Life/Ware.  Niles Intellicontrol ICS.  Control 4.  Crestron Adagio.  Control systems have come of age!!  See below for details, but the short news is that the whole-home control system has become more robust, comprehensive, easy to use and easy to program than ever before.  After way too much hype, the era of the smart home is actually upon us and your lifestyle will be enhanced in amazing ways by these systems.  Ah, but which one to choose?  Read on.

Cool Software

The Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico.  Yes, I was there, dragging my beautiful wife Silvia along with me.  Other than having to deal with members of the crowd (estimated at between 40 and 60 thousand) who had partaken of the grape and grain to excess (By the way, how does one reach the catatonic stage by 2:30 in the afternoon???), this was an amazingly well-run event.  Terrific music, a great sound system, manageable lines.  Who could ask for more?  Highlights included the Raconteurs and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  If you haven’t seen RHCP, you are missing probably the best live band working today.  They will be back in October in Philadelphia.  Worth the drive.  As for the Raconteurs, Jack White’s (White Stripes) new band tossed off their short list of tunes with surprising virtuosity.  You can see them opening for Bob Dylan in November at GMU’s Patriot Center.  That will be a “must attend” event for me. Tomorrow night’s Tool concert at Verizon Center caps off one of the most musical summers DC has ever had!  My summer highlight?  Had to be our second row seats at the lovely Shakira’s show in August.  She’s even talented…

CEDIA Expo, Denver, Colorado

Note:  Are you reading this blog?  Do you like it?  Should I keep doing this?  Email me at gary@myeremco.com and let me know.

Greetings from the Mile-High City where I and seven members of our team are attending the CEDIA Expo.  CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) is the trade organization representing the world of custom installation and Expo is the largest custom installation-dedicated trade show and learning experience in the world.

At MyerEmco AudioVideo, we typically use the CEDIA Expo as our key technology learning venue more than as a trade show to find new products.  I schedule the lion’s share of my time in classes where I learn about changes in technology, both current and in the future.  I find this hugely important, since one of my key priorities is to keep our company at the technological cutting edge, as our customers expect.  This year, I also brought our entire team of custom installation project managers, who focused on bringing our customer service experience to the next level. 

What is custom installation?  Let me first describe the typical consumer electronics retail experience. You purchase the product and the retailer loads boxes into your trunk, or delivers the product or products to your home.  After that, you are left on your own to figure out how to hook them up and enjoy them.  At the same time as more and more folks are obtaining their TVs and other electronics products from large chains, the technology has become increasingly complex and confusing to set up and enjoy.  It’s no wonder that, according to a recent study, 50% of all high definition TVs in the US are NOT connected so they can display high definition.  And of that number, more than half of those sets’ owners THINK they are watching high definition!  I can’t tell you how many times I have visited folks’ homes and confirmed that fact for myself.

Stores like MyerEmco have three important jobs:  1. Demonstrate the promise of today’s awesome new technologies in our showrooms.  2. Expertly design systems that bring those technologies into people’s lives.  3. Install those systems and fulfill the promise of today’s exciting technologies.  We promise to do that on a purchase as simple as one TV.  We won’t charge more for your TV.  We will hang it expertly on your wall and connect it properly to a high definition source.  We will show you how to use it, and we will provide you great service if you have a problem.  If you’re reading this blog, I hope you already know this, but from my perspective, it bears repeating.

MyerEmco is fortunate to have one of the largest consumer electronics custom installation groups in the country (I believe we are in 4th place!), and our goal is to provide the best customer service experience in the US.  We do work as simple as hanging a flat panel TV on a wall to as complex and involved as total home control systems that include whole house audio/video systems, lighting control, home networking and integrated security and climate control.  Our goal is to provide an experience far superior to impersonal national companies such as Best Buy and Tweeter on the smaller jobs (at the same price of course), while also competing with small custom installation companies that only do 2 or 3 large systems a year.  Our project managers and installation technicians have enabled us to be successful at this.  They are simply the finest team of this type in the country, in my (not so humble) opinion.

Anyway, back to CEDIA Expo.  Though I spent much time in classes, I also took time to explore the show floor where I discovered numerous exciting new product announcements.  Among these were:

Sharp announcing their newest Generation 8 LCD flat panel TVs.  Sharp had been the leader in LCD flat panel in most stores up until last year when Sony and Samsung debuted their Generation 7 LCD TVs.  Based on what I saw, Sharp has at least equaled and may have surpassed their competition with new 46” and 52” LCD panels that are at compelling prices.  They will be arriving soon, so stay tuned.

Sony and Samsung showed their newest LCD panels as well, with evolutionary changes over last year’s highly successful models.  There is tremendous excitement in the world of LCD panels right now, and I would say this is a great time to buy one.

But the best picture quality at the show belonged to Pioneer Elite, with their new 1080p 50” plasma display.  If you have followed this blog, you know how enamored I am of this product.  It is simply the best display quality available in the CE market.  Pioneer also showed their PRO series panels, which were our most successful plasma displays last year.  They have made evolutionary changes and remain the gold standard for flat panel picture quality.

Toshiba demonstrated their 2nd generation HD-DVD players, which debut this fall.  I believe with these models, HD-DVD finally comes of age.  The more expensive model (HDX-A2) is $1,000 but incorporates 1080p resolution (a must, in my opinion!) and the new HDMI 1.3 connectivity standard.  This will be the one to get, if you go with HD-DVD.

But Sony showed their new Blu-Ray high definition player at the same price.  (Don’t you just love format wars?)  Which to get?  For most of us, probably neither until next year, but my money remains on Blu-Ray.  They have the movie folks behind them.

Lastly whole-house control systems (think “smart home”), which are the essence of what you see at CEDIA.  There were so many new ones shown that even I was confused.  I will give you a brief survey and my thoughts:

Ready Now

Crestron Adagio

Crestron is the “grand old man” of control systems, and their systems have always worked.  But the rap on them is that they are highly programming-intensive (meaning expensive!), so they are a niche product in all but the finest homes.  Crestron sees this problem, so they are just now rolling out their Adagio architecture, which does nearly as much as conventional Crestron, but employs a much easier, more automated programming architecture.  With Adagio, we can do whole home systems for less than half the price of traditional Crestron control systems.  A great choice if you are buying, building or remodeling a home right now.  There is nothing these systems won’t do.

We Are Testing As I Write This

Niles Intellicontrol ICS

I predict this system will turn the whole house audio world on its head.  A fabulous, well-thought-out system that is inexpensive to program and works flawlessly.  We are negotiations with Niles, and I would predict we will carry this product VERY soon.  This system wirelessly distributes audio to up to 30 rooms or zones, has a super slick 2-way remote, and can be programmed by your dealer in a matter of minutes.  Works with numerous sources, including your iPod, satellite radio, CD player, legacy sources, etc, etc.  The best, simplest solution for listening to music throughout your home.

Control 4

Lots of excitement about this system, which has been around for nearly a year now, but appears to have actually reached the point where it works without quirks or problems.  If you’re wondering why Crestron invented Adagio, I would say it was paranoia over the potential of this slick IP-based home control solution.  A great programming interface for your dealer, and the system seamlessly allows you to control audio/video, lighting, security, and climate control from remote controls or touchpads throughout your home.  Introduced at CEDIA was the ability to control the system remotely via the Internet.  Very cool.  Will MyerEmco carry it?  Probably, once we are sure it works…

Not Ready for Prime Time, but Promising

Life/Ware

Imagine a PC-based home control system and you can probably predict the pluses and the minuses.  Life/Ware is amazing.  It is software written for Windows Media PC’s that allows you to create a home network for home entertainment (including the distribution of full high definition images throughout your home), security, climate control, lighting, etc.  The potential of this system is staggering enough that we have opened a dialogue with them.  Interface with high definition cable or satellite boxes has not been done yet, so I would recommend waiting on this one.  Also, you have to ask yourself, would I trust my home to Windows?  In the end, you may have to…

Here are my picks for the five best Rock and Roll Concert DVD’s of all time.  I am biased more toward modern releases, because of their superior production values, and also because I have a short memory.  These are in no particular order.  If you have followed this blog at all, you know I have, uh, unpredictable tastes, so be warned:

Led Zeppelin.  Two DVD’s that chronicle the live exploits of probably the greatest band of all time.  I was fortunate to see them when I was in high school in 1975.  All the immodest musicianship, wacky excess, startling creativity, energy and power.  We’ll never see this again.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Live at Slane Castle.”  As wonderful a live performance as you’ll hear (and see).  The interplay of the 3 musicians is a joy to behold, particularly the wonderfully inventive guitarist John Frusciante.  An outdoor concert, filmed beautifully in widescreen. 

Jimi Hendrix, “Jimi Plays Monterey.”  The finest rock guitarist who ever lived at the peak of his powers.  Decent sound and you get Otis Redding thrown in for free.

Nine Inch Nails, “And All That Could Have Been.”  Please don’t buy this.  Bad words.  Scary makeup.  Lots of water flying everywhere.  But I had to put it on my list because it is the most visually and sonically compelling music DVD I have ever heard.  I’ve recommended it to several friends and they are shocked that I like this band (I see more live classical music than anything else).  The open-minded ones have taken me up on this recommendation and they have thanked me. Best to be in a bad mood when you watch this…

Prince, “Purple Rain (20th Anniversary Edition)”  This movie defines the 80’s for me.  This is not strictly a concert DVD, as there is a “story” connecting the concert footage.  And the concert footage isn’t even real, it’s lip-synched.  But the songs are great and the filmmaking captures the excitement of live rock music like few actual documentaries do. The beauty of DVD is that you can skip the plot and go straight to each performance. 

Cool Hardware

Yamaha YSP-1000 Digital Sound Projector.  There are no more excuses not to get a home theater sound system for your flat panel TV. Not when Yamaha has produced this complete home theater solution in one sleek, elegant package.  The YSP-1000 contains a sophisticated surround sound processor/amplifier and all the channels of a surround system in one sleek box, designed to hang under your flat panel TV.  Yamaha’s multiplexing technology is too involved to explain here, but suffice it to say that you will hear complete surround sound from this one box.  If you’re skeptical (and I definitely was), stop by and we’ll show you.

Denon Dealer Show, Cleveland

Pioneer Elite PRO-FHD1.  It isn’t here yet, but I can’t resist mentioning it.  The Elite PRO-FHD1 is the new champ flat panel TV, and it unseats my previous favorite (the Sony Qualia 005, reviewed by me in the 5/16 entry) as the finest picture quality I have ever seen.  This is the first truly 1080p plasma HDTV I have seen, meaning it is double the resolution needed to display HDTV.  When I first saw it at CES in Las Vegas this past January, I was impressed.  But it isn’t that hard to create a one-off product that is impressive.  My joke is that the products you see at CES are built by elves and have little or nothing to do with the production models that eventually arrive at our stores.  But I saw a production version of this TV at the Pioneer dealer show in California last month, and it was even better than what I saw in January.  And remember that Blu-Ray (the high definition DVD format coming in a few months) requires a true 1080p monitor to be displayed to its full resolution.  We expect the first shipment of these TV’s at the end of this month.  I can’t wait.

Today’s Cool Software

“Batman Begins.”  Well, I don’t usually recommend this type of semi-mindless action fare, but I must say that this is a wonderful demo.  Not only does it show the power and impact of a great home theater experience, but the soundtrack shows great subtlety as well.  To quote Chris Kirchoff, one of our company’s Project Managers, “Audio-wise, the disc includes a very good English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix. The soundstage is big and wide, with excellent panning, lively use of the rear channels for both directional and atmospheric effects, and fairly tight but natural imaging. LFE (bass) reinforcement is good as well, kicking in nicely when, for example, the Tumbler’s afterburners fire to escape Gotham’s finest.”  Well said, Chris!

Plasma or LCD?

I am about to head to my monthly home theater seminar and demonstration (this one is at our Bowie location, but I move them around from store to store), and it brought to my mind the question I am most commonly asked at these events:  “I know I want a flat panel TV, but I am not sure if I want a plasma or an LCD set.  Which one should I get?”

I have been in our industry 19 years and I can say that nothing has generated more excitement with the general public in that time than flat panel TV’s.  I can also say that nothing has generated more confusion and misinformation.  Friends, family and passing acquaintances approach me every day with excitement and questions about these cool products.  Even the most jaded sales associates (I have a few of those…) get energized by this category of products.

Before we get into flat panel TV Types, you first need to decide whether a flat panel TV is right for you.  Your most important decision is the choice to get a flat panel TV rather than a microdisplay (DLP, LCD, SXRD) rear projection TV.  Depending on the application (particularly a wall unit), you may find that a rear projection TV suits your needs better than a flat panel.  They are also significantly less expensive at the same screen size.  Ah, but if that flat panel muse is serenading you, than your next question is…what?

People think the critical question is plasma versus LCD, but I would say that you would be much better off deferring that question until you arrive at the store to view these sets in action.  The reality is that you will most likely be choosing your TV based on picture quality, your size needs, your budget and the visual appearance of the TV itself.  The question of plasma versus LCD only enters these questions tangentially, although there are some important things worth knowing about the two technologies.

It used to be simple.  If you wanted a small flat panel TV (8-30” measured diagonally), you got an LCD TV.  If you wanted a bigger set (42” and larger), you chose a plasma TV.  But everything changed when the LCD manufacturers figured out how to make larger panels.  In the small sizes, the choice remains clear:  LCD is all there is.  But in the larger sizes, you might consider an LCD panel versus the previously dominant plasma TV’s.

What are the advantages of plasma versus LCD flat panels?  Plasma TV’s have outstandingly vivid color presentation, and things that are supposed to be black actually look black, instead of gray or charcoal.  This is particularly beneficial when watching movies.  In this, they are superior to LCD TV’s. 

But a disadvantage of plasma TV’s is that they are subject to “burn-in,” where a ghostly replica of something that has been left on the screen too long appears even after you change the channel.  The typical example of this is watching CNN for several hours, then seeing a slight reminder of the CNN logo when you switch the channel.  But, in all the time that we have been involved in selling flat panel TV’s, I can count on one hand the number of times this has been an issue.  I think burn-in is overrated as a concern, as long as you use common sense when enjoying your TV, especially in the first 100 hours, which is when the set is most susceptible,  The exception to this is gaming,  If you plan to connect a game such as Xbox or PlayStation to your TV, I recommend getting an LCD flat panel set, since they are not subject to burn-in.

I would say that image definition and color clarity is also excellent on LCD TV’s, and the theoretical lifespan of these sets is longer.  Add to that the fact that burn-in is not a concern, and one can see why LCD is such a fast-growing flat panel category.

But, in the end, I really feel we have a “pick em” situation here.  Both types of TV deliver excellent picture quality with all sources, both in terms of image realism and ability to accurately depict motion.  The connectivity is the same, as are all the general operating characteristics.  The big decision is to get a flat panel HDTV in the first place.  Neither type of panel disappoints.  In the end, you will probably do what 2/3 of our customers do:  get the set that looks the coolest when it’s turned off…!

Denon AVR-2807 Home Theater Receiver.  I was absolutely blown away when I saw a pre-production version of this 110 watt X 7 receiver at CES this past January.  At $1100, it’s hard to call it a bargain, but it does things never before seen at this price.  The connectivity is outstanding, in fact unprecedented for its class.  All inputs (including legacy analog) upconvert to a pristine HDMI output with up to a 1080p (double that of HDTV) resolution, so you can use the receiver to switch any A/V source easily.  Multi-source multi-zone capability for up to three zones with custom installation control features make this a good centerpiece for a whole house music system.  Denon has left nothing out, from iPod connectivity, to XM satellite radio, to their vaunted “Audyssey” room EQ system, that ensures the receiver performs at its best regardless of seating position in your home theater.  Most importantly, the receiver sounds great when matched even to high-end home theater speakers.

Today’s Cool Software

Yo-Yo Ma, Bach’s Cello Suites.  Anyone with even a passing interest in classical music should own at least one recorded version of these monumental works. I saw Yo-Yo Ma play three of these at the Kennedy Center a few weeks ago, and was struck by the power of a single unaccompanied cello in an extremely large concert hall, and by the remarkable sense of complexity and counterpoint Bach creates with a single musical instrument.  Ma’s landmark recording of all six suites was re-released by Sony yesterday in their bargain “Great Performances” series.  Wonderful performance, and great sound, particularly for the early digital recording that it is.  Recommended without reservation. 

More Cool Software

Tool, “10,000 Days.”  Half the reason I am recommending this is that it looks so funny coming after the cello suites.  But I also love this “prog-metal” band that releases a new disc only every so often.  Careful.  This is hard-edged stuff, and I’m told the lyrics reflect some weird ideas (though I can never even make them out!), but this is a wonderful disc.  Apparently, a few folks agree with me, since it debuted at number one in sales (until it was knocked off by the Red Hot Chili Peppers disc I recommended earlier).  This is not the metal of Black Sabbath or Judas Priest.  It is thoughtful, even atmospheric, and always dark.  And a wonderful recording.

5 Ways to Maximize Enjoyment of Your iPod

Have you taken the plunge into the wonderful world of Apple’s iPod?  If you haven’t, and you like music, I’ll bet you will, and soon.  The iPod has changed the way literally millions listen to music.

I am often asked if the ascendance of the iPod is a negative development for A/V specialty dealers like MyerEmco AudioVideo, most recently on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”  (See the article here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5375728) Nothing could be further from the truth.  I am thrilled about the ascendance of the iPod and other digital music players, because they reinforce everyone’s interest and excitement about music.  And when people are excited about content, they are more apt to come into stores where they can learn more about enjoying it. 

But, if you do have an iPod, have you fully maximized your enjoyment of it?  Here are a few tips:

1. Rip your music at a high bit rate.  The default bit rate for importing CD’s into iTunes is a paltry 128 kbs.  I find the sound quality sorely lacking at that high level of compression.  Too much of what makes music special is lost when the pristine sound on your CD is reduced by that much.  It’s easy to remedy this.  Just go into iTunes and choose “Edit,” then “Preferences…” Then choose the “Advanced” Tab and the “Importing” Tab that you see below that.  Select the drop-down box marked “Setting,” then choose “Custom.”  Choose the highest bit rate, which is 320 kbs.  You will thank me.  Your music will sound dramatically better, especially when you play it through sources like the Denon receiver described above.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about (and don’t care to know!), you might also consider using the CD importing service we offer from Riptopia.  They rip all your CD’s for you at the bit rate you designate.
2.  Integrate your iPod into your home stereo system or home theater.  IPods are at their best when plugged into full range high quality sound systems.  There are various levels of integration available.  The most simple is to use the audio output available via the standard iPod dock and plug your iPod into your stereo system or home theater, using a cable that has a radio plug on one end and two stereo (RCA) connectors on the other.  Then, just plug into any available input on your receiver.  But the best choice for this is to use a receiver or system with a dedicated iPod control input.  In that scenario you can control the iPod via your receiver’s remote control, and view track, album and artist info on your TV screen.  Very cool.
3.  Integrate your iPod into your car.  You may never turn on your car’s radio again once you have access to all your favorite content on your car’s sound system.  Several auto manufacturers offer iPod solutions that are designed into the car. If you did not choose that option when you purchased your car, there are many options now being offered by the aftermarket.  The most basic solution is an FM modulator that allows you to hear your iPod over a radio frequency on your car radio.  The more advanced solutions are preferable, especially in radio-rich DC, where you may run into interference as you travel.  Via our mobile electronics division, we offer several options for iPod connectivity to car radios that offer great sound and control of your iPod.
4. Download videos, podcasts and books.  There is incredibly rich and diverse content available for the iPod that goes far beyond just music.  A lot of folks don’t realize that audiobooks are available for use on your iPod or other MP3 player.  I use www.audible.com and prefer unabridged books.  Rather than carrying around 15 or 20 CD’s or cassette tapes (remember those…?), I load several books onto a single iPod.  Podcasts are generally free and available right through iTunes.  They are news stories or other items of interest that are often available daily from a variety of sources.  Lastly, if you have a video iPod, give one of those $1.98 video downloads a shot.  Watching an episode of “Desperate Housewives” in my dentist’s waiting room is definitely preferable to reading a two-year-old magazine.
5. Upgrade the earbuds that came with your iPod.  The earbuds that came in the box with the millions of iPods out there have surprisingly poor sound quality, in my opinion.  Better solutions start as low as $30 and go as high as $300 (!), but my current favorites are the Sony MDREX71SL’s that go for $49.95.  Best of all, they are stealthy, so no one on the street or in the subway will realize you have an iPod on you.  Better safe than sorry.

Sonos Digital Music System.  Here is a great solution for folks who have an iPod (or other portable MP3 player), and have therefore burned all their favorite music to a computer hard drive in order to load it to their iPod, but would also like to enjoy that music library through their existing home theater or audio system.  The Sonos system directly accesses your computer’s hard drive via a network connection and allows you to play all your digital music files through any stereo system or home theater.  And because the Sonos is multi-zone capable, you can enjoy that music anywhere in your house  The Sonos system is that rare bird:  a high-tech cutting edge product that isn’t quirky or fussy to operate.  The slick 2 –way remote control displays album track and artist info, plus cover art.  It allows you to create your own playlists to suit every mood or situation, or just listen to your favorite Internet radio station.  Very cool, operates just as described, and setup is (reasonably) straightforward.  You can do it yourself or have your favorite pros (like us!) come out and set it up for you.  The $999 ZP80 Bundle includes the capacity for 2 music zones.

Today’s Cool Software The NBA Playoffs on ESPN-HD.  Of all the sports you can watch in high definition, I think my favorite is basketball.  Yes, the NFL is spectacular in high-def, but watching basketball in high definition is a qualitatively different experience than watching it on a regular TV.  The sheer athleticism of the players is astounding to experience, and high definition brings it to you with an immediacy that is comparable to sitting courtside in the arena.  And this year’s playoffs are particularly entertaining, with the running Suns playing the excellent Mavericks, and the old-school Heat playing the rough-and-tumble Pistons.  The NBA is certainly “back,” in my book, and even better in HD.

Pioneer Debuts Exciting New Technologies at their Dealer ShowOur VP Merchandising, Dave Glassman, and I always look forward to seeing what Pioneer has “up their sleeve” in the coming year, so we were eagerly anticipating this year’s dealer show in Anaheim.  After all, Pioneer has been a wonderful partner to MyerEmco, and their Elite-branded plasma flat panel displays and DVD players are widely thought to be the finest on the planet. Pioneer debuted their 7th generation of plasma displays at this event and though the changes are evolutionary, the bar definitely continues to be raised.  The panels looked outstanding at this event, brighter yet with improved black levels, and beautiful, truer and more vivid colors.  And connectivity has improved greatly, with better options and no need to for a separate media box.Pioneer also debuted the industry’s first 1080p plasma display (see my explanation of 1080p in my last blog entry).  To my eye, it actually unseats the Sony 46” Qualia LCD panel as the finest HDTV display I have ever experienced.  I can’t wait to see the production model, which I will certainly review in a future blog entry.  At $10,000, it needs to be the best!!

The Pioneer Blu-Ray high definition DVD player will ship in September at a retail of $1499.  We experienced Blu-Ray just a couple of days after experiencing the rival HD-DVD format at the Toshiba event earlier that same week (yes, we traveled a lot this month!).  I can tell you that my initial belief that the Blu-Ray format is superior was reinforced at this event.  The 1080p Pioneer Blu-Ray player outputting into a 1080p Pioneer plasma display was an absolutely astonishingly good picture.  But HD-DVD is excellent as well, and it’s here now and only $500.  It looks like Samsung (June) and Sony (August) will be the first to market with this exciting new technology, and you can bet they will be in our stores.

These are exciting times in the world of HDTV…

Today’s Cool Hardware
Toshiba HD-DVD.  It’s here and it is spectacular.  High definition DVD is living up to all its hype.  I would definitely recommend a visit to one of our stores to see it for yourself,  And the Toshiba player is a lot less expensive than we usually see first generation CE products upon their debut.  At $500, it’s not that difficult of a proposition to be the first person on your block with this awesome new technology.  Please be aware that, at this writing, only 4 movies are available, but Toshiba promises that many more are on the way.

Today’s Cool Software

“The Sopranos” in high definition on HBO-HD.  Hey, it’s my blog, so I get to stick in plugs for all my favorite stuff, right?  Anyway, I must say I anticipate each new episode of this series keenly anyway, but seeing it in high definition absolutely takes the cake.  It’s worth subscribing to HBO just for this.  Warning: some bad language, graphic depictions of violence and a bit of nudity.  Definitely not for kids.

Toshiba Dealer Meeting, Bonita Springs, Florida

Greetings from not-so-sunny Bonita Springs, Florida.  After Dave Glassman, our VP Merchandising, and I got off the plane and met our car, the driver cheerfully informed us that today was the start of their “rainy season.”  Judging from the non-stop rain we experienced from the moment we got off the plane to the moment (less than 18 hours later) we boarded our return flight (after a 3 hour delay!), I think he called it correctly.

But, no matter.  We didn’t go to Florida to enjoy the sun and surf.  We are here as guests of Toshiba to learn their product plan for the next 12 months.

Not every one of our vendors presents their products at a dedicated event like this one, but many of the larger ones do.  It’s a great way for us to learn what cool products and technologies will rule the roost for the coming year, and to plan accordingly.  This is one of the critical tools we have to stay abreast of industry technological trends, to be sure we are on top of every cutting-edge technology we want to bring to our town.

Toshiba kicked off the event with a marketing presentation, and we learned some interesting statistics.  For example, old-fashioned cathode-ray tube (CRT) TV’s (including high definition ones) declined in sales last year by a staggering 36%.  The decline in 2006 is predicted to be even more precipitous, in the 50% plus neighborhood!  At MyerEmco AudioVideo, we discontinued our last CRT products last year; but I am still surprised at how quickly they are going away everywhere.  Toshiba actually remains a full-line CRT supplier, so they feel these reports of that category’s demise are exaggerated.  We’ll see…

Flat panel TV’s continue to be the driving force for the entire home entertainment industry.  They are growing at an incredibly rapid pace, and that pace is actually expected to accelerate over the next 3 years.  One interesting development (that we have noticed as well) involves the cost difference between plasma and LCD panels.  One knock on LCD panels has been that, inch for inch, these panels are typically 10-15% more expensive than plasma TV’s.  Many folks have been willing to live with that difference for various reasons, and they have purchased LCD TV’s, but the cost difference has clearly held LCD back.  Toshiba is “agnostic” on this issue.  They make both plasma and LCD TV’s, and don’t tend to favor either format.  But they do predict that the cost difference will disappear between plasma and LCD’s over time, as LCD sales increase (other than at the very largest screen sizes).

Just as we are, Toshiba is very bullish on the 1080p format.  The HDTV standard requires a display resolution of either 1080i (I for interlaced-scanned) or 720p (P for progressively-scanned).  I won’t go into a detailed explanation here of the difference between interlaced and progressive scanning (please join me for one of my Saturday afternoon seminars for more on this topic), but suffice it to say that interlaced scanning only shows half of the image at any given instant, hence the higher number needed for high definition.  Progressive scanning displays the entire image at all times.Rather than 1080i, we are seeing 1080p display resolution in more and more high quality TVs, regardless of format.  But remember that 1080p is actually double the resolution of the 1080i HDTV standard.  Why would anyone need that? Well, you will benefit from 1080p resolution on your TV for 2 reasons:   

XM Satellite Radio is being sued by the RIAA, claiming millions in damages.  The suit is based on the claim that the company is infringing on the record companies’ copyrights of music recordings with XM’s latest high-tech devices.

The newest products (really cool portable satellite receivers from Samsung and Pioneer that MyerEmco AudioVideo has been planning to carry) are able to record songs off of XM’s satellite broadcasts for use within those devices only.  In other words, the recording files cannot be downloaded to a PC or used in any other way once recorded.  They only allow you to “time-shift” the songs for later use within the unit itself, as we currently do with our VCR’s and Tivo’s.  The very reason the device was designed this way was to protect the interests of the record companies and recording artists!

The ramifications of this suit are huge for all of us, and I am concerned both personally and professionally.  Time-shifting of music and video content for our own personal use is one of the cornerstones of the many cool CE products we currently enjoy.  Our rights to do this have been protected since these products first hit the marketplace, beginning with the landmark Sony Betamax Supreme Court decision that allowed for time-shifting of video content via a VCR.

XM Satellite Radio is a local DC company, great people whom we know very well.  They have been visionary innovators from the beginning, with great content and forward-looking products.  Thanks to them, we have a great variety of programming available to us wherever we go, and they have given the terrestrial (AM/FM) radio folks a much-needed wake-up call.

Perhaps we don’t need to worry so much about this.  According to Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) (full disclosure:  I serve on their Executive Board), “Given that recording off of radio has long been recognized by Congress, audio recording device makers pay the music industry a royalty for every product sold, and the devices are already clearly limited in how they can be built by statute we negotiated long ago (no digital copies of copies can be made), I believe that the suit is a long shot.”

For more information, check out the front page of yesterday’s Washington Post business section, or www.washingtonpost.com. 

I’ll keep you posted on further developments on what may turn out to be a landmark case…

Today’s Cool Hardware

Sony Qualia 005 46” LCD HDTV (above). This 1080p LCD flat panel TV is quite simply the finest production TV of any type that I have ever seen. The Qualia 005 is a product of the high profile joint venture between Sony and Samsung to create a state-of-the-art flat panel LCD factory in Korea. Judging from this TV, mission accomplished. Sony has not only met, but advanced the state-of-the-art with this panel. Looking at its display is almost a sensual experience. It has such depth, resolution and natural black level, you almost feel like you can dive into it. And, unlike many high-end displays (especially flat panels!), it is very forgiving of less than perfect content. I have seen this TV display analog cable and even videotape with more than acceptable results. But, of course, where the Qualia 005 really shines is with the best content. HDTV content looks absolutely transcendent on this TV. I’m not typically a person who watches boring content just to enjoy the image quality, but I can even enjoy the semi-catatonic “Sunrise: Earth” on Discovery HD for, well, minutes…

Sadly, it is in priced in the “if you have to ask” category of $8999, but perhaps you’d feel better if you knew that it debuted at $15,000, but also that it’s worth every penny.

Today’s Cool Software

Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Stadium Arcadium.” So many of the folks I meet in my age (48) group are completely disengaged with what is going on in popular music today. It’s a shame. Just like 30 years ago, there’s a lot of great stuff out there if you’re willing to take a look. By no means are the RHCP “new school” (they’ve actually been going since the mid-80’s), but they seem to improve with each passing year and are the best link out there between “old school” and “new school.” This newest double-CD set absolutely shimmers with good songs and terrific musicianship. I could have seen myself enjoying this in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s as much as today. What it is it about producer Rick Rubin that allows him to get the most out of acts as divergent as the RHCP, System of a Down, and Shakira? Not sure, but I sure hope he keeps it up. This is a wonderful disc.

PARA Conference Report It’s probably fitting that my first blog entry comes to you from the 2006 PARA Conference.

PARA is the Professional Audio/Video Retailers Association and it’s a division of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). In case you don’t know who CEA is, they are the largest trade association representing the consumer electronics industry. In fact, they are one of the largest trade associations of any type in the U.S. CEA is probably most famous for putting on the country’s largest trade show, International CES, in Las Vegas every January; but they do all kinds of other valuable things for our industry, including putting on numerous other industry events and conferences, participating in government affairs related to the CE industry, and doing market research in our field as well.

I’m Chair of the PARA Division of CEA, and PARA is the national organization that stores like MyerEmco AudioVideo join. If you’ve lived in the DC area all your life, you may never have seen a store quite like MyerEmco; since, in our town, we’re unique. But nearly every city and larger town has a few stores something like us.

And every year, we all gather at a single place (thankfully, usually a nice resort!), to discuss the issues and challenges that affect our world. We compare business strategies, learning how to serve our towns better and how to provide better service to our customers. Mostly, we work to remain vital and relevant in the ever-changing technological landscape in which we operate.

One thing I always do at the PARA Conference is remember my roots. I’ve been with MyerEmco 18 years now (!), and doing this as long as I have, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture, which is who we are and what we are trying to do.

Now this blog is intended for anyone who is interested in the consumer electronics/home entertainment industry; so, don’t worry. I’m not typically going to get into the nuts and bolts of operating a retail chain. But maybe there’s a little value in defining where our (relatively) little company fits into the electronics world. You decide.

So who is MyerEmco AudioVideo and why are we here?

Well, we are a family-owned business that has served our town for over 50 years. I have served under our CEO and principal owner, Jon Myer, the entire time I’ve been here. And we are an Audio/Video Specialty Store. What does that mean, circa 2006?