European Custom Installer

Sony announces not one, not two but three 4K HDR home cinema projectors at CEDIA Expo 2018-- the VPL-VW995ES laser projector, the mid-tier VW665ES and entry-level VW295ES, all featuring IMAX Enhanced certification.

As the premium model, the VPL-VW99ES carries an All Range Crisp Focus (ARC-F) lens, an 18-piece glass lens found in the first Sony 4K home projector, the VPL-VW1000ES, and the flagship VPL-VW5000ES. According to the company the ARC-F lens provides the best focus and resolution across the entire screen via Digital Focus Optimiser function. Peak brightness reaches 2200 lumens.

Luxul announces the XWC-2000 at CEDIA Expo 2018-- a next generation wireless controller featuring Roam Assist technology, a means to ensure the seamless roaming of mobile client devices.

The XWC-2000 allows the simple deployment of up to 32 wireless access points (AP) for large installations, all while ensuring mobile devices are always connected to the best AP for the highest performance. As a result, users can move freely throughout the home or business without the frustration of choppy video calls, intermittent whole-home audio and slow wifi speeds.

Global smart home device shipments-- covering connected lights, smart speakers, connected thermostats, smart TVs, security products and digital media adapters, among others-- total 130.1 million units in Q2 2018, a 38.5% Y-o-Y.

Outside of smart TVs, the smart home device category with the lion's share of the market is digital media adapters such as Roku devices and the Amazon Fire TV. The category shows 26.8% Y-o-Y growth in Q2 2018, the result of still "vast" installed base of non-smart TVs, as well as the general lack of software updates of TVs technically able to offer digital media adapter functionality.

"Networked entertainment represents a key stepping stone for consumers as they embark on their smart home journeys," the analyst says. "Digital media adapters are an important gateway into content ecosystems as well as broader consumer IoT ecosystems in general-- such as smart assistants and related services-- and their low price point is drawing interest from a growing base of consumers worldwide."

Hisense announces the addition of two series to the 4K UHD Smart Laser TV line at CEDIA Expo 2018-- the L10E line with 100-inch (100L10E) and 120-inch (120L10E) models and the L8E all-in-one 88-inch laser TV (88L8E).

All the laser TV models use blue and red laser diodes, together with a Texas Instruments DLP 4K UHD display chip with XPR technology. Another addition is a built-in TV tuner for over-the-air channel access, and a Smart TV engine for streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, TikiLive and Pandora, among others.

CEDIA Expo 2018 sees Control4 launch a KNX solution, together with the addition of KNX support within Control4 OS and a new KNX product line allowing installers to deliver "superior experiences" in smart homes in Germany and the UK.

The release deeply integrates KNX in the Control4 ecosystem, with 100 products covering lighting, HVAC, blinds and rollers, keypads, frames and bus management. A new Control4 KNX Network driver, supported in the latest Control4 OS release, natively connects to existing KNX devices within the home without need for 3rd party integration, enabling interoperability with the entire Control4 ecosystem, as well as support for Amazon Alexa voice control and over 12000 other connected products.