European Custom Installer

Panasonic announces an addition to the HomeHawk home monitoring solution line-- the HomeHawk FLOOR (KX-HNC850), a security camera hiddden inside a fully functional floor lamp.

Available in black satin or gray fabric finishes, the FLOOR lamp features a minimalistic design blending with any existing décor. The simple structure of the lamp also eliminates the need for drilling, cutting or mounting on wall, since customers simply need to plug it any electrical outlet.

Inside the lamp is a camera with a 140-degree wide-angle lens complete with microphone and speaker allowing for two-way communications. It records video in 1080p, and starts pre-recording two seconds before motion is actually detected. Geofencing provides smart control with customisable activity zones, while the addition of 8 AAA batteries allows for backup power.

Texas-based Modulus Media Systems announces it started shipping its "DVR designed for the streaming era"-- the M1, a multi-function media hub able to record all streaming shows, and organise said recordings in folders for easy enjoyment.

The result of over 10 years of development, the M1 was first announced back in 2016 with plans for a late 2017 release. Of course that was not to be, but now the M1 will be making an appearance at CEDIA 2019, where installers can check it out before, if interested, making an order for "immediate delivery."

Marantz presents a pair of 4K Imax Enhanced AV receivers-- the SR5014 and SR6014, both being 9-channel Dolby Atmos models, even if the SR6014 adds 11.2 channel processing through an external stereo amplifier.

The two AVRs feature codec and processing support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X. Also included is Dolby Atmos Height Virtualisation, a means to create an immersive listening experience from a standard flatbed multichannel speaker layout. Customers can configure a up to 7 channels for a 7.1 setting with virtualised height effects.

Kimber Kable celebrates its 40th anniversary with the launch of the Carbon Interconnect cable, the first in a Carbon Series of products aimed at audiophiles demanding the most natural musical performances.

The Carbon in the names refers to an electrostatically dissipative carbon polymer used between the Teflon dielectric and VariStand 19.5 AWG conductors. The company says the manufacturing technology reduces mechanically induced electrical noise in the cable and improves the uniformity of the voltage gradient within the insulating dielectric.

TCL details the upcoming 2019 TV range with a focus on bigger screens and high-end features such as QLED quantum dot panels and mini-LED local dimming zones for enhanced 4K performance.

On the top of the 2019 TCL range is the QLED 8-Series. It consists of two models, the 65-inch 65Q825 and 75-inch 75Q825, both featuring Quantum Contrast technology the company says offers a "significant jump" in brightness, contrast and viewing angles using mini-LEDs to create local dimming zones. The TVs handle 100% of DCI-P3 colour volume coverage, and customers can use the AiPQ Engine to optimse colour, contrast and clarity. Also included is HDR support via HDR10 and Dolby Vision.