RE: Re: OT: Cedia EXPO

["Tawn, Jonathan" <jonathan.tawn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for your comments guys,

David, as I'm sure you can appreciate I don't have a great deal of cash
knocking about, I don't suppose you remember what prices the courses were ?
or are they included in tickets ?

I've yet to wait for the on-line booking form to be up and working so don't
know what prices the tickets are !

Thanks again,
Jonathan.


Jonathan Tawn
EDS Desktop Services.


-----Original Message-----
From:	David Buckley [mailto:db@xxxxxxx]
Sent:	Wednesday, 07 April, 2004 23:47
To:	ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject:	[ukha_d] Re: OT: Cedia EXPO

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Nick Tyson - The Edge"
<nick@e...>
wrote:
> Seriously, the CEDIA Expo would be a great insight into
the custom
> install industry.

I couldn't agree more.

I went to Cedia the last time (or maybe the only time) it
was in
Croydon (2000 maybe?), did the full thing, took a bucketload
of
courses, learned stuff, talked to lots of interesting
people.
Especially Steve Hayes from Custom Electronics Inc, of
Maine, from
whom I learned a load of business and managerial sense which
has
been useful ever since.  And, it has to be said, some very
non-
interesting and bigoted people.

There were names present that we all would recognise, X10 /
Channel
Plus / Xantech had a big busy stand.  Hi end hifi and video
was well
represented.  Linn also comes to mind.  And some less known
names,
and some that are no longer in existence.

But my interest in home automation is the automation bit.
And there
was very little automation either displayed or talked about.
It was
all about making your lights dim when the projector rolled
down from
the ceiling when you touched the touchscreen.  Or how big
your
plasma is.  The nearest it got to automation was the
Crestron talk
(to a very packed house), where integrating with heating
systems was
talked about for a bit.

It has to be said I was buzzing for two and a half days.
But then I
left in a state of depression, such that the missus never
let me
attend Cedia again.

I really dont know why I ended up with a black cloud over my
head.

But with hindsight, I suspect its right down to Nick's
point:

> From my experience of this forum, the 'hobbyist'
> (that's meant respectfully) and commercial markets are
somewhat
> polarised. We've been providing custom install solutions
for
> 15 years and yet we've never used (often never even heard
of)
> 99% of the stuff that's talked about here.

In my opinion, (chosing words carefully, and also not
wishing to
offend anyone) the non-mainstream HA community is lightyears
ahead
of the "bog standard" custom installers in terms of doing
interesting things.

The custom installers are really very, very good at bunging
in a
beautiful cinema, whole house audio and a lutron lighting
rig, and
tying it together with an AMX or Crestron.  If you are
lucky, you'll
get alarm integration and heating as well.

But its not intelligent, nor is it automation.  Its a posh
remote
control with a few macros.  Nevertheless, it is really
impressive
and has a great wow factor :-)  And also as Nick said, this
stuff
ain't cheap!





UK Home Automation Meet 2004 - BOOK NOW!
http://www.ukha2004.com

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk

Member Offers - http://www.freeranger.co.uk/ukha