RE: NEC Smarthome show

["Paul Gale" <groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It's a real shame I couldn't get up there to say hello to everyone this
year I was really looking forward to it as well :( Here's to the next
time...

Paul.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Rob Mouser
> Sent: 17 April 2005 20:32
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] NEC Smarthome show
>
>
> Great to meet up with all the 'regulars', a special thanks to Mark,
Paul
> (And his long suffering other half ;-)), Keith, Li and Trevor for a
really
> enjoyable weekend at the hotel.
> I am pleased to confirm that our beloved leader does indeed eat a more
> varied diet than just Potatoes ;-) I have photographic evidence of
Mark
> eating a prawn cracker of all things! Obviously he was fooled thinking
it
> was a crisp ;-)
> I apologise to all the list members as I failed miserably to get Keith
> Doxey
> drunk and get him to sign the pre-prepared affidavit stating that the
KAT5
> switcher would be delivered by Christmas 2005 ;-)
> As for the show....well as many have said "plenty of
wow-factor" out
> there.
> What really struck me was the lack of knowledge of many (Simply,
Comfort
> and
> Web Brick guys VERY much excluded) of the exhibitors. My overriding
memory
> will be the MD of one company with a LARGE multiroom audio stand
looking
> really quite amazed that Keith could provide a box to send RGB video
over
> CAT5. He was even more amazed when Keith said he could get composite
over
> CAT5 using just 1 pair! "Hey, that's really 'trick'" I think
was the
> comment........!!!
> It really does show that the collective knowledge of this list, out
ways
> some of the 'commercial' knowledge out there and without doubt at a
lower
> price point.
>
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Rob
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of
> > Keith Doxey
> > Sent: 17 April 2005 20:05
> > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] NEC Smarthome show
> >
> >
> > > From: Paul Gordon
> > >
> > > Not long got back home from Birmingham, so thought I'd add
my
> > > thoughts about the weekend to those already posted.
> > >
> >
> > Got home mid afternoon myself.
> >
> > >
> > > I definitely feel it was worth the visit, - it's always
interesting to
> > see
> > > (and occasionally touch) all the nice shiny things!
> > >
> >
> > Absolutely, even if I didnt manage to sneak the 61" Plasma
out :-)
> >
> > > The Smarthome part of the show was absolutely dwarfed by the
> > > selfbuilding & renovation part of it
> > >
> >
> > I did noticed a couple of stands in the selfbuild show that would
have
> > been
> > more appropriate in the SmartHome show but there was just so much
to
> see.
> > Interesting to notice that the organisers used some sort of
random
> number
> > generator when numbering the stands.
> >
> > Looking through the list of exhibitors in the brochure helped you
> identify
> > stands you wanted to see and told you what number stand they were
on.
> You
> > then had to spend ages searching the floorplan to find the number
on the
> > layout!!!!
> >
> > >
> > > The exhibitors within the Smarthome show seemed to fall
pretty
> > > broadly into just two camps: -
> > > ....about 50% of the entire exhibition was AV equipment, -
> > > ....Another 40% was all "fancy lightswitches"
> >
> > > The remaining 10% was (IMHO) the main area of interest, -
> > > including our very own favourites like Comfort & Simply
> > > Automate, and a few niche/new products like the Web-brick
and so on.
> > >
> > > Most are interested mainly in selling a complete, closed
system.
> > >
> >
> > Having seen some of the prices they were quoting you can see why
they
> > wouldnt be interested in selling someone a couple of X10 moudules
!!
> >
> > >
> > > As ever, the most enjoyable, (and in actual fact the most
productive)
> > > element was getting to meet up face-to-face with fellow
UKHA-ers,
> > > - I think it's true to say I learned more about CBUS by
chatting to
> > > Kwong Li over breakfast in the hotel and with Rob Mouser in
the bar,
> > > than from any of the exhibitors at the show.
> > >
> >
> > Agreed, some very good discussions and several ideas gleaned from
the
> > show.
> >
> > > Would I go again next year... well, yes. of course! I can't
> > > resist all those nice shiny toys!
> > >
> >
> > The organisers are planning to double the number of stands in the
> > SmartHome
> > part of the show next year.
> >
> > > Would I go to it in preference to a UKHA2006?? - Absolutely
not!
> > >
> >
> > If it was only possible to go to one event then it would have to
be
> > UKHA2006
> > but I would also go to SmartHome 2006 for a day if I could but
> preferably
> > not at the weekend as there were a lot more people blocking the
stands
> on
> > the Saturday.
> >
> > Great weekend meeting up with friends again :-)
> >
> > Keith
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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