On-Q, a leader in affordable low-voltage systems for the home, will be renamed Legrand — perhaps to take advantage of Legrand’s huge web of electrical and commercial networking providers?
By Julie Jacobson
08.29.2009 — Legrand is reorganizing again, CE Pro has learned.
The big announcement will come on Sept. 9 at CEDIA Expo 2009, but Legrand gives CE Pro this much:
On-Q/Legrand is registered for CEDIA under the name Legrand. This is the first step in On-Q/Legrand officially changing its name to Legrand.
As of September, On-Q/Legrand will become Legrand as part Legrand’s long-term strategy for the U.S. market. The “On-Q” name will still be used as a product range under the Legrand brand (e.g., On-Q Intercom Systems), though all new products as of September will be launched under the Legrand brand.
This transition means that current and future customers will have access to robust product solutions from all of Legrand that are designed to work together and to look better together, including electrical wiring devices and innovative home systems. Also, customers will benefit from Legrand’s strong name recognition and its reputation as a leader in technology and design.
Legrand goes on with the obligatory “important message” that customers will continue to get the same great service, support, product development. …
What Does it Really Mean?
Legrand has “reorganized” its businesses several times since it acquired On-Q, a leading high-volume manufacturer of residential structured wiring systems, in 2005. (List of reorgs below)
Then came the acquisitions of Vantage (high-end lighting and home controls) and UStec (higher-end structured wiring systems).
UStec, the high-end version of On-Q, basically became part of the Vantage family since both companies targeted the same dealer base. But UStec seems to have fallen between the cracks.
Should Legrand market its brands through product categories (e.g., structured wiring) or channel categories (high-end residential integrators, electrical contractors, etc.)?
It seems the company will let us know for sure on Sept. 9.
From the vague statement by a Legrand official, though, it appears that Legrand will officially absorb On-Q. The Legrand brand is wildly popular in the electrical markets and in commercial networking, most notably through its Ortronics, Wiremold and Pass & Seymour brands.
With the market for residential structured wiring dwindling, On-Q could use a nice piggy-back ride on Legrand’s distribution channels. And those distributors are perhaps more likely to embrace On-Q/Legrand if it were just Legrand.
All speculation, of course.
On-Q has evolved to be much more than a structured-wiring company, with some very popular (and stylish!) intercom, multiroom audio, and whole-house communications systems. We in the CE channel know On-Q well, so a brand change will do no harm. “Legrand” will work just fine.
But the community that knows the Legrand brand is just too huge to pass up, and the forthcoming changes will hopefully help our old friends in the industry broaden their reach.
If you are not familiar with the mission of the IEEE 802.1 group, they are chartered to work on the development of standards and recommended practices for 802 LAN/MAN architecture, internetworking among 802 LANs, MANs, and other wide area networks, 802 Security, 802 overall network management, and protocol layers above the MAC and LLC layers.
The charter of the AVB TG is to provide the specifications that will allow time-synchronized low latency streaming services through 802 networks. They currently have four active projects;
- P802.1AS: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications in Bridged Local Area Networks
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late 2009
- P802.1Qat: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 9: Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP)
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late 2009
- P802.1Qav: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 11: Forwarding and Queuing for Time-Sensitive Streams
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late summer/fall 2009
P802.1BA: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Audio Video Bridging (AVB) Systems.
Status: In technical discussion, first draft expected summer 2009
The most popular question asked of me today is “Does the AVB work change the need for StreamNet?” and the answer is no, in fact StreamNet will be one of the first Internet Protocol Standards that will not only benefit from the AVB work, but the AVB work will create even more need for the StreamNet protocols.
This is the second post in a series of four blog posts I will describe how AVB and StreamNet will work together to provide a powerful AV and control system for residential and enterprise class networks. This should help you understand how AVB benefits StreamNet based systems such as DigiLinX and NaimNet.
“Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment: 9: Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP)”.
This standard specifies protocols, procedures and managed objects, usable by existing higher layer mechanisms, that allow network resources to be reserved for specific traffic streams traversing a bridged local area network. It identifies traffic streams to a level sufficient for bridges to determine the required resources and provides a mechanism for dynamic maintenance of those resources.
This standard provides a signaling protocol to enable the end-to-end management of resource reservation for QoS guaranteed streams. The signaling protocol facilitates the registration, deregistration, and retention of resource reservation information in relevant network elements. The signaling protocol is an essential component for automatic configuration in bridged local area network applications that require latency and bandwidth guarantees.
Many vendors and users desire a single network infrastructure to carry various multimedia applications such as digital video, high-fidelity digital audio, and gaming traffic, as well as non-time-sensitive traffic (e.g., data traffic). The application of current IEEE 802 technologies for high quality time sensitive streaming allows users to load their networks unknowingly to the extent that the user experience is negatively impacted. To provide the robust guaranteed QoS capability for streaming applications, the availability of network resources along the entire data path must be assured before transmission takes place. This requires the definition of traffic stream descriptors and a protocol to signal the resource reservation along the end-to-end path of streams. MRP will be used as a basis for this protocol.
StreamNet MediaLinX service nodes (talkers) will perform 802.1Qav query for bandwidth and reservations from the AVB time aware Bridges including AVB time aware wireless access point bridges as well as 802.1Qav queuing and shaping traffic. StreamNet MediaLinX service nodes (talkers) will also create 802.1Qat TalkerAdvertise request and ListenerReady process indication. Keep in mind that most StreamNet nodes provide both encoding (talking) and decoding (listener) services. StreamNet MediaLinX service nodes will also initiate 802.1Qat Bandwidth related Advertise/Failed changes.
Elected StreamNet bridge service nodes will provide the 802.1Qav Bandwidth query and reservations as well as Queuing and shaping traffic as well as 802.1Qat Bandwidth related Advertise/Ready/Failed changes. Elected StreamNet bridge service nodes will also provide 802.1Qat Talker and listener attribute propagation and 802.1ak services for talker pruning.
StreamNet SpeakerLinX service nodes will provide 802.1Qat for TalkerAdvertise indication and process ListenerReady requests as well as provide 802.1ak Talker pruning service.
The elected StreamNet Master node and StreamNet proxy bridges will provide stream identification for AVb time aware bridges to differentiate ports from Stream Reserved (SR) and AVB Edge port as well as table the priority values for each Unicast and Multicast SR streams.
Also consider that a StreamNet Master service node may be administering multiple AVB clouds and therefore may have multiple SR hashes.
In the next post we will cover P802.1Qav: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 11: Forwarding and Queuing for Time-Sensitive Streams and how this relates to StreamNet IP nodes.
For more info visit: http://www.runco.com
With exceptional brightness and variety of lens options, the all-new Video Xtreme™ VX-33i and VX-33d projectors offer Runco dealers incredible illumination ideal for exceptional home theaters.
Beaverton, OR – August 27, 2009 – Runco®, the leading brand in luxury video solutions, today introduced its Video Xtreme VX-33i and VX-33d, the latest additions to its broad portfolio of performance projectors. The Runco VX-33i and VX-33d are precisely engineered to bring the ultimate video experience to exceptional home theaters that boast cinema-sized screens.
The pioneer and leader in custom high-end projectors for more than two decades, Runco offers truly spectacular video reproduction with its Video Xtreme VX-33i and VX-33d. These stunning new projectors combine the industry’s most advanced technology, an ingeniously engineered 3-chip DLP™ light engine with 1080p SuperOnyx™ DMD™, and Runco-proprietary video processing and scaling to create a truly enveloping and realistic experience. Utilizing proprietary O-Path™ technology and ISF™ exacting calibration standards, Runco ensures that light is efficiently culminated in the VX-33i and VX-33d to project ultra-high resolution and brightness, making the VX-33i and VX-33d the perfect projectors to complement even the largest projection screens (greater than 120-inch diagonals) found in the spectacular media rooms of today’s luxury residences.
“This project represents Runco’s legacy in high-end projection,” said Gerry Perkel, Runco CEO. “Runco has always dominated in this elite market space and these new products give our dealers the solutions that will enable them to continue to own their markets.”
The VX-33i uses Runco-proprietary integrated Vivix™ video processing to ensure, superb scaling and the industry’s most advanced aspect ratio control system. These unique processing elements enable the VX-33i to project flawless high-definition material as well as transform all standard definition content to near-high-definition levels, while maintaining the native formats of TV and movies.
The VX-33d features Runco’s advanced external DHD video processor controller. Runco’s DHD combines all the advanced 1080p scaling and processing capabilities with greater compatibility than ever offered before and ease-of-installation from its discreet, rack-mountable form factor. It boasts Runco’s advanced Vivix™ 1080p processing with VirtualWide™ and new VirtualCinema™ aspect ratios, supporting all video aspect ratios without any loss of image integrity to achieve the best possible imagery from all video sources, and enhances all digital and analog signals to near-high-definition quality. Runco’s external DHD also offers ample advanced connectivity, a complete selection of input, output and communication control ports, and seamless compatibility between nearly every video source and component.
Designed specifically for the custom installer who specializes in high-end theaters, the VX-33i and VX-33d offer several proprietary CinOptx™ lens options for greater flexibility during installation and to ensure that each media room can be perfected to the exacting demands of its owner. Both the VX-33i and VX-33d are available with Runco’s exclusive, award-winning CineWide™ and CineWide with AutoScope™ technology. CineWide, the first and leading 2.35:1 projection solution, has since prompted industry-wide adoption; it was developed to properly reproduce 2.35:1 CinemaScope™ movies with unparalleled accuracy and full vertical screen image height, and eliminate useless black bars.
Runco Home Theater products are built with quality and craftsmanship to ensure an amazing experience every time. All Runco displays feature a two-year RuncoCare standard warranty. Runco RedCarpet extended options are also available for one or two additional years.
Runco’s Video Xtreme VX-33i projector is now shipping and starts at $49,995 (MSRP). The VX-33d is shipping now and starts at $59,995. Runco products are available exclusively through its authorized dealer network.
For more information on Runco, please visit www.runco.com.
Founded in 1987 and acquired by Planar Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLNR) in 2007, Runco is a market leader in state-of-the-art projection systems, flat-panel plasma monitors, video processors and other components for the custom consumer market. Runco’s innovations have won numerous awards and citations from the world press. Runco continues to be a pioneer in the custom video display market.
Planar Systems, Inc is a global leader of specialty display technology providing hardware and software solutions for the world’s most demanding environments including hospitals, space and military programs, utility and transportation hubs, shopping centers, banks, government agencies, businesses, and home theaters.
CineWide, CineWide with AutoScope, CinOptx, DMD, OPath, SuperOnyx, VideoXtreme, VirtualCinema, VirtualWide, and Vivix are trademarks of Runco International. ISFccc is a registered trademark of the Imaging Science Foundation.
CEDIA Expo 2009 Atlanta - Polk Audio will go the CEDIA Expo with new products and programs, including a line of barely visible custom speakers, its thinnest surround bar ever, a lifetime parts and labor warranty on customer speakers, and a new branding campaign.
The branding campaign includes a first-quarter extension of the company’s main Web site, a Facebook fan page already online, and a return of the company’s long-running tagline, “The Speaker Specialists.”
The new non-transferable lifetime warranty policy applies to parts and labor on all in-wall, in-ceiling and built-in subwoofers purchased by consumers through installers or over the counter. The policy goes in effect on the first day of the Expo. The company’s current policy covers parts and labor for five years.
In products, the company will display select in-wall models of its new barely visible speakers, with the in-ceiling versions planned for a January International CES debut. The as-yet-unnamed series will replace the current LCi and TSi series of mid- to high-end custom speakers, said product manager Al Baron.
The new series features slim bezels of only about an eighth of an inch, and the speaker grilles protrude from the wall or ceiling only by 7mm. “They pretty much go away,” Baron said of the speaker’s visibility.
The in-wall models, intended for multi-room and home theater applications, will include left-right speakers, center channels, and bipole/dipole surrounds. Per-pair prices range from $400 to $1,500.
Six in-ceiling models still under development incorporate the same cosmetic advantages but add a patented acoustic design to deliver the deep bass, acoustic output, and dispersion of 9- to 11-inch speakers in 5.25- and 6.5-inch packages, Baron said. Consumers, architects and interior designers will prefer in-ceiling speakers that don’t overwhelm the shrinking sizes of in-ceiling light fixtures, he noted.
Also at its suite, Polk will show a prototype of the first of a planned series of slim surround bars whose depth will shrink to match the 1.5- to 2-inch depths of a new generation of shallow flat-panel TVs. The first model, due mid next year, is a five-channel passive surround bar in a cabinet measuring 4 by 50 by 1.5 inches. The SurroundBar 50 Slimline will feature Polk’s passive SDA Surround technology, which provides a wide, deep soundstage extending far out to the sides and wrapping around the listener without bouncing sound off side walls, Polk said.
The SurroundBar 50 Slimline will ship mid next year. The company also plans to add one more passive model and two active models to the Slimline series. All will feature a new driver technology that will squeeze the most performance, including “remarkably low bass,” from the small enclosures, Baron said.
SDA Surround achieves continuous side-to-side and front-to-back imaging so that sounds transition smoothly from the front, around the sides and to the rear, the company said.
SDA Surround is based on Polk’s late 1980’s SDA (Stereo Dimensional Array) speakers, which canceled inter-aural crosstalk. The technology also equalizes the surround drivers’ signals in a way that alters the perceived direction of sound. The equalization curve is based on how the shape of the ear’s pina, or visible portion, enables people to detect the direction of a sound.
NetStreams has out done itself again with the new Quartet multi-room audio system. The company that is best known for its award winning Internet Protocol A/V system called DigiLinX has developed a simple and easy to use high quality multi-room audio system that can be completely installed and configured in less time then it takes to watch a movie.
Quartet is the latest multi-room audio product developed from NetStreams and it leverages many of the advances that the NetStreams development team have brought to the market with DigiLinX - ultra high quality digital audio, 24 bit Burr Brown DAC’s and heart stopping full bandwidth frequency response and ground pounding power with over 400 Watts RMS.
Each room has its own independent discrete digital audio path and total room control with installer adjustable DSP graphic equalization, and parametric loudness controls as well as master and local volume controls and an advanced 3D speaker sound mode for rooms that do not have traditional stereo speaker placements. You can divide the massive 400 Watt RMS amplifier to allow multiple speaker configurations and complex impedance loads or even “Super” Zones.
The NetStreams Quartet system allows users to whole house page, or initiate room-to-room intercom sessions. Every room can be setup for “Baby” monitoring and rooms also have user adjustable room “modes” such as privacy, and do-not-disturb to allow flexibility in monitoring and paging.
The NetStreams quartet system also leverages the local audio source input that was developed for DigiLinX. Each room can have a local source, and you can also listen to the local source in any other zone as a global source if desired with the use of a low cost Audio Port such as the AP450 or AP500. A fixed pre-amp stereo output is also available in each local room for use with a local TV input, or a local AVR input for even more functionality.
The NetStreams Quartet comes with four double gang decora keypads that allow IR to be routed back to a head end location to control global sources and built in microphone for Intercom sessions. The keypad accommodates source, intercom and audio control into a simple and easy to use control panel. You will know what source is playing or what room is calling you as well as volume and room mode indicators. A low level pilot light guides you to the keypad in dark rooms, and you can change the back lighting to match desired room ambient settings.
The NetStreams Quartet also comes with an advanced digital Multi-Room processor. This also has a built-in digital Tuner with auto everything from presets to programming. The tuner in Quartet could possible be the best tuner you have ever used with is precision digital adjustments and will work well for use in the United States and all of Europe. The MRP has four additional global source inputs with 24 bit Burr Brown Dac’s and digital source compensation from 0 to -12db to allow all source to have the same volume level.
Simple wiring, Cat 5 to the keypad, and normal speaker wire to the speakers from the 400 Watt RMS amplifier. Uses the standard ANSI/CEA 2030 wiring.
Completely plug and play the NetStreams Quartet system provides everything you need for a Ultra high quality Multi-Room Audio system including the Multi-Room Processor with built in Digital Tuner, 400 Watts RMS Amplifier, and four Intercom ready keypads all at a retail price of $1,999!
Combine two Quartets, and have an eight zone Multi-Room audio system with more than sixteen sources, and two FM tuners and eight Intercom ready keypads for only $3999 retail!
Please visit www.netstreams.com today for more information and where to buy!
It has been a very hot summer in Austin this year, in fact the hottest since 1860. The heat wave has produced over 65 days of 100 degree or hotter temperatures, this is a lot since Austin only averages 9 days a year in triple digits.
The climate has not been the only thing heating up over at the NetStreams research and development center located in the tech research region of north Austin in between the huge Dell and HP campuses to the east and the Motorola, Apple and Sun campuses just to the west. This area is referred to as silicon hills by the venture capitalists and is the ground zero in another heat wave, that of a much more technical kind.
I have been asked from a wide range of individuals from installers and integrators to investors and partners and even market competitors about a new technology called AVB.
Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is a generic term much like IPTV to describe work that is being developed within the IEEE Audio/Video Bridging Task Group. This TG is part of the IEEE 802.1 Working Group, and is one of four active task groups along with Interworking, Security, and Data Center Bridging.
The original effort of AVB started with the formation of an 802.3 Residential Ethernet Study Group back in July 2003. Over at NetStreams we had just stepped down from the UPnP Steering committee seat and needed to concentrate on development of our IP Audio Video system called DigiLinX and on a new technology called StreamNet. Our first StreamNet Patent filings were in 2001 and we had a lot of development work ahead of us so with our coming work loads and in part due to some of our Patents filings we were not able to actively participate in the work that was just starting up for both DLNA, and the 802.3 Study group.
We continue to monitor the work output and progress made by these groups from a non-formal aspect since we firmly believe we have many essential patent elements that enable the applications that these groups are pushing forward. We do applaud and encourage these efforts because we feel strongly that they are the right direction for our industries and for the world of Networked Audio Video and control.
If you are not familiar with the mission of the IEEE 802.1 group, they are chartered to work on the development of standards and recommended practices for 802 LAN/MAN architecture, internetworking among 802 LANs, MANs, and other wide area networks, 802 Security, 802 overall network management, and protocol layers above the MAC and LLC layers.
The charter of the AVB TG is to provide the specifications that will allow time-synchronized low latency streaming services through 802 networks. They currently have four active projects;
- P802.1AS: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications in Bridged Local Area Networks
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late 2009
- P802.1Qat: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 9: Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP)
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late 2009
- P802.1Qav: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 11: Forwarding and Queuing for Time-Sensitive Streams
Status: working group ballot, expect moving to sponsor ballot late summer/fall 2009
P802.1BA: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Audio Video Bridging (AVB) Systems.
Status: In technical discussion, first draft expected summer 2009
The most popular question asked of me today is “Does the AVB work change the need for StreamNet?” and the answer is no, in fact StreamNet will be one of the first Internet Protocol Standards that will not only benefit from the AVB work, but the AVB work will create even more need for the StreamNet protocols.
Over the next four blog posts I will describe how AVB and StreamNet will work together to provide a powerful AV and control system for residential and enterprise class networks. This should help you understand how AVB benefits StreamNet based systems such as DigiLinX and NaimNet.
“Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications in Bridged Local Area Networks”.
This standard specifies the protocol and procedures used to ensure that the synchronization requirements are met for time sensitive applications, such as audio and video, across Bridged and Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks consisting of LAN media where the transmission delays are fixed and symmetrical; for example, IEEE 802.3 full duplex links. This includes the maintenance of synchronized time during normal operation and following addition, removal, or failure of network components and network reconfiguration. It specifies the use of IEEE 1588 specifications where applicable in the context of IEEE Stds 802.1D and 802.1Q. Synchronization to an externally provided timing signal (e.g., a recognized timing standard such as UTC or TAI) is not part of this standard but is not precluded.
This standard enables stations attached to bridged LANs to meet the respective jitter, wander, and time synchronization requirements for time-sensitive applications.
A StreamNet decoding (listening) node is elected as a StreamNet master node for clock synchronization, and is also a Coordinated Shared Network (CSN) time aware bridge and is the responsible CSN bridge to manage the StreamNet heart beat messages to allow all StreamNet nodes to have the same 802.1AS clock precision propagated from the Grand Master assuming the potential grand master has a clock target function.
A StreamNet Master node’s role as the grand master is allowed under 802.1AS and in many system deployments will be the default mode since StreamNet nodes may exist on the edge of the AVB cloud. All StreamNet decoding nodes are time aware, and this precision is maintained every 100ms much like a VCXO. StreamNet and 802.1AS timing does not experience step changes at DST changes nor does it change with leap seconds or any time zone differences.
Sync accuracy for 802.1AS is less than or equal to 1uSec up to 7 hops within the AVB cloud, and to any StreamNet edge node. A StreamNet node does not propagate 802.1AS packets beyond StreamNet edge nodes or any AVB node within an AVB cloud. The 802.1AS Sync messages are passed along the spanning tree created by the StreamNet Master node, or any 802.1AS time aware bridges or StreamNet time aware proxy bridges. When a StreamNet Mater node stops receiving Sync messages, it quickly will stop sending 802.1AS Sync messages while a possible new grandmaster is selected, allowing StreamNet decoding nodes or other 802.1AS nodes to enter holdover quickly.
Does the 802.1AS synchronization eliminate the need for a StreamNet Sync? NO, StreamNet syncronization will still be used in networking topologies that scale larger then the currently proposed AVB cloud, or in other words more than 7 hops. StreamNet was designed to work in very complex networking topologies, and in fact over mixed topologies. In many large systems such as professional sports stadiums or large enterprise campus wide networks including those types of systems that may require IP tunneling over WAN. For these and many more real world deployment reasons you will have StreamNet synchronization needs at the AVB edge ports.
I hope this post was helpful and in the next post we will cover - P802.1Qat: IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks: Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks - Amendment 9: Stream Reservation Protocol (SRP)
Founders include Broadcom Corp., Cisco Systems, Inc., Harman International, Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Xilinx, Inc.
Beaverton, Ore., August 25, 2009 – A group of industry-leading Audio/Video (A/V), consumer electronics and silicon companies today announced the launch of AVnu™ Alliance. The Alliance is an industry forum dedicated to enhancing professional-quality audio/video by promoting emerging IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) networking standards for a broad range of markets including automotive, consumer electronics, and professional A/V. The founding members of the AVnu Alliance include Broadcom Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., Harman International, Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., and Xilinx, Inc. In addition to the Founders, Avid Technology Inc., Marvell and Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. have joined the AVnu Alliance as the first Promoters.
AVnu Alliance aims to establish a professional quality A/V experience in networked environments, whether an HD television or music studio, a car, a concert hall, a stadium or a home theater. Today, out-of-sync audio and video, glitches and delays can occur in many of these settings, unless complex, proprietary solutions are deployed. For example, in networked whole-home audio systems, there is no standards-based solution to make the speakers play in sync.
To address these issues, the AVnu Alliance is promoting the IEEE standards, currently in development, for 802.1 AVB (Audio Video Bridging) and also the related IEEE 1722 and 1733 (which extends RTP for use with AVB).
The draft AVB standards are designed to work over widely-used IEEE 802 layer 2 networks. These new standards provide networking features for tightly controlled media stream synchronization, buffering and reservation. Use of AVB enables higher layer protocols and applications to realize professional-quality A/V even if there are various lower-layer network links in the path between endpoint devices. AVnu expects to see initial deployment of AVB on Ethernet networks and anticipates other home networking standards will follow.
“The AVB technology developed by the IEEE has reached a level of maturity that permits its use in the creation of innovative new products,” said Rick Kreifeldt, AVnu Alliance chairman and president. “Our mission is to drive these cutting-edge technologies into the professional A/V, automotive, and consumer electronics markets, enhancing the quality of experience across a broad range of products and applications.”
AVnu Alliance is committed to bringing together leading companies to promote and advance these technologies. The organization will support the creation and implementation of compliance test procedures and processes that promote interoperability of AVB-enabled networked products, helping to ensure A/V devices work together to provide a professional level of quality. These efforts will enhance the network backbone, complementing the ongoing work of existing organizations and standards bodies specifying higher layer A/V protocols and applications in each market space.
“A/V networks are becoming burdened by greater complexity and the ever-increasing demands of streaming content, yet there are few options to ensure reliability in a heterogeneous network based upon open industry standards,” said Jonathan Gaw, Research Manager at leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC. “Broad, cross-industry efforts are crucial to ensure that the quality-of-experience is addressed early in the product development cycle, and to promote the interoperability of products being deployed in professional A/V, automotive and home networking scenarios that are more demanding than ever before.”
Industries that may benefit from the technology include professional A/V equipment manufacturers and installers, automotive A/V equipment suppliers and automotive OEMs, consumer electronics manufacturers and silicon manufacturers.
AVnu Alliance invites the participation of companies interested in advancing these efforts. For more information about becoming a member of AVnu Alliance, please visit the Web site at www.AVnu.org.
About AVnu Alliance
AVnu Alliance is an industry forum dedicated to the advancement of professional-quality audio video by promoting the adoption of the IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) standards over various networking link-layers. The organization will create compliance test procedures and processes that ensure AVB interoperability of networked A/V devices, helping to provide the highest quality streaming A/V experience. The Alliance will promote awareness of the benefits of AVB technologies and intends to collaborate with other organizations and entities to make use of this work in their respective efforts to provide a better end-user A/V experience.
The Alliance is focused on applications of these technologies in the automotive, consumer electronics and professional A/V markets. Founding members of AVnu Alliance include Broadcom Corp., Cisco Systems, Harman International Industries Inc., Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and Xilinx, Inc. More information can be found on the AVnu Alliance Web site at www.AVnu.org.
Support for AVnu Alliance
“The industry today is focused on revolutionizing connectivity – consumers want to stream digital media throughout the network in a way that is easy, but without sacrificing quality,” said Nariman Yousefi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Networking Group, Broadcom.
“With the growing demand for streaming video and audio between devices around the home, the AVnu Alliance will help validate new standardized protocols which enable key features (such as time sync) thus further achieving the high performance experience customers expect from moving entertainment content around the home,” said Martin Manniche, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Consumer Business Group.
“The AVnu technology represents the next generation for our automotive, professional, and consumer products,” said Sachin Lawande, CTO, Harman International.
“The audio and video experiences available to consumers will be significantly enhanced by the IEEE 802.1 AVB industry standards promoted by AVnu Alliance that facilitate streaming content throughout the home,” said Brendan Traw, Intel Fellow and Chief Technology Officer for Intel’s Digital Home Group.
“Video puts high demands on the network requirements – through the work of the AVnu Alliance we will be able to provide seamless networked video and audio transport to applications in the home up to complex office and public area,” said Byung-Chang Kang, Senior VP SAIT, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
“In application spaces as diverse as large broadcast studios, the automobile, and the home, our customers have product design needs that increasingly require flexible interconnectivity that supports the reliable distribution of real time multimedia content. AVnu Alliance is committed to an open standards based approach to addressing this goal,” said Mike Frazier, Vice President, IP Solutions, Xilinx, Inc.
AVnu and AVnu Alliance are trademarks or registered trademarks of AVnu Alliance. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
If silicon designers employ advanced process nodes to lower power, and if they can overcome the signal-integrity issues, data-center managers could bypass both power and cost issues of NICs by purchasing motherboards with LAN-on-motherboard chips on them, providing 10Base-T connectivity directly off the motherboard.
By Ron Wilson, Executive Editor — EDN, 8/24/2009
The arguments for 10GBase-T as primary interconnect in data centers seem unassailable. Offering 10 Gbits/s raw bit rate, and Ethernet protocol at up to 100 m over Cat6A or Cat7 copper cable, 10GBase-T proposes lower cost than optical interconnect, greater wiring flexibility than is possible with the 10m range of direct-attach copper, and the architectural elegance of having one tcp/ip interconnect scheme from the blade all the way up to the WAN leaving the building complex. This last point seems to grow in importance as virtualization runs rampant through data centers.
From these points it would seem an obvious move for blade vendors to start slapping 10GBase-T silicon onto their motherboards, and for data centers to migrate quickly to the faster Ethernet standard. And that is just what industry analysts expected—two and a half years ago. Yet this year the total market for 10GBase-T NICs appears to be only about $150 million, according to industry research. That’s about the price of one mid-range superyacht, just to keep things in perspective.
If the deployment seems slow compared to the value proposition, it’s not for want of energy on the parts of silicon vendors. Back in early 2007 Teranetics—which still claims to be leading the charge—and Solarflare Communications jumped on the bandwagon with monolithic PHY chips. Since then Teranetics, Broadcom, and Solarflare, to name a few, have pushed the level of integration for PHY chips from one port to two, while wrestling down power and cost.
But still the market remains small, and the forecast still looks like a hockey stick. The explanation may be the very issues the chip vendors are fighting: power and cost. At 5 to 10W for the PHY and another perhaps 5 to 10W for the controller, the first couple of generations of silicon were far from being an insignificant load on a data center’s power or cooling resources. And with cost for a single-port NIC starting out a couple of years ago at $2,000, drifting down into the $1,000 range for today’s server-class boards, one can understand a certain reticence on the part of data center managers.
That could be where LoM (LAN-on-motherboard) chips come to the rescue. If silicon designers employ advanced process nodes to lower power, and if they can overcome the signal-integrity issues of putting a PHY, a MAC, and a PCIe interface all on one die, data-center managers could bypass both power and cost issues of NICs by purchasing motherboards with LoM chips on them, providing 10Base-T connectivity directly off the motherboard.
That’s a great scenario for new build-outs. For existing centers, LoM chips would need backward compatibility—the ability to negotiate down to a slower standard like 1000Base-T. Even then, a mixed cable environment that combined legacy Cat5/6 cable with 6A and 7 wiring, while functional with backward-negotiating LoM chips, would be an architect’s and a maintenance manager’s nightmare. And the full benefit of 10GBase-T wouldn’t accrue until there were enough upgraded server boards to create some useful-sized fast partition in the data center. So LoM chips aren’t necessarily going to ignite the market either. But they can’t hurt.
This isn’t lost on the vendors. Last November, systems vendor Mellanox introduced a single-chip 10GBase-T LoM by integrating their own controller with the Teranetics PHY. And this morning, Solarflare followed, with a family of one- and two-port chips of its own, based on the Solarflare PHY and the controller technology acquired through its merger with Level-5 Networks. One presumes that Broadcom, always masters of both integration and leading-edge process adoption, isn’t far behind.
The Solarflare chips appear aimed at opening the market. On the power side, the company is quoting 8 W and 13 W for one- and two-port LoM chips, respectively. That compares to rather vague claims of about 10 W per port on the Mellanox Web site for their LoM offering. That puts the LoM chips in the range of half the power of recent NICs, and with careful integration the Solarflare parts can meet Energy Star guidelines of 8 W per port for a blade mezzanine card, according to Solarflare VP of product marketing Mike Smith. That power level is also coming into line with previously reported remarks by the company’s CTO George Zimmerman, suggesting that the PHY needs to get below 5 W in order for data center managers to stop worrying about its power on the switch side.
Price may remain an issue for a while, until yield-learning can work its magic on these advanced-process and heavily mixed-signal chips. In principle a fabless semi company should be able to sell a PHY/MAC combination for less than the cost of an entire NIC. But if there are a lot of mature technology and good levels of integration on the NIC, that’s not guaranteed at the beginning of the chip’s product life. Suggestively, at this point neither Mellanox nor Solarflare is publishing prices.
A couple of interesting points remain, neither of which is well-addressed in the marketing literature. One is the degree to which hardware-based off-loads in the LoM chips can impact both network performance and network energy consumption in large data centers. Controller architects appear to be all over the place in their implementation of off-loads, and while obviously leaving more work for the server CPU allows you to reduce power in the LoM, it is not clear what impact these choices will have at the system level. Tossing a few more small but asynchronous tasks onto modern CPUs, with their highly complex active power management, may prevent the processor from using its best low-energy modes, and totally change the CPU’s energy profile.
Another point is virtualization. Virtualization of network channels and of NICs may be transparent to applications, but it’s not transparent to the hardware. Issues such as the availability and size of hardware translation tables in the controller, and the lengths of latencies in protocol processing may turn out to be very significant issues when a server is using a LoM as 64 virtual network interfaces instead of one physical interface. So even with power and price starting to come into line, there may yet be some very significant terrain in the competitive landscape. Further research, as we are always saying, will be required.
Atlantic Technology, Qsonix, TiVo Inc, & Universal Remote Control broaden and extend media
streaming solutions for the connected home
AUSTIN, Texas | August 17, 2009 |
NetStreams™, the global leader in networked entertainment systems based on Internet protocol (IP) technology, is announcing expanded partnerships and new integrated solutions to expand our award winning patented and patent pending StreamNet™ technology.
TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) and NetStreams announce the introduction of an integration driver for the TiVo HD XL DVR. “We are delighted with this new relationship with NetStreams, the global leader in networked A/V systems based on Internet Protocol (IP) standards,” said Doug Bieter, Senior Director Consumer Sales at TiVo. “We also are pleased by NetStreams recognition that TiVo is not simply another consumer electronics offering, but an ongoing service experience that can ultimately deliver on the goal of giving viewers anything they want, whenever they want it through their television sets.” This interface will be showcased in Atlanta during the 2009 CEDIA Expo at the TiVo booth #5731.
“We are very proud of our growing StreamNet connected partnerships” said Kevin Reinis, president and CEO of NetStreams “TiVo, Universal Remote Control, Qsonix and Atlantic Technology share our vision of the Media Connected Home and we are very pleased to be working together with them to further realize that vision.”
Universal Remote Control and NetStreams announce integration of a driver that allows rich control of any DigiLinX™ system. Full featured wireless control is now a click away for any NetStreams dealer. “We are excited to add NetStreams as a Platinum member of our Complete Control Partner Program (CCPP),” said Mitchell Klein, URC’s director of business development, and the coordinator of CCPP. “The two-way module NetStreams is developing will provide a whole new level of WiFi control to a DigiLinX project and offers seamless integration with our MX-6000.”
StreamNet™ connected partner Qsonix is also excited to announce seamless integration between NetStreams DigiLinX and their industry leading and innovative digital media solutions. Recognized as delivering the best in class user experience and friendly operation with its “Intelligent Interface”, Qsonix is a leading provider of high-performance digital music management systems. “We have always believed that NetStreams was the way of the future and that digital content management in the home will become all about the network and user-interface”, says Mike Weaver, President and co-founder. “It only makes sense for Qsonix and NetStreams to combine forces to take media management to the next level” says Weaver.
And finally the introduction of the Atlantic Technology IWTS-4 LCR in wall speaker is a significantly upgraded variant of the popular IWTS-4 LCR in-wall speaker. It retains all the features that have made the 4 LCR so popular–small size, affordability, great sound–but now adds an important new one: IP addressability and NetStreams compatibility. This new IP version of the 4 LCR has a two-position switch on the crossover PCB that allows it to be used either as a ‘regular’ Atlantic in-wall speaker, connected with speaker wire to the terminals as usual, or you can connect it to a NetStreams system by using the on-board Phoenix connector. Atlantic and NetStreams engineers worked hand-in-hand for months to replicate every single one of the Atlantic equalization and adjustment curves performed by the NetStreams DSP. Everything stays in the digital domain, all the way from the recording studio until it reaches the speakers. “Atlantic Technology is very excited about the response to our recently introduced StreamNet Ready speakers.” comments Atlantic Technology Director of Marketing Steve Feinstein. “We’re actively working on adding additional models to the range and we feel strongly that the NetStreams system is where the homes of tomorrow are headed. We’ll be ready to meet that demand”
About Atlantic Technology
From its inception in 1989, Atlantic Technology’s mission has been to produce home entertainment products that exemplify the very best in both performance and value. The company specializes in complete high-performance multi-channel speaker systems, state-of-the-art home theater electronics components, and products for custom audio/video installation. For more information on Atlantic Technology and its many fine products for home theater and custom audio/video installation, visit www.atlantictechnology.com or call 781-762-6300.
About Qsonix
Located in Westlake Village, California, Qsonix is a market innovator and leader in providing user friendly digital media technologies. With its world-class user interface, Qsonix offers the most reliable and truly friendly digital music management systems available. For additional information, please visit www.qsonix.com or contact Mike Weaver, president/co-founder at mike@qsonix.com • Telephone: 877-4QSONIX or 877-477-6649 www.qsonix.com
About TiVo Inc.
Founded in 1997, TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) developed the first commercially available digital video recorder (DVR). TiVo offers the TiVo service and TiVo DVRs directly to consumers online at www.tivo.com and through third-party retailers. TiVo also distributes its technology and services through solutions tailored for cable, satellite, and broadcasting companies. Since its founding, TiVo has evolved into the ultimate single solution media center by combining its patented DVR technologies and universal cable box capabilities with the ability to aggregate, search, and deliver millions of pieces of broadband, cable, and broadcast content directly to the television. An economical, one-stop-shop for in-home entertainment, TiVo’s intuitive functionality and ease of use puts viewers in control by enabling them to effortlessly navigate the best digital entertainment content available through one box, with one remote, and one user interface, delivering the most dynamic user experience on the market today. TiVo also continues to weave itself into the fabric of the media industry by providing interactive advertising solutions and audience research and measurement ratings services to the television industry. www.tivo.com
About Universal Remote Control
Universal Remote Control, Inc. (URC), is The Pioneer in Control Technology. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Harrison, N.Y., URC has sold more than 50 million remote controls in the last 10 years alone. A world leader in high quality remote control design, engineering, manufacture and distribution, URC is widely regarded as a category innovator by consumers, retailers, custom installers, subscription broadcast providers and OEM partners. URC has built its reputation by delivering exceptional levels of quality, training, reliability and support. Visit URC at www.UniversalRemote.com. Installers can keep up to date with the latest URC news, training and support, as well as communicate directly with the company and their peers, at www.URCControlRoom.com.
About NetStreams
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetStreams delivers the Ultimate IP A/V Experience by distributing high definition audio and video over TCP/IP networks. NetStreams’ products, designed for commercial and residential use, offer unprecedented levels of performance, functionality, simplicity, reliability, and expandability. By combining audio/video content, meta-data and control signals into one stream and incorporating industry standards, NetStreams solutions are a smart investment. NetStreams is enabling the future of IP A/V – today. For additional information on NetStreams and its innovative products, please visit www.netstreams.com.
About StreamNet Technology
NetStreams’ patent and patent-pending StreamNet technology enables licensees to deliver complete IP-Based audio/video distribution solutions over TCP/IP networks. StreamNet technology provides an end-to-end IP ecosystem for plug-n-play connectivity, A/V signal synchronization, high performance A/V reproduction, automatic device discovery and configuration, network control, and more. All products that carry the ‘StreamNet Connected’ logo are interoperable, enabling easy integration of audio/video and control products from multiple manufacturers.
StreamNet provides a stable, easily expandable platform and toolset for future products and new applications. StreamNet enables manufacturers to deliver the future of A/V and IT convergence today. For more information, visit www.streamnetconnected.com.
NetStreams, StreamNet and DigiLinX are trademarks of NetStreams L.L.C. Other company and product names are trademarks of
their respective owners.
CHAT 60 delivers a high-quality, hands-free audio experience for Skype users
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — ClearOne (Nasdaq: CLRO), the leading provider of high performance audio conferencing solutions, today announced the CHAT 60, a new personal speakerphone specifically designed for use with Skype(TM) software. The Skype Certified(TM) CHAT 60 is the newest of ClearOne’s award-winning personal conferencing speakerphones.
The CHAT 60 personal speakerphone easily connects to laptops or PCs via USB for natural, hands-free communication. The CHAT 60 delivers full-duplex audio for crystal-clear communication and is the perfect addition to an office or home office, providing convenient, high-quality audio for Skype users. The CHAT 60 is a very powerful audio device; yet, it is small enough to toss in with your laptop and take on the road.
“The CHAT 60 complements Skype usage and we are glad it is now available to our users, especially those SOHO and small and midsize businesses that use Skype in the workplace,” said Manrique Brenes, Skype’s director of business development and product management for consumer electronics. “Skype continues to grow in popularity and our users will be glad to learn that they can use the CHAT 60 for hands-free calls. The combination of Skype and the CHAT 60 will enable Skype users around the world to communicate more effectively.”
“We are very pleased to announce that the CHAT 60 has received certification from Skype,” said Tracy Bathurst, CTO at ClearOne. “Skype’s certification process included rigorous testing of the CHAT 60 to ensure it performed to a set of exacting standards. Skype users now have a portable and personal hands-free collaboration tool that delivers a more natural, crystal clear audio experience, without being tethered to the computer via a headset.”
The CHAT 60 contains HDConference(TM), ClearOne’s suite of high-performance audio technologies that includes such things as full duplex, echo cancellation, noise reduction and adaptive modeling. Taken separately, each technology is best-in-class and is a critical component for a remarkable audio experience. In combination, these elements make conferencing and collaboration more natural and productive. The CHAT 60 also delivers completely plug-and-play operation, requiring no software or drivers to be installed.
Now shipping, the CHAT 60 has a suggested retail price of $149.99 and can be purchased from the Skype Shop (www.skype.com/shop).
About ClearOne
ClearOne is a communications solutions company that develops and sells audio conferencing systems and related products for audio, video and web conferencing applications. The reliability, flexibility and performance of ClearOne’s comprehensive solutions create a natural communications environment that saves organizations time and money by enabling more effective and efficient communication. For additional information, access www.clearone.com.
ClearOne Contact:
Mark Child
801-303-3446
mark.child@clearone.com
Will focus on assisting dealers hone operations, increase profits and buying products.img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cepro/rss/c297/~4/QwaggCGBmEU” height=”1″ width=”1″/
Who will win the prize at CEDIA Expo 2009 and who should win it? Cast your faux vote here.img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cepro/rss/c297/~4/7aT0Da8HSYw” height=”1″ width=”1″/
In June, Tremor Media ranked as the top video ad network with a potential reach of 74.4 million viewers, or 47.4 percent of the total viewing audience. Yume Video Network ranked second with a potential reach of 66.5 million viewers (42.3 percent penetration) followed by Broadband Enterprises Video Network with 64.1 million viewers (40.8 percent).
Top U.S. Online Video Ad Networks by Unique Viewers
June 2009
Other notable findings from June 2009 include:
81.2 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
The average online video viewer watched 453 minutes of video, or nearly 7.6 hours.
111.8 million viewers watched 7.6 billion videos on YouTube.com (67.9 videos per viewer).
53.6 million viewers watched 524 million videos on MySpace.com (9.8 videos per viewer).
The average visitor to Hulu watched 10.1 videos, totaling more than an hour of videos per visitor.
The duration of the average online video was 3.7 minutes.
CEO Utz Baldwin outlines how CEDIA is helping vendors and dealers weather the economy at CEDIA Expo 2009 in Atlanta.img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cepro/rss/c297/~4/6cO4pvGFSpc” height=”1″ width=”1″/
Will hold 16 training classes, giving away $250,000 worth of prizes.img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cepro/rss/c297/~4/iqyuFB3ahsg” height=”1″ width=”1″/
The sound quality of an audio playback system is determined in large part by the quality of the speakers. Speakers, as we have come to know them, are made up of two basic things: The “drivers” (the woofer, which handles the low and mid frequencies and the tweeter, which handles the higher frequencies; some speakers also have a specialized ‘mid-range’ driver to cover just the middle tones), and a special electronic circuit that blends everything together, called the crossover network.
You can think of the crossover as a sort of electronic ‘traffic cop’, because it splits the incoming signal into lows, mids, and highs, and directs that portion of the signal to the appropriate driver, using electronic components called inductors, capacitors and resistors. The crossover is known in engineering terms as a “passive circuit,” because it doesn’t produce any power of its own; it simply reacts to the incoming signal.
Crossover networks are a definite weak link. Perhaps the biggest problem is this: Passive circuits cause what’s called an “insertion loss.” In other words, the presence of a passive circuit in the signal path will soak up some of the signal, resulting in lower system output. No getting around it. (Why do you think they call them “resistors”?)
Another thing that crossovers try to do is to provide some “equalization” to the speakers. Let’s say, for example, that the woofer has too much output in its upper range. If that is not corrected (“equalized”), it will overlap too much with the lower end of the tweeter and the speaker will have too much midrange output. The result is a very “honky, nasal” sounding speaker. If the engineer selects an inductor of the proper value, he can bring that woofer’s upper-end response down to where it should be, and the speaker will sound fine.
Lastly, the actual components that make up a crossover (the inductors and capacitors and resistors) can be subject to pretty wide variability from one to the other. These components can have a +/- tolerance of 5% or 10% per unit. (Atlantic uses +/- 2% components in the critical signal path to minimize variability, but not everyone does—not by a longshot!) An 8-ohm resistor in a conventional speaker might actually be anywhere from, say, 7 to 9 ohms. Once you stack up all the tolerances throughout the network, the crossover in two supposedly identical speakers can actually vary from each other more than you think. The stated woofer-to-tweeter crossover frequency of 2000Hz could vary anywhere from 1800 to 2200 Hz.
This is kind of an over-simplified explanation of how passive speakers work, but it’s pretty accurate. The crossover is the big stumbling block, because you have to get around the issue of insertion loss, and in most speakers, crossover component variability.
But how about if we could get rid of that passive crossover, and its variability, and its insertion loss? Wouldn’t that be great? Then we’d have a speaker system that crossed over from woofer to tweeter exactly where the engineer wanted it to, the crossover would be exactly the same from one speaker to the next, and the overall system output would be greater because none of the system’s amplification power would be wasted trying to plow its way through a passive circuit.
And what if we could equalize the speaker system with absolute precision, and not worry if the inductor we had chosen was affecting the woofer exactly as we wanted it to?
This is what the NetStreams system will do—it relives the speaker of having to perform crossover and equalization functions with a passive crossover, and instead moves those functions to the digital domain, ‘upstream’ in the system, in the NetStreams amplifiers themselves. Here, those functions are carried out with absolute accuracy and perfect repeatability.
What would be really great is if you could combine the NetStreams digital precision with some truly outstanding loudspeakers—then you’d have a system second to none!
That’s exactly what you get with the Atlantic Technology-NetStreams system. Atlantic speakers are world-renowned for their incredible sound, and have several unique design advantages that make them especially well-suited to being partnered with the NetStreams system. Atlantic speakers have sophisticated adjustment controls to optimize their high-frequency output for varying room absorptive characteristics; the -7 and -14 LCR also have Boundary Compensation switches to tailor their frequency response depending on how close to an adjacent wall they’re mounted, and they have Atlantic’s exclusive Directional Vector Control (DVC™) that electronically directs the sound up or down from the speaker, without having to employ the conventional, unsophisticated mechanical “pivoting tweeter.” Only Atlantic speakers provide the end-user with such a comprehensive array of acoustic optimization controls to ensure that the speakers always sound great, in any installation.
We can do all these things. Atlantic and NetStreams engineers worked hand-in-hand for months to replicate every single one of the Atlantic equalization and adjustment curves—but this time, it’s done digitally in the NetStreams electronics.
This is the beauty and the advantage of the Atlantic/NetStreams system. By using the NetStreams amplifier and the pre-loaded Atlantic crossover/equalization files, you can dial in the exact crossover and equalization for Atlantic models IWTS-4 LCR-IP, -7 LCR-IP, and -14 LCR-IP. Using the NetStreams system, the crossover and equalization functions are performed digitally upstream of the speaker, in the NetStreams amplifier. The amplifier is then connected to the Atlantic speaker with an easy Phoenix connector and a simple two-position toggle switch on the speaker bypasses the speaker’s on-board passive crossover.
This is the best of all worlds: a super-clean digital signal with the exact crossover and equalization data encoded for these Atlantic speakers. Everything stays in the digital domain, all the way from the recording studio until it reaches the speakers.
The system sounds great—you get every bit of performance out of the speakers that they’re capable of. Atlantic speaker innovation, coupled with digital precision. It’s an unbeatable combination. And as a bonus, since we’re completely avoiding the passive crossover, we don’t suffer any insertion loss. As a matter of fact, the system will play as much as 5dB louder, which means that NetStreams’ 50-watt amplifiers behave like conventional 160-watt amplifiers! Wow. The whole system plays louder, cleaner, with less distortion, and perfect uniformity from one to the next.
About Atlantic Technology
From its inception in 1989, Atlantic Technology’s mission has been to produce home entertainment products that exemplify the very best in both performance and value. The company specializes in complete high-performance multi-channel speaker systems, state-of-the-art home theater electronics components, and products for custom audio/video installation. For more information on Atlantic Technology and its many fine products for home theater and custom audio/video installation, visit www.atlantictechnology.com or call 781-762-6300.
About NetStreams
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetStreams delivers the Ultimate IP A/V Experience by distributing high definition audio and video over TCP/IP networks. NetStreams’ products, designed for commercial and residential use, offer unprecedented levels of performance, functionality, simplicity, reliability, and expandability. By combining audio/video content, meta-data and control signals into one stream and incorporating industry standards, NetStreams solutions are a smart investment. NetStreams is enabling the future of IP A/V – today. For additional information on NetStreams and its innovative products, please visit www.netstreams.com.
Cisco EosTM Software Platform to Power Additional, New Warner Music Group Web Sites for Artists Paramore, Trey Songz, Halestorm, Sean Paul and More
Photos
NEW YORK and SAN JOSE – August 12, 2009 – Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced the expansion of their relationship into a strategic agreement in which WMG will use the Cisco Eos social entertainment platform to power many of its artist Web sites. Eos will now be available to WMG to deploy an unlimited number of sites for their portfolio of artists and labels, and play a significant role within WMG’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) initiatives.
Cisco Eos is a hosted white-label “software as a service” platform that enables Media & Entertainment companies to create, manage and monetize social entertainment experiences built around their branded content. WMG deployed Eos for four new sites: Grammy-nominated rock band Paramore; R&B singer Trey Songz; rock band Halestorm; and a redesigned Eos site for reggae singer Sean Paul. WMG also announced that it intends to use the Eos platform to create approximately a dozen additional sites by the end of the year, including a brand new site for singer/songwriter and American Idol alum, Jason Castro, as well as for R&B songstress Estelle, and hip-hop phenomenon Lupe Fiasco.
“Today’s dynamic music industry environment requires us to radically transform the role we play in the music ecosystem and, at WMG, one of the most important ways we have been doing that is by developing powerful new approaches to enriching relationships between artists and fans,” said Edgar Bronfman, Jr., Chairman and CEO of WMG. “Cisco has developed an excellent platform that we believe could become a key component of our digital consumer strategy.”
- WMG artists can use the Eos platform to deliver highly customized social entertainment experiences for their fans.
- With its integrated administrative environment, Cisco Eos will help WMG labels deploy artist sites more rapidly, while preserving the unique look and feel each artist demands.
- WMG will be able to launch an unlimited number of artist sites on a single, integrated platform, with a unified administrative backend which makes it easier to manage the sites and deliver a more compelling fan experience.
- WMG plans to deploy approximately a dozen sites by the end of the year.
- WMG announced new Eos-powered sites including:
Paramore, (July 2009); Trey Songz (launched July 2009); Halestorm (August 2009); Sean Paul (launched January 2009; redesigned July 2009); Laura Izibor (launched January 2009).
- In the coming months, WMG will also deploy Eos-powered sites for artists such as:
Jason Castro; Estelle; Lupe Fiasco; Straight No Chaser and others to be announced later in the year.
- Media companies can use Cisco Eos to build, manage and monetize social entertainment experiences around branded content.
-The new white-label Cisco solution integrates features from social networking, content management, and analytics into a single administrative environment that media companies can use to customize and manage experiences across multiple branded Web sites.
“Cisco is committed to helping the Media & Entertainment industry produce its next big hit ? new, personalized and interactive experiences that add value in the relationship between fans and the entertainment content they love,” said John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco. “The entertainment industry is in a market transition, and the network is the platform upon which this industry can redefine itself. Cisco is very pleased to work closely with visionaries like Edgar Bronfman and the Warner Music Group on how they can connect more closely with their fans throughout the world.”
“Having witnessed such a dramatic shift in the way consumers engage entertainment, we are constantly searching for new capabilities to address emerging digital behaviors,” said Michael Nash, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development for WMG. “Cisco Eos provides the speed and flexibility our labels need to create the full-featured, robust sites that our artists require to embrace their increasingly sophisticated fans.”
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Bad Boy, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire, operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world’s leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.
About Cisco’s Consumer Business
Cisco’s consumer business includes home networking products, set-top boxes, media solutions and content delivery systems. Through collaboration with technology partners, service providers, content providers, retailers and consumer electronic device manufacturers, Cisco is expanding the Human Network to create an intelligent, end-to-end media-optimized network that extends from the content source to the consumer.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.
Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.
Starting with the ViewLinX™ Micro, NetStreams IP Video offers the most scalable high quality
Video distribution in the market today
AUSTIN, Texas | August 10th, 2009
| NetStreams™, the global leader in IP-Based Networked Audio/Video distribution, announces HDMI over Internet Protocol for DigiLinX™ the worlds first completely IP-Based Multi-Room Audio/Video and Control Distribution System. The ViewLinX Micro decoder allows the addition of Digital Connections to your IP Video distribution needs.
The new ViewLinX Micro offers HDMI and DVI output for digital connection to any display device, and offers full two-way serial communications via built in control port. An innovative micro IR receiver is also provided to allow full system-wide control. Sources located anywhere on the network can be controlled with any remote via StreamNet™ Infrared over Internet Protocol routing technology or IRoIP. The ViewLinX Micro has it all, complete twoway system control, High-Definition video, and digital audio distribution all over your existing data infrastructure without any “out-of-band” or additional wiring requirements. This allows a simple and easy implementation no matter how many zones or how large your building, stadium or campus facilities project may be.
StreamNet™ adjustable compression modes provide installers with unparalleled AV distribution design flexibility. Each source can be configured with any of the eight StreamNet™ compression modes. Choose from fast moving Live sporting event modes that are optimized for fast motion and quick pans, or to Digital Cinema modes that offer incredible grayscale and depth of field for a smoother film-like image quality.
“The ViewLinX Micro offers the most scalable, highest quality High-Definition video distribution system in the market” said Kevin Reinis, president and CEO of NetStreams. “In addition, our new innovative packaging for the ViewLinX Micro reduces the footprint by 65% and delivers substantial cost savings to the integrator. Our IP Based technology provides for a compelling total solution for customers looking for networked video solutions for digital signage, corporate communications and video conferencing.”
The ViewLinX Micro has a patent pending, innovative and unique mounting system that can be surface mounted onto a wall or any 2 gang electrical box, with dual power and Ethernet connections on the side and bottom of the unit. The VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS) allows the decoder to be mounted between the flat panel display and wall mount bracket resulting in a clean and secure professional installation. NetStreams is also developing a new Digital input MediaLinX, and Digital Output ViewLinX products that feature fully uncompressed High-Definition signals at 1080p via HDMI over IP, and full HDCP 2.0 support.
About NetStreams
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetStreams delivers the Ultimate IP A/V Experience by distributing high definition audio and video over TCP/IP networks. NetStreams’ products, designed for commercial and residential use, offer unprecedented levels of performance, functionality, simplicity, reliability, and expandability. By combining audio/video content, meta-data and control signals into one stream and incorporating industry standards, NetStreams solutions are a smart investment. NetStreams is enabling the future of IP A/V – today. For additional information on NetStreams and its innovative products, please visit www.netstreams.com.
About StreamNet Technology
NetStreams’ patent and patent-pending StreamNet technology enables licensees to deliver complete IP-Based audio/video distribution solutions over TCP/IP networks. StreamNet technology provides an end-to-end IP ecosystem for plug-n-play connectivity, A/V signal synchronization, high performance A/V reproduction, automatic device discovery and configuration, network control, and more. All products that carry the ‘StreamNet Connected’ logo are interoperable, enabling easy integration of audio/video and control products from multiple manufacturers. StreamNet provides a stable, easily expandable platform and toolset for future products and new applications. StreamNet enables manufacturers to deliver the future of A/V and IT convergence today. For more information, visit www.streamnetconnected.com.
NetStreams, DigiLinX, ViewLinX, MediaLinX are trademarks of NetStreams L.L.C. Other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Webinar provides tips for leveraging green technology, retrofits, IT and codes standards. Listen live on August 13.img src=”http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cepro/rss/c297/~4/NDN6pTjz4WI” height=”1″ width=”1″/
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The NetStreams quartet system also leverages the local audio source input that was developed for DigiLinX. Each room can have a local source, and you can also listen to the local source in any other zone as a global source if desired with the use of a low cost Audio Port such as the AP450 or AP500. A fixed pre-amp stereo output is also available in each local room for use with a local TV input, or a local AVR input for even more functionality.
The CHAT 60 contains HDConference(TM), ClearOne’s suite of high-performance audio technologies that includes such things as full duplex, echo cancellation, noise reduction and adaptive modeling. Taken separately, each technology is best-in-class and is a critical component for a remarkable audio experience. In combination, these elements make conferencing and collaboration more natural and productive. The CHAT 60 also delivers completely plug-and-play operation, requiring no software or drivers to be installed.
AUSTIN, TX August 12 2009 by Steve Feinstein
