CE Pro April 2022 - 36

OUTDOOR TECHNOLOGY
in combination with an outdoor
TV has grown rapidly,
with dealers noting that 37%
of their outdoor audio projects
included a soundbar.
The top outdoor audio
brands used, in order
according to respondents,
are: Sonance/James Loudspeaker,
Snap One/Episode,
Origin Acoustics/Ambisonic,
Coastal Source, Klipsch,
Sound United (Bowers &
Wilkins, Definitive Technology,
Polk Audio), Sonos,
Harman (JBL, Revel), Bose,
Paradigm, Leon Speakers,
Nice/Nortek (SpeakerCraft,
Niles), MSE Audio (Rockustics),
MartinLogan, SoundCast,
and Terra Speakers.
As noted earlier, the
deployment of networking
equipment for backyards
leapt up in the past year, with
54% of all exterior jobs including
network-related gear
such as wireless access points
and/or cell phone signal
boosters. Clearly, that jump is
due to the increase in Work
From Home and/or Learn
From Home situations stemming
from COVID-19 as the
need for strong connectivity
became vital for outdoors
just as much as indoors.
According to survey
respondents, the top brands
being used in outdoor networking/cell
phone signal
booster installations are
Snap One (Access Networks,
Araknis, Control4/Pakedge),
Legrand AV (Luxul),
Ubiquiti, Amazon (Eero),
Cisco/Meraki, Netgear,
Frequency Installing Waterproof
Remotes/GUIs
TP-Link, EnGenius, SureCall,
Wilson Electronics and
Nextivity (Cel-Fi.)
Security and video surveillance
remain a staple
of exterior projects, led by
video doorbells. More than
half of all outdoor projects in
2021 included the installaFrequency
Installing Outdoor
Surveillance Cameras
Seldom
11%
Very
Frequently
23%
Fairly Frequently
50%
Outdoor interfaces that can
withstand the weather are in much
higher demand than they were prepandemic.
Seldom
4%
Occasionally
15%
Very
Frequently
31%
Fairly
Frequently
46%
Exterior surveillance cameras are
becoming a staple subsystem
for outdoor projects, with a high
frequency of installation.
Draper: Zipper Detail Makes Outdoor Shades More Seamless & Secure
Comfortable outdoor spaces are more
important than ever. Ove the past
couple of years useable outdoor spots
have popped up in residential, restaurant,
healthcare, educational, and other
settings.
Outdoor shades enhance these
spaces by providing protection from
the elements, bringing an extra layer of
sound resistance, and hiding or reducing the visual impact of
surrounding structures or movements.
The best outdoor shading solution for outdoor living
spaces is what's known as a " zipper " shade. This type of
outdoor shade gets its description from a zipper detail on
both horizontal edges of the fabric panel. The zipper detail
is heat welded to the fabric and runs through a side channel
Occasionally
19%
on each side of the shade to keep the
panel in place, so the fabric panel doesn't
blow in the wind and become damaged.
Shades that use side support cables can
leave a gap between the fabric and the
edge of the opening. However, the ZIP
detail takes the fabric right up to (and
inside) the side channels, leaving no gaps.
The ZIP approach retains the fabric
much more securely, and without the gaps the shade resists
rain, wind, extreme temperatures, and insects.
The Draper FlexShade ZIP and ZIP XL are UL listed and
available up to 25 feet wide. They can be integrated into smart
home systems and are available in several hardware colors and
shade fabrics. They have also been wind tunnel tested.
Learn more at: www.draperinc.com/markets/outdoor.
36 | CE Pro April 2022
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CE Pro April 2022

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