Earlier this month, I traveled from Manalapan to sunny San Diego to attend the CEDIA Expo. It’s the biggest trade show for home technology professionals. This is the place to be if you want to see the latest and greatest in home media and home automation technology, and the show did not disappoint! Several of the devices announced at the show piqued my interest, and now that I’m back in New Jersey, I wanted to share them with you.
Here’s a little bit about the CEDIA tech I thought would be interesting to you:
CONTROL4’S TRIAD ONE STREAMING AMP
At the show, Control4 unveiled a multi-room music solution through their audio brand, Triad. What’s interesting about Triad One is that it’s not your typical “all in one speaker set.’ Instead, it’s a top-quality amplifier that can turn any set of speakers into a cohesive system. The streaming amp can connect turntables, computers, speakers, and even your TV to your Control4 home automation system with ease.
You can cut down on music equipment and boost your speakers with 200 watts of pure amplification. And did I mention it’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa?
Control4 also expanded their music streaming integrations to include popular services like Spotify and iHeartRadio.
SAMSUNG THE FRAME TV
Samsung is blurring the lines between art and entertainment with their “The Frame” TV. After seeing it up close, I can confirm that it’s crystal clear in resolution. It uses the latest 4K Ultra HD technology.
But it’s not just the high-definition picture that makes this TV noteworthy in my mind. It’s that it gives you the quality visuals of 4K Ultra HD when you want to enjoy the latest show or movie, but when you DON’T want to watch TV, it still looks amazing.
The Frame TV comes with 100 different professional art pieces that appear on the screen when the TV is not in use. To anyone who doesn’t know any better, the room’s focal point is a tasteful piece of art, not a clunky television screen.
CONTROL4 WHEN/THEN ENGINE AND 4SIGHT
Anything that makes life easier on the home automation system owner is a good thing in my book, which is why I love that in Control4’s latest updates, homeowners can now quickly and easily make changes to their systems. While we’re still just one phone call away if you want to change something, you now have the option to change it yourself!
If you wanted, you could now set up your system with newly customized scenes or adjust existing scenes to better fit your day-to-day.
Another great recent addition to Control4’s feature set is 4Sight. It makes it easy for you to control your home while you’re away. From your smartphone or tablet, you can do things like disarm your security system for a visiting friend or turn on the television to entertain the kids – all without ever having to step foot in your home.
SONY 4K LASER PROJECTOR
CEDIA was chock full of 4K televisions and projectors, but one that stood out to me was Sony’s latest model. This is a high-end projector in every sense of the word. It’s compact, quiet, and has all the bells and whistles you’d want in a luxury home theater.
Looking at the projector at CEDIA, the thing I noticed first was how crisp and vibrant the colors were. Sony uses “Triluminos” display technology to achieve a broader color range than you would get with a standard projector.
Another reason to consider Sony for a home theater? They recently announced that they’re partnering with the movie server company Kaleidescape in order to bundle 4K HDR movies when you get a Sony projector.
I’m happy to talk more in-depth about these technologies or some of the other devices I was able to view at CEDIA. Use our live chat service or call me at (973) 707-5422.