European Custom Installer

TV Template unveils a TV Template Sizing Kit at CEDIA 2018. TV Templates are a visual representation of TVs, giving installers and customers the most accurate visual of the size TV for the space.

Designed to reduce the number of TV returns, maximise TV sales and improve the customer experience, the kit comes with 85-, 75-, 65-, 49- and 40-inch prints delivered in a poster tube. Intstallers hang the lightweight prints with blue painters' tape or tacks. Once a template is on the wall, installers and customers get a visual and feel of what size is right for the particular space.

Swann claims to be the first security vendor to add Google Asssistant voice control to its multi-camera wired surveillance systems, allowing customers to simply ask, through voice, to see live security camera feeds on their TVs.

Through the integration customers can use voice commands to stream video from security cameras on the TV using the Google Assistant via Google Home and Chromecast. Voice commands include "Okay Google, show me channel one," or "Hey Google, show me the front door." All control is, of course, hands-free.

Sony announces a Blu-ray player option for customers on a budget-- the UBP-X500, a lower-cost alternative to the likes of the UBP-X800 and UBP-X700 capable of playing 4K UHD Blu-rays as well as regular Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs and Super AudioCDs.

It even has a hidden talent in the shape of built-in intelligent upscaling, allowing it to scale 1080p images to 4K. It can also play media stored on USB stick in a variety of audio or video file formats, including DSD, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AAC and MP3 on the audio side, and Mpeg 2, Mpeg 4, Xvid and WMV on the video side.

CEDIA Expo 2018 sees Just Add Popwer (J+P) demonstrate the 3G UltraHD over IP series Daisy Chain Receiver and launch Just OS, a family of firmware and app-based solutions for video distribution control and management over any network.

The VBS-HDIP-3G 509POE Daisy Chain Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) receiver distributes UHD and 4K video over a single Cat-5e cable. An onboard passthrough network port allows the connection of any PoE device-- a network soundbar, IPTV control or single display location can be expanded into a video wall. The receiver also expands the number of PoE one can add to the system by connecting a PoE switch to the port.

The Da-Lite ambient light rejecting (ALR) screen line gets an addition-- Parallax 2.3, a screen the company says has a very gradual brightness drop-off, ensuring image quality is maintained even when viewed from the side.

Designed for both pro AV and home theatre applications, the Parallax 2.3 consists of multiple micro-layers to achieve 96% ambient light blocking properties, together with a viewing cone of 46-degrees. The result is a bright, colourful image without glare, regardless of how much light is in the room.