The Winners of the 2023 CE Pro BEST Awards
Every year CE Pro, holds the BEST (Best Electronic Systems Technologies) Awards during CEDIA Expo to suss out some of the best and most innovative products the professional channel has to offer. The 2023 CE Pro BEST Awards are no different, though judging the winners has certainly been one of the most challenging tasks to date, as competition was its fiercest yet.
Eighty-seven products were put forward across 25 categories from AV to Business Operations, and in just about every one, the winners came down to fractions of points in difference from one another. We even saw a rare tie in one category.
And the Winners of the 2023 Home of the Year Awards Are…
The Home of the Year Awards always bring out of the best of the best within the CEDIA channel. And with this gathering of some of the industry’s top integration firms comes a stiff set of competitors. But now the projects have been viewed. The votes have been tallied. We have the winners of the 2023 CE Pro Home of the Year Awards, so, for those of you who may have been unable to attend the ceremony at CEDIA Expo 2023, let’s celebrate all the same.
In all, the 2023 Home of the Year Awards looked at projects in 16 categories, with winners being judged by an esteemed panel of representatives throughout the smart home industry. The winners were chosen from a list of 46 entries and announced at a ceremony in Denver, Colorado during CEDIA Expo 2023.
The Future of Digital Lighting & Control
As a custom integrator, lighting is in demand. Effective communication, education and showcasing the value proposition of LED light fixtures in conjunction with integrative control systems are the keys to overcoming challenges and closing sales in this specialized market. Join us as we discuss the future of digital lighting and control with David Warfel from Light Can Help You and Patrick Laidlaw and Mark Moody from AiSPIRE. Register Now!100-inch U8K Mini LED TV from Hisense Features Dolby Vision
Hisense has introduced its new 100-inch U8K Mini LED TV, which the company points out is the latest addition to the company’s 2023 U8 Series of products.
The 100-inch U8K incorporates Mini-LED backlighting, as well as a 144Hz panel and native refresh rate for next-generation gaming; and future-proof technologies, like NEXTGEN TV offering 4K over the air content like live sports and Wi-Fi 6E for uninterrupted streaming.
One Year Later, Nice Finalizes Rebrand of SpeakerCraft, Elan, Panamax
So long Elan, goodbye SpeakerCraft, and sayonara Panamax: Nice North America has officially brought three of its major product lines under a single brand name a year after its rebrand of Nortek Security & Control. And just in time for CEDIA Expo. Don’t fret too much, though, the products aren’t going anywhere because of this. If anything, they’re getting some pretty hefty additions thanks to the rebrand.
Since the company’s acquisition of Nortek Security & Control in 2021, Nice has been focused on executing its strategic plan to strengthen the company’s position as an industry leader in North America by converging its vast product portfolio under one unified brand.
Savant’s New Siri Integrations Could be Huge in the DIY vs Pro Debate
CEDIA Expo 2023 has been full of surprises so far, and it’s only just begun. Take, for instance, Savant announcing that it will be integrating with Apple’s Siri…kind of. Savant’s AI engine will be using Siri to interpret natural language for enhanced voice control, however, that doesn’t mean Savant’s smart home systems won’t get some added interactions with Apple features like AirTags.
In fact, Savant has stated that it will be using triggers from AirTags, near-filed communications (NFC) tags and geofencing, to better control entertainment, comfort, lighting, energy, and security throughout the entire home as one of the “first complete control and automation solution built on the Apple platform.”
McIntosh’s PS2K Powered Subwoofer Features Multi-Layered Carbon Fiber Cones
According to McIntosh, the PS2K comes with four 13-inch woofers and utilizes McIntosh’s patented Low Distortion High Performance (LD/HP®) Magnetic Circuit Design, which the company states helps reduce distortion while increasing the driver’s power handling and efficiency. Each woofer is powered by a dedicated 500 Watt Class D amplifier, totaling up to 2,000 Watts of total power output.
In an interesting twist, the cones of the speaker are comprised of multiple layers of carbon fiber as opposed to the traditional single layer construction. The reason for this, McIntosh notes, is that single layer constructions still had the slightest bit of flexibility that could result in some distortion.
Is AI the Next Smart Home Frontier?
The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving at a very rapid pace, with generative AI chatbot ChatGPT becoming the quickest tool to reach 100 million users, beating out the likes of Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and other popular apps. It is becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives, and advanced AI will undoubtedly disrupt the smart home market as it continues to improve.
This, according to Scott Steinberg, CEO of strategic consulting and market research firm, TechSavvy Global, through which he has advised countless companies and organizations on their digital strategies and future business opportunities, will lead to new levels of automation that were once considered to be many years away.
URC Announces the Winners of the 9th Annual Unsurpassed Awards
It’s a celebration of all the best the custom integration industry has to offer this week at CEDIA Expo 2023. There’s the Best Awards, the Home of the Year Awards, the CEDIA Smart Home Awards, but now, URC has joined in on the celebration, announcing the winners of its own annual Unsurpassed Awards.
Launched in 2014, URC’s Unsurpassed Awards celebrate excellence and creativity in residential and commercial automation installations. Entries are accepted from domestic URC dealers and International distributors. Categories for consideration include: Best Residential, Best Commercial, Most Unique, and Best International.
Control4 OS 3.4 Arrives with Massively Updated User Experience
Snap One, a global manufacturer and distributor of smart living and business technologies, has announced the new Control4 OS 3.4.
The popular control and automation company says the updates are an experience-focused software solution that empowers homeowners with streamlined account management features and user experience, new controls, enhanced surveillance monitoring and a new color picker for LED linear lighting, and more.
Samsung’s Ultra-Large 98-inch 8K Neo QLED TV Aims to Show Bigger is Better
Making a bang with its return to the CEDIA Expo trade show, Samsung is set to launch its new 98-inch class Neo QLED 8K TV (model QN990C) in Denver on Sept. 7-9 in booth #1912.
The global electronics company is releasing the large-screen 8K television, along with its new Samsung Dealer Service Portal to better support custom installers.
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