CE Pro November/December 2024 - 4

From the Editor
by Arlen Schweiger
My 3 Favorite Products & 3 Big
Trends from CEDIA Expo 2024
Requests
by interior
designer
professionals
and clients to
" not see any
tech " are easier
than ever to
address.
I'LL ADMIT IT, I hate being asked during
CEDIA Expo, " So, what have you seen
that's cool? " Just about everything on the
show floor at the annual tradeshow is cool
and I felt that was the case again at CEDIA
Expo 2024.
Of course, some years are more transformative
than others and after some reflection
I wouldn't quite put this year's event
into that category. CEDIA Expo 2024 was
more about iterative and improved product
portfolios.
Favorite Product Trio at CEDIA
Expo 2024
Waterfall Audio Niagara XT Series: The
French company Waterfall Audio produces
what in my opinion are the most beautiful,
unique loudspeakers in the industry. Not only
for the jaw-dropping glass cabinet, but the
attention to detail for the tweeter enclosure
and the base. They also sound tremendous.
Sony Crystal LED 1.2mm: Sony had multiple
demos at CEDIA Expo 2024. The one I
experienced employed a bright Crystal LED
demo, in which attendees were challenged
to look for any differences between it and
a projection system. Indeed, you really
couldn't see seams in the CLED display
thanks to a smaller pixel pitch of 1.2mm in
this generation. With the room darkened,
I couldn't tell. Plus, there is no projector
noise to worry about.
Portal.io AI Proposal Builder: The folks
Arlen Schweiger is
Editor-in-Chief of
CE Pro. He can
be reached at
arlen.schweiger@
emeraldx.com and
@ArlenSchweiger
on LinkedIn.
at Portal designed an incredibly integrator-friendly
product (and generated buzz at
the show) that will boost efficiencies and
help dealers deliver more comprehensive
proposals that are much simpler to put
together. One example, demo'ed for me by
Portal's Josh Willits, is the voice-to-text
function where during a walkthrough the
integrator can vocalize notes about what
technology is going where, and the propos4
| CE Pro November/December 2024
al builder will translate it and document it.
3 Widespread Themes on Display
More Design-Friendly Products: Requests
by interior designer professionals and
clients to " not see any tech " are easier than
ever to address. Toward that end, there
were more options for flush-mounting and
blending in potential wall clutter.
Wall-Smart, Lutron, and Trufig are among
those leading the way highlighting dimmers,
switches, touchpanels, keypads, and other
controls that blend in with the surrounding
surface materials like drywall, backsplashes,
woodwork, masonry, etc. Integrators are
also able to " own the ceiling " more thanks
to small-aperture speakers like those
from Sonance and Origin Acoustics; and
high-performing invisible speakers from
Stealth Acoustics and Ambisonic.
Home Networking Demand Blazes On:
The network continues to be a priority,
especially as Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 speeds and
coverage keep elevating wireless performance.
Want to deploy some serious enterprise-grade
networking? Check out PerfTech,
which followed up on its enterprise-grade
Island Router with the even more robust
Island Pro. The company comes from the
commercial world, so you know it works in
mission-critical situations.
Outdoor Technology Remains Red Hot:
AV, shades, lighting, shades, security, and
more so homeowners can extend their
living space, feel safe, and enjoy their outdoor
entertainment more frequently. For
example, at Destination Outdoors, Coastal
Source staged a very impactful demo
illustrating front and back yard layers of
lighting. Additionally, companies like Screen
Innovations and Draper were showing outdoor
shades that expand living spaces.
What impressed you most at CEDIA Expo
2024?
cepro.com
http://www.Portal.io http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro November/December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro November/December 2024
