With the COVID-19 pandemic bringing about a renaissance in residential audiovisual solutions, the term “resimercial” may be more important now than ever to commercial integration firms.

On Sept. 1–3, audiovisual professionals will gather in Indianapolis, IN, for the 2021 CEDIA Expo–the first major in-person AV trade show in over 18 months. Event organizers plan to bring more than 10,000 home technology design and construction attendees together with 300+ exhibitors at one of the first in-person events in 2021 supporting the technology sector.

“We’re all eager to connect again on a human level and get back to face-to-face events as we celebrate everything we value as a community,” said Jason McGraw, Emerald Group vice president, CEDIA Expo and KBIS.

To increase the resimercial emphasis at CEDIA, event organizers have added the Innovation Hub, which will review data from research on cross-over and resimercial shifts. The Innovation Hub gives brands that have had success penetrating new market segments the opportunity to share insights and strategy.

[ CEDIA Expands Education Initiatives at 2021 Expo ] 

Additionally, UC and collaboration association IMCCA will assist CEDIA Expo with the development, organization, and moderation of content session discussions on unified communications and work-from-home topics.

Resimercial Innovations at CEDIA Expo 2021

Ahead of the show, manufacturers gave us a sneak peek at the resimercial products they’ll be demonstrating on the show floor.

Crestron Home Audio Conferencing System

Home offices remain viable alternatives to the corporate office as long as they have the appropriate technology infrastructure to re-create the office experience. The Crestron UC-MM30-R tabletop conference device is designed to be a perfect solution for such home office applications. The system pairs an enterprise-grade speakerphone, 7-inch touchscreen, and single-wire installation with native Crestron Home integration to provide a convenient conferencing and whole-house control companion in a sleek form factor.

Crestron: Booth #3600

Draper Acumen Recharge

Acumen Recharge is a wireless wall-mounted projection screen engineered to meet the demands of heavy use, yet still look elegant in modern interiors. The smooth, curved aluminum fascia fits in with any design aesthetic. The screen’s motor is powered by a lithium ion battery that runs for about 500 cycles before needing to be recharged. Tensioned and non-tensioned versions can also be PoE and can integrate into home control systems. Draper Acumen is backed by a seven-year warranty.

Draper: Booth #2212

[ CEDIA Expo 2021 Launches Innovation Hub ]

Middle Atlantic C3

Middle Atlantic continues to enhance the C3 series credenza with a wide variety of available finishes to match surrounding décor. High-pressure laminate (HPL) is a durable material used on many furniture products that has a dimensional behavior similar to wood, meaning it will expand and contract with humidity. HPL is recommended for any application in which durability and impact resistance are concerns, may be used for both vertical and horizontal surfaces. All of the HPL colors available from Middle Atlantic are from the design portfolio of leading HPL manufacturers.

Middle Atlantic: Booth #5347

Netgear M4250 AV Line of Network Switches

Built from the ground up for 1G AV over IP, the Netgear M4250 switches simplify multicast audio and video deployments. A new AV-centric user interface enables speedy configuration changes. Models with PoE+ and Ultra 90 PoE++ allow powering of AV endpoints and other devices. They are built with Netgear IGMP Plus, Auto-LAG, and Auto-Trunk for true out-of-the-box functionality, even with multiple switches. These switches come with a limited lifetime warranty and access to the company’s Pro AV Engineering Services team.

Netgear: Booth #5000

Planar DirectLight Ultra Series

Planar DirectLight Ultra Series LED video wall displays offer always-on, high-performance, high-resolution display experiences with pixel pitches ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 mm for mission-critical and resolution-dependent applications. It presents several display technology advancements that, in combination, deliver big performance. Planar DirectLight Ultra Series features models with microLEDs, off-board power supply, proprietary alignment technology, and the Planar WallDirector Video Controller (VC), with its corresponding video wall management software.

Planar: Booth #5044

Stealth Acoustics StingRay Speaker

The StingRay speaker family is completely sealed, with no exposed grilles or drivers to corrode or break down. The SR6, SR8, or SR430 speakers are at home in nearly any outdoor environment where durability and high performance are required. Outdoor speakers in the StingRay line are available in matte black and matte white, or they can be special ordered and custom painted to match any décor.

Stealth Acoustics: Booth #3353

SurgeX UPS + Isolation Transformer

The SurgeX UPS + Isolation Transformer is a complete power management solution featuring continuous power supply, line interactive technology, and power conditioning. Available in three models, the compact solution brings all the benefits of a large-format UPS to the rack, combined with a low-impedance isolation transformer to constantly filter and condition power. The device prevents electrical noise from affecting performance, delivering clean power to the source and stopping harmful harmonics from reaching sensitive loads.

SurgeX: Booth #4149

Leon Speakers Terra LuminSound TrLs50

Audio adds ambiance to walkways, patios, entrances, and other outdoor areas of commercial environments including restaurants, hotels, and recreational facilities. Lighting also enhances the atmosphere. The handcrafted Terra LuminSound TrLs50 speaker from Leon Speakers combines the two features in one stylish device. Available in six designer colors and with a ring of LED lighting around its perimeter, the slender, 13-inch tall, IP67-rated aluminum speaker cabinet blends in with a variety of regional landscapes.

Leon Speakers: Booth #4344

Vanco Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable

Whether on a lobby video wall or home theater screen, content is king. Vanco’s Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables support resolutions of up to 8K @ 60 Hz and 4K @ 120 Hz with a 4:4:4 bit depth and both static and dynamic HDR formats. With features supporting widescreen 21:9 aspect ratios; VRR, ALLM, and QFT for next-gen gaming; and multiple immersive audio formats, Vanco’s Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables can deliver the content for any cutting-edge video application, according to the company.

Vanco: Booth #1407

Sony PL-GTZ380 Projector

Come by the Sony booth at CEDIA to experience the new VPL-GTZ380 projector with native 4K image expression like you’ve never seen before. Powered by the X1 Ultimate processor for projectors, a super-high-contrast 10,000-lumen Z-Phosphor laser light source, and DCI-P3 wide color space, this projector can make your clients’ ultimate home theater vision a reality.

Sony: Booth #2800

Register for CEDIA Expo 2021

Read more stories from the August 2021 issue of SCN.

The What:  SurgeX has debuted its new family of UPS solutions with built-in Isolation Transformers ahead of CEDIA Expo Virtual 2020. Built to combine line interactive technology and a continuous power supply solution with power conditioning, the UPS + Isolation Transformers create a complete power management solution for any installation. 

The What Else: Available in three models—UPS-1440-Li-ISO, UPS-2200-Li-ISO, and UPS-3000-Li-ISO—to suit various power environments, the cost-effective solutions bring all the benefits of a low-impedance isolation transformer to the rack, coupled with a true sine wave line interactive UPS to filter, condition, and stabilize power.

An isolation transformer is designed to eliminate neutral-ground voltage, reducing lockups and downtime for sensitive electronic systems and AV equipment. With these new UPS + Isolation Transformers, a new neutral-ground bond is established at the rack, rather than at the main breaker panel, to ensure clean power is supplied to connected electronic equipment. The UPSs prevent high-frequency electrical noise and voltage from affecting performance and deliver clean, fully conditioned power free of harmonics and common mode noise to guarantee optimal performance and reliability, according to the company.

The Bottom Line: Each UPS + Isolation Transformer is suitable for both residential and commercial applications with the flexibility and strength to manage environments from 1440VA to 2760VA. All three models are available now.

During the fall and winter months each year, the industry starts reflecting on growth, trends, and challenges to prepare for success in the year to come. But this year is different than most, as we enter a new decade that will bring a changing landscape of technologies and opportunities.

Offices, conference spaces, schools, and other environments are more connected than ever before. Millennials are driving the growth of the huddle room, and as companies seek more efficient communications, the market for video walls and collaborative displays is growing. Demand for communications, display, and automation systems to improve work processes means opportunities for dealers to grow their businesses. Whether updating existing installations with upgraded display equipment or offering huddle space systems to new customers, the stakes for system management and performance are rising for dealers. Customer satisfaction can make or break a dealer’s reputation.

[AV Goes Green]

A strong foundation is necessary to make the business, conference room, theater, and security systems reliable and able to perform to customer expectations. Power quality needs the same attention as the network. While power is a constant—save for weather-related outages—it fluctuates. Brown-outs, which cause lights to dim and appliances to shut down, are a familiar though somewhat rare disturbance; electrical sags, surges, spikes, and noise, however, are common and daily threats to equipment and systems. They aren’t often apparent, and can have a number of causes: incoming power from the grid, a neighboring building, a large appliance power cycling, or even a renewable energy source. Common effects of power anomalies include frequent system downtime, device lockup, or complete equipment breakdown.

When power anomalies hit a system, the problems quickly trickle from devices to dealers. Power issues can be wrongly attributed to faulty equipment that isn’t, in fact, faulty, or worse: the dealer, their installation skills, and their reputation. Without proactively addressing the power quality in installations, dealers risk incurring costs—including product replacement and truck rolls to address system downtime—as well as potential loss of business and damage to their reputation. To stay ahead of power problems and their effects, dealers can use a two-pronged approach: get clients on board and choose the right technology for a power foundation.

For clients who are hesitant about adding a power foundation, a simple analysis can prime clients and the installation site for success. A diagnostic tool like the SurgeX enVision, for example, helps dealers prove and find power anomalies. Plugged into any outlet, it tracks the conditions by providing time-stamped reports and analysis. If a customer is skeptical of their need for a power foundation, a simple report shows the spikes, sags, and electrical noise that could threaten their technology investment and system experience. The reports also help dealers find the culprit for a troubled system. Power problems are often present in systems that need extra service, like those frequently requiring remote reboots or equipment that repeatedly needs service and replacement, like a speaker or projector.

[Getting in Front of the Power and Cable Management That’s Behind Every Installation]

For example, consider a case in which the automation system intended to start up a conference room projector continually goes offline, causing the customer to contact the integrator, who must visit the site multiple times. As a result, the expensive projector bulb has had to be replaced three times. While the integrator fixed the system each time, they couldn’t identify the source of the issue. After setting up a power diagnostic tool, the integrator found that unstable power was the reason for the downtime and product breakdown. Using the data, the integrator was able to prove to their client why the system wasn’t performing up to expectations. They could then select equipment that would create a proper power foundation to protect the installation from the harmful anomalies, and over time prove the value in that equipment by reduced downtime leading to service calls and equipment damage.

Using analysis, integrators can design the power foundation. The technology for protecting against power problems is universal, but the devices needed will vary from installation to installation. Small business and office projects may need only a power conditioner installed in the rack, and projects in areas at risk for frequent lightning storms like the South and Midwest may also call for a surge eliminator. No matter the type of installation, surge technology is critical to a successful foundation. Equipment and power strips bought at retailers contain inadequate Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV) technology that’s designed to be self-sacrificial: MOVs pop when they absorb the extra energy of a power surge and are destroyed. After a damaging surge, they lose their efficacy and will let harmful surge energy pass through to connected devices. A multi-stage technology ensures that the surge is completely eliminated instead of deterred, and that the equipment will protect systems and devices without a limited lifespan.

Implementing a plan for a power foundation does more than protect devices from breakdown and downtime. It prevents loss to a dealers’ credibility by removing power anomalies as an invisible variable that can impair the proper functioning of their work. Preventing problems safeguards the dealers’ relationship with their customers against the effects of power anomalies; in turn, customers benefit from having their technology investment protected. A power foundation is an all-win scenario, and a must-have on 2020 installation checklists.

The What: Io Audio Technologies has released a the KORE series of heavy duty cable protectors that safeguard audio, power, and industrial cables against damage from trucks, material handling equipment, and people.

The What Else: The cable protectors are a temporary solution for shielding cables in work zones or live event situations. The cable protectors have a multi-channel design that helps keep cables organized and separated into 2, 3, or 5 channels.

Bright yellow tops and caution symbols are visible to oncoming vehicle and foot traffic to warn of the ramp in the road or walkway. The KORE Series cable protectors have a skid resistant rough pattern that will also prevent people from slipping in wet conditions.

The Bottom Line: The rugged cable protectors are easy to setup and can accommodate cables up to 1½ inches in diameter. The ramps feature a single piece design with a top hinged lid for easy access, the KORE Series has a high impact resistance and dynamic load bearing properties of up to 8 tons.

With a puzzle piece design, interlocking the ramps is easy and requires no tools for assembly or breakdown.

Preventative measures help people protect themselves from future harm in many ways. Doctors can provide vaccinations against future illness, for example, and auto mechanics can perform regular maintenance to ensure that your car does not suffer a major breakdown. We recognize that spending a modest amount of time and money to perform preventative procedures can stop much larger problems and costs from occurring in the future.

Proactive measures can help to detect future problems that are currently hidden or uncertain, and would not be discovered without consistent preventative maintenance. Not only can proactive measures prevent early failure and future problems, they also help find and stop problems that would not have been known until they caused a catastrophe. This is just as true in business as it is in personal health and property maintenance, particularly when it comes to surge protection procedures.

However, businesses often see proactive measures as an unnecessary expenditure. If they believe the risk is low, they may see the cost of consistent maintenance or proactive, preventative measures as a problem for their bottom line. Having not experienced any problems in the past, they often believe that they may not need preventive action. Many businesses do not believe they need to protect their facilities from surges, in most cases because they operate in an area with little occurrence of lightning. Unfortunately, this can have catastrophic consequences.

It is important to understand that your business may be more at risk from surges than you believe. Some experts estimate that between 60 and 80 percent of all power surges are caused by events or problems within the same building as the electronic systems they are affecting. These experts point out that within commercial buildings, there are usually many devices with powerful motors that switch on and off during a day, including elevators, refrigerators, pumps, and similar equipment. The truth is that surges can be the result of something as simple as your air conditioner cycling on or off. They can also be a result of electrical power plants connecting or disconnecting from the grid, which happens frequently as power needs change during the course of a day. The wear and tear from these frequent, smaller surges can degrade your devices over time, reducing their lifespan.

In addition to protecting your investments, proactive surge protection can act as any other preventative measure would—incurring a smaller cost initially (such as a surge protector sacrificing to prevent surge damage) to avoid the much larger expense of damaged or destroyed equipment. As surges are impossible to predict and can cause massive damage to any device on your power grid or IP network, it is an essential measure to reduce these risks. Considering a proactive approach to the protection for your devices can be a cost-effective measure that ensures your business can keep running even in the event of a damaging power surge.

This blog was originally published on ADI Global's Website: http://blog.adiglobal.us/how-proactive-surge-protection-keeps-your-business-running.