our team, having over 40 years represented in all facets of our industry.

Our design strategy is based on our foundational belief that technology relationships should be long-term and not just arranged for the initial sale or project implementation.  The utilization of technology is a lifestyle enhancement that is ever-changing, based on many factors such as family needs, discretionary income level, home size and the desire to simplify the client’s life based on a value proposition that is different for each and every family.  Based on our extensive experience, we’ve identified the one common trend among every client is the desire to prepare for all possible solutions. They want to have the ability to grow the system as they desire and don’t want their current investment to create a dead-end to future technology changes.

Our clients understand and desire the concept of a simple, easy-to-use solution that gives them the benefits of applying advanced technology to their homes without the pain normally associated with this type of investment.  Our company offers what many other companies aren’t able to achieve: consistency, reliability and value. We don’t test new technologies on our clients, we carefully review and select the best tools for our solutions and implement them to achieve maximum functionality for their investment. We strive to provide a long-term dedication to your needs, regardless of your budget, and will often recommend spending less initially in order to gain the best possible solution long term.

The primary goal of our team is to meet this desire by designing every system in a manner that allows expansion while minimizing the effects of ever-changing technology.  We want to effectively eliminate the need of the client to reinvest on aspects of the system in which they have previously applied time and financial resources, allowing them to focus future expenditures on system expansion and additional functionality.  We feel this approach is unique to our industry and will foster client loyalty and trust with their investment that lasts a lifetime!