Ex-Sony, Pioneer Exec Mike Fidler Returns to CEDIA with Audio Solution for Flat-Panel TVs
Former Sony and Pioneer exec Mike Fidler is returning to CEDIA in Indianapolis this week as chief marketing officer of In2Technologies, a manufacturer of an integrated sound system for flat-panel TVs. Fidler, who stepped down as CEO of DVR maker Digeo in 2008, is joined by Todd Beauchamp, president, formerly with Apple and Carver, the company said. In2 will be showing offsite at the Canterbury Hotel, by appointment only, the Unity audio system, which combines a three-piece stand with HDMI, subwoofer, audio system and a slot-loading disc player in the base, according to the invitation for a private viewing. Calling the Unity a “new category,” In2 said it’s designed to boost attach rates for audio after a TV sale, by “refining into a single buying decision the many steps usually needed to select components, a TV rack and speakers.” It’s designed to hold flat-panel TVs up to 60 inches, a company spokesperson told us.
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Audio Solutions sees a similar opportunity in supplemental audio. The company will show the Audio Mount, a 2.1-channel TV mount that accommodates 32-55-inch TVs. Two bar-shaped speakers flank the mount, each packing a tweeter, two 2.5-inch midrange drivers and a flat 6.5-inch sub, according to the company. The mount incorporates a line-in jack, optical and coaxial inputs and an IR sensor, the company said.
In connectivity solutions, Transformative Engineering will launch AV distribution solutions based on HDBaseT technology. According to the company, the HD-1 HDMI extender is the first product to use simultaneous Audio Return Channel (ARC) and Home Ethernet Connection (HEC), which allow audio signals to be sent from a TV to an AV receiver while maintaining a home Internet connection over one HDMI cable. The new models also support Power Over HDBaseT (POH), eliminating the need for separate power supplies at the receiver module. It also allows ancillary equipment to be powered remotely, the company said. Elsewhere, the Wipnet in-wall Internet over coax wired networking module from Wi3 will be shown in four booths: CEDIA, MoCA, ADI and TiVo, the company said.
Loudspeaker introductions at CEDIA will include MartinLogan’s EFX hybrid electrostatic on-wall speaker, its slimmest on-wall speaker to date, the company said. The speaker panel is housed in a ridged extruded billet and aluminum alloy frame that make the panels rigid while maximizing playable surface area in a dipole design, the company said.
TV maker Seura hinted at new product introductions last week including a stainless steel-wrapped TV in its Hydra line of waterproof TVs. The company will also show new lighting designs in mirror TVs and announce partnerships and new frame collections, it said.
Among control companies, Savant announced Friday it’s launching its first energy management products. The model SEM-1024 energy monitor measures electricity usage and production in real-time and can deliver historical usage data from multiple energy management devices, the company said. The monitor can help homeowners cut energy costs by monitoring how and when specific devices draw power -- including during peak pricing or load periods -- with a system-wide view of total energy consumption showing cause-and-effect scenarios, the company said.
Elk Systems will show a new Z-Wave pathway product that interfaces with Z-Wave-certified wireless locks from Kwikset and Schlage, the company said. It will also demonstrate an interface to Lutron’s RadioRA 2 Total Control system, enabling Elk’s M1 new control keypad to manage lighting, shades and scenes in a home.
CEDIA’s FutureTech Pavilion is being sponsored by GrandCare Systems, which is launching a tablet at the show. The company provides healthcare solutions for the aging, including monitoring of exits, appliances, medical levels, sleeping and eating patterns and indoor temperature and lighting. Additional features include Web chat via Skype, medication management, wandering detection, email and brain games, the company said.