May was a banner month for our Total Control whole house control system. Initial shipments to dealers began, as did our Total Control live webinars. We hosted numerous influential CEDIA channel journalists at our headquarters, and they went home very impressed with Total Control.
Moving from home automation to grab-'n'-go retail, we also introduced our latest and greatest DIY remote, branded as My Favorite Remote. You can learn more about this entry-level product via its press release and its product page.
This month, we'll be at InfoComm 2011, spreading the word about URC Commercial's strong value proposition. If you're going to Orlando for the show, please stop by and see us at booth 1411. And if you're on the fence about InfoComm, scroll down in this newsletter for a special offer that might make your decision easier!
Be sure to visit URC in Booth 1411 at InfoComm. We promise you a surprise announcement!
Jamie Finnegan, North American sales manager of URC's commercial division, made us promise not to tell anyone what it is until June 13 (the show opens June 15). So if you're going to Orlando for the show, be sure to check your e-mail on Monday, June 13, when we'll blast a special message to all of our URC customers.
See you in Florida!
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There May Be No Free Lunch, But There Is a Free InfoComm Pass
Want to see all the new products on the show floor at InfoComm... for free? Then simply click here to receive your free exhibits pass, compliments of your friends at URC!
Hope to see you this month in Orlando, and be sure to visit us in Booth 1411. We'll be telling everyone about our high-value proposition for commercial control.
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Leading CEDIA Editors Visit URC HQ for Full Briefing on Total Control
Last month, several of the CEDIA channel's top editors gathered at URC headquarters in Harrison, N.Y., for a comprehensive information session on our new Total Control product line.
The editors were greeted by URC Founder and CEO Chang K. Park, who laid out URC's history and vision for the future. Following Mr. Park's remarks, our guests received a thorough overview on Total Control products and applications from Mitch Klein, URC's director of business development, and Russ Hoffman, URC's education and content development manager.
The editors' reports on the session were stellar. We encourage you to click on each to find out what our industry's leading editorial influencers have to say about Total Control:
As you can see, our presentation captured the imaginations of some of our industry's thought leaders! We'll be keeping the press informed about Total Control, and going forward, we hope to get some of YOUR best Total Control installation stories placed in the media. Email editor@universalremote.com to find out more.
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URC Accelerator Makes Total Control Programming Both Quicker and More Powerful
ac•cel•er•ate 1. To increase the speed of. 2. To cause to occur sooner than expected. 3. To cause to develop or progress more quickly.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet URC Accelerator!
With the introduction of URC's new suite of Total Control products comes a new software platform designed from the ground up to be simple, innovative and fast. True to its definition, expect your programming time to be drastically reduced as URC Accelerator automates its more tedious aspects.
Likewise, true to URC's history, expect incredible levels of customization, all facilitated by a software engine that's designed to make the entire experience engaging. URC Accelerator's ability to auto-generate common macros allows the programmer to spend time where it counts: making a system unique and worthy of referrals.
One of the most powerful features of URC Accelerator is its ability to make a project as simple, or as complex, as the imagination of the programmer:
You can take the "quick path" and design a whole house of control, music distribution and incorporated subsystems for basic operation. (We've been tooling around with this software, and our current record is a 16-zone system in 20 minutes!!!).
Or you can take a more detailed approach and create customized macros, detailed variables and user-activated timers for custom events, alarms and sleep timers incorporating any or all of the controlled devices in the home.
The beauty of URC Accelerator is its unassuming power (you let IT take the wheel when you want, or do it yourself), open architecture (you can view, modify or create ANY macro) and raw horsepower (edit one interface and automatically generate new UIs for EVERY remote and touchscreen in the house).
Available for use with Total Control products only, this software is available NOW on URC Control Room or URC University. Spend a few minutes getting acquainted and you'll find yourself saying, "Now I know why they call it Accelerator!"
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URC Takes the Field at AVAD's Super Vendopalooza
URC took part in AVAD's Super Vendopalooza event on May 19 at the New England Patriots' Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The event, which drew numerous New England-based residential and commercial integrators, featured 45 custom install, home AV and security manufacturers. Check out upcoming Vendopalooza events at www.vendopalooza.com.
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Total Control Is Now Shipping
URC Total Control empowers custom installation professionals—residential and commercial alike—to build highly functional, user-friendly whole house control experiences for their clients.
Total Control Is a Complete System with Two-Way Feedback
URC Total Control products enable uncompressed multi-zone audio, climate control, energy monitoring/management, lighting control, streaming sources, IP-based surveillance and sophisticated home theater control. This breakthrough system from industry leader URC provides two-way control, complete with metadata and unsurpassed end-user interfaces, and is suitable for homes, boardrooms, classrooms, bars/restaurants, hotels and more.
Streamlined Programming with Off-Site Option
With URC's easy-to-use but powerful URC Accelerator programming platform, residential installers and commercial integrators can create powerful control and automation systems for homes, businesses and institutions, no matter how large or small. Our attractive value proposition of affordability, functionality and scalability fills a growing need in today's marketplace—and tomorrow's.
Limited Distribution, One-Stop Shopping
Total Control is exclusive to only the finest resellers. At URC, we limit distribution, manage resources and provide the highest level of training and support. Asked why they sell URC products, many professionals reply: "Because it works." We couldn't say it any better.
Total Control Is Now Shipping
Contact your URC Sales Representative today.
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URC Is Looking for a Few Good Techies!
Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a passion for low voltage residential A/V systems and, more importantly, whole house automation, then you may be a candidate for URC's Total Control Technical Support team.
URC is committed to success, teamwork and–above all else–our highly valued employees. That's why we offer the best on-the-job training in the industry. Here are just some of the skill sets being taught right now in our dedicated training facilities, by some of the industry's best-known experts: multi-zone audio concepts, single room automation, whole house automation, lighting control and beginner-through-advanced home networking. After all, to guarantee our success, we believe it's imperative to ensure that every URC employee is successful.
Being a Total Control Support team member will entail numerous challenges. A typical day will mainly involve phone support for dealers who are in need of pre-sales system design assistance, as well as technical installation/setup assistance. For this reason, we require prior industry experience; one to two years experience in whole house automation is the chief qualification required to apply. Home network setup experience is also necessary, whether basic or advanced. In addition, an expert-level working knowledge of Windows XP, Windows 7 and Vista operating systems will greatly benefit any candidate. Mac OS experience is a plus, but not entirely necessary.
URC offers the best employee perks in the business. At the top of that list is professional development. Once hired, URC tech support team members are offered a clear path for growth. We've had several employees who started their careers here in tech support and are now working in sales, engineering, database development and training. Some have achieved managerial positions. Salary is contingent upon experience and is structured to grow as you grow, so there's never a cap. Ultimately, the achievement of new skill sets within the company goes hand in hand with salary increases and promotions.
URC also offers generous benefits and employee product discounts. We're centrally located right in the heart of Westchester County, N.Y., so the commute for local candidates is convenient and easy, as we're accessible from multiple major highways and local town roads.
At URC, high performance is the culture. If you're a high-level performer in need of a home, please reach out to us. We encourage you to send your resume to hr@universalremote.com.
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URC Adds New Webinars
Get a detailed overview of Total Control, learn how to program in CCP, discover new ways to control Lutron's RadioRA 2—do all of these and more in the privacy of your home or office by attending a URC live webinar.
We've created several new courses that will help develop your programming skills. These new classes augment our current lineup and dive even deeper into specific topics. URC webinars can help improve your programming efficiency and help you increase your sales of URC products.
In addition to the Total Control product classes, we debut three new courses this month: Programming Shortcuts in CCP, The Lutron RadioRA 2 Module, and Increasing Profits with KP-4000. All of these classes will be put into regular rotation along with our current catalog. Every month, we'll add new classes and/or special subject courses to the calendar to help take your education up a notch.
Check out this month's schedule and sign up for a class today! For your convenience, we also tweet reminders @URCRemotePatrol the day before every session.
We've also launched our first self-paced Total Control courses at URC University. They're available 24/7/365... and more Total Control courses are on the way.
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URC Product of the Month: The DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier
All multi-zone audio systems allow you to play the same or different music in different rooms, all at the same time. A Total Control system from URC—starring the DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier—does a great deal more.
To recreate everything that a recording or cloud source has to offer, you need a powerful amplifier that can react to the music's subtleties in a fraction of a second. To accomplish this in multiple rooms, you must stream music without adding compression. With one box, the DMS-1200, URC dealers can provide all of that, and much more.
The DMS-1200 connects to a home or office wireless network via a single Ethernet cable. It can stream and receive digital music with zero added compression, resulting in flawless music reproduction with no lags, delays or echoes. It delivers full metadata and two-way feedback to Total Control remotes and in-wall touchscreens.
Conventional multi-room audio systems usually offer six rooms standard. The DMS-1200 goes above and beyond that standard by including two additional zones of line-level audio for use with existing or new amplifiers. The DMS-1200 also converts all four of its analog inputs to digital streams without adding any compression. With the DMS-1200, the music that goes in is exactly what comes back out.
The DMS-1200 really shines when combined with other URC Total Control products. The MRX-10 Advanced Network System Controller (required in every Total Control system) controls the outputs of source components and can be programmed offsite via the internet. That means that the DMS-1200 can be programmed or adjusted from your shop—which means fewer truck rolls.
We recommend the use of the MFS-8 Eight Port MAC Filtering Network Switch or MFSPOE-8 (same MAC filtering switch as the MFS-8, but offers Smart-POE to power keypads and cameras) to ensure that the music stream does not interfere with any other part of the network.
The DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier's key features, at a glance:
six pairs of powerful amplifiers
two additional pre-outs
four streaming analog inputs
one digital input
eight (8) zones (expandable up to 32 zones)
50 watts per channel for zones 1 through 6
preamp only for zones 7 and 8
two-way feedback on Total Control remotes and touchscreens
four Analog-to-Digital inputs that stream to other DMS amps
can be programmed off premises via the internet and MRX-10
easy rack-mounting
The Suggested Retail Price of the DMS-1200 is $2,199.00.
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URC Team Member of the Month: Gary S. Post
Gary S. Post, URC Central Region/Canadian Sales Manager
Gary S. Post
URC Central Region/Canadian Sales Manager
Gary Post has been bringing our message to the American heartland, and to Canada as well, since he joined us in April 2009. With Total Control's arrival, his seemingly endless travel schedule is even more vital to our company's—and our dealers'—success.
"I am on the road a lot, working with as many URC dealer and distributor partners as possible and making the most of every sales call," says Gary. "Regardless of the size or sophistication of the dealer, I believe they deserve our support in the field on a regular basis."
Gary's full schedule of dealer visits is particularly important, given that the power and functionality of our product line has risen exponentially over the last two years. "URC dealers are loyal, and we are fortunate to have such dedicated partners," Gary explains. "However, sometimes they get hooked on a specific SKU such as an MX-850 or an MX-900 and are reluctant to step up the food chain to products like the MX-980. Similarly, almost two years into the launch of CCP, I still find dealers that are programming via standalone editors. I understand that familiarity and perceived efficiency make them reluctant to change, but once they do, they are always glad they made the jump. Often it takes some convincing, but when they diversify into our newer products, their clients are happier and their bottom line is impacted favorably."
Not surprisingly, Gary is very excited about our new Total Control product line. "The coolest thing about Total Control is its potential," he says. "When I make a presentation to a dealer or conduct a demo, I can literally see the light bulb go on. They see what Total Control can mean to their businesses and they understand the performance potential for their clients. Specifically, the SNP-1 Streaming Network Player has really put the hook in our dealers. They want this product now and anxiously await delivery."
When asked for his all-time best sales story, Gary replies, "There is no single game-changing event. My best sales stories occur weekly, when I meet dealers in the field, work with them and help them realize the full potential of URC and our diverse product offering."
Gary was a veteran presence in the high-end audio industry before he arrived at URC. He served as director of sales for Klipsch Group's Jamo and Energy speaker lines; vice president of sales, USA, for Audio Products International's Mirage, Energy and Athena speaker lines; and national sales manager for the Signet division of Audio Technica US.
"The people I work with at URC are excellent," he says. "From training to sales administration to credit to tech support, they are very talented and their dedication is unparalleled. I am proud to work with them." Our depth of inventory also appeals to Gary. "I have never worked for a company that has a better in-stock position on ALL SKUs," he says. "In a Just In Time world, this is critical, and URC gets it done."
Gary has been "happily married to a wonderful lady for 20-plus years, and I have two great kids. My wife is a state-of-the-art chef, which makes me very happy after endless weeks on the road." A music junkie and a big fan of high-end audio, Gary appreciates his down time. "For stress reduction," he says, "I like to run the trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and do anything else outside—away from the BlackBerry."
We thank Gary for his tireless efforts on behalf of URC. That's why he's our June 2011 URC Team Member of the Month!
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Watch Electronic House's Grant Clauser interview URC Director of Business Development Mitch Klein about Total Control.
We also have plenty more videos on the installers-only URC Control Room site. Not a URC Control Room member yet? Shame on you! Click here to join.
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Your Business
By Glenn Gentilin
URC Regional Product Specialist
Little speakers. Even littler speakers. Earbuds. MP3 players. MP4 compression. All of these have conspired to launch a full-out assault on the experience of fine audio reproduction.
Without naming names, many popular products and high-profile companies have succeeded in degrading the quality of the music that is available to the public.
An unfortunate by-product of this is that the high-end audio market has shrunk, verging on extinction.
Where's the EPA when you need them to protect something really important? Whooping Crane: audiophile sound. Siberian Tiger: clean bass reproduction. California Condor: vocal presence. We need someone to save good sound delivery.
Enter an unlikely hero: The widespread acceptance of cloud music services like Rhapsody and Pandora. People get one of these services installed in their house, and within a few days they're positively bubbling over the experience. They get excited by music again. They say things like, "I'm listening to music I haven't heard in ten or twenty years." "I've never heard of some of these bands, but I love their music." "It's like it reads my mind and plays exactly what I want to listen to."
A number of products provide these services and more. The URC SNP-1 Streaming Network Player offers Rhapsody, Pandora and Internet Radio, as well as Sirius Radio and the ability to use content located on computers and music servers. Once people start enjoying their music again, they'll want to be able to hear it in more locations. In the process, we may very well be witnessing a resurgence of the 2-channel market and, right along with it, distributed audio.
For several years now, the public has worn their music on their hips, in devices like MP3 players and smart phones. This content is highly compressed and only suitable to be listened to through earbuds. Today, cloud services use personal preferences to provide consumers with an ever-changing yet personal music selection, and many of them find they want to actually listen to music again.
This opens the door for better sound delivery, good quality speakers, and distributed audio—all of which allow for hefty profit margins.
So get your customers signed up for these cloud music services. Many of them may have already experienced one or more of them on their car radio. Now bring it to their houses, where they can really enjoy the music. Soon your customers will be eager to have their cloud music distributed throughout the rest of their homes.
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Hank's Tip of the Month
By Hank Eisengrein
URC Regional Training Manager, East
This month, I'd like to enlighten you about one of the most popular URC custom professional remote controls, the MX-880.
Of course, many of you know and use the color LCD MX-880 everyday, so what new could you possibly learn about it?
Let me expose you to the "three faces" of the MX-880 IR/RF remote control.
The majority of MX-880 sales combine the standard MX-880, which uses the 418 MHz RF frequency, with our very popular MRF-350 RF base station. The MX-880 features 48 devices with Watch and Listen buttons below the bright color LCD screen. For older or easily confused clients who are stumped by the Watch and Listen feature, you can simply program the exact same things under Watch and Listen. That way, your customer will never get lost when trying to operate the entertainment system. (But Hank, you taught us to always "add URC lighting to every sale," so how do I "listen" to my lights? Easy! Just go to the Dollar Store, buy some cheap CFL bulbs and dim them to 30 percent. Then you can listen to your lights...)
The second face of the MX-880 is the MX-880i, which operates using the 433 MHz RF frequency instead of 418 MHz. Many loyal URC dealers who work in inner-city locations or environments with high RF interference have switched to this MX-880 version exclusively, along with an i-series RF base station. If an MRF-350, MRX-1 or MSC-400 is already in place, simply add our RFX-250i 433 MHz RF antenna to your base station. Of course, if you install the MRF-350i or MSC-400i, the RFX-250i antenna is included. If you take my advice and use the MRX-1 network base station for a future upgrade path in your current one-way system, then you must buy the RFX-250 or RFX-250i antenna separately when you use the MRX-1, as the MRX-1 doesn't include an RF antenna.
The third face of the MX-880 is a model that URC has offered for two years now, but many are still unaware of it. The MX-880Z with 2.4 GHz Digital RF is used only with the MRZ-260 2.4 GHz Digital RF base station. This combo is perfect when you need to have many remote control systems operate in an area where homes and apartments are very close to each other, such as in an MDU. Each MRZ-260 is unique and features a MAC address, instead of the analog RF with the 15-position rotary knob found in the 418 MHz and 433 MHz models. The MX-880Z is a great tool when you have a big job where RF collision could result from simultaneous button presses with standard analog RF models.
You can have up to four MX-880Zs assigned to one MRZ-260, and you could have many more than 15 RF base stations in a system. Although the MRZ-260 features four IR emitter outputs, you can expand that number by using a double-headed emitter. On the rear of the MRZ-260 is a pink port for IR emitter output number 4; remember to add URC lighting to every sale by purchasing our RFTX-1 RF Transmitter to operate URC lighting. It "translates" from the digital 2.4 GHz system to your choice of 418 MHz or 433 MHz for use with URC Lighting products.
If you choose not to use URC lighting (shame on you for leaving extra profit on the table), a special 4 conductor pink-sleeved IR emitter is included with the MRZ-260. For those of you well-versed with the MSC-400, this emitter is the same as the URC IR6S sleeved emitter used with outputs 7-12. The MRZ-260 even has four separate IR engines to avoid the possibility of RF bleed-through from different IR ports.
You can use the three faces of the MX-880 as a tool to mix and match different frequencies in a large job in order to avoid RF interference and simultaneous button-press collisions. All three models program using URC's CCP software. You can even open existing MX-880 Editor software files stored on your computer by using the Model Properties dialog box and choosing the radio button for an Existing file.
The MX-880 is the smart choice in a mid-priced URC RF remote control system. If you've never tried its other two faces, do so in your next system.
Happy Selling!
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Be Social
By Cindy Davis
Principal and Founder, customCEsocial
Content is the most important part of the social media equation, but it's also the area that intimidates business owners the most. If you're just getting started with social media, take a load off yourself and start by commenting on other's people's posts that you find interesting and relevant to your customers. Get a feel for things, and then start to create your own content.
That doesn't mean you should start selling, however.
Don't forget this important rule of thumb when it comes to promoting your business using social media: If all you do is promote, promote, promote, you will quickly be tuned out. Directly promote your business 20 to 30 percent of the time, and add value to your overall business category for the rest. That means sharing information that doesn't directly benefit your business—or, at least, doesn't seem to at first glance.
A lot of people might think that's a waste of time, but it really isn't. In fact, it's vital. Posting information that isn't directly sales-related or marketing-related helps people get to know you and your business. It creates trust. And it makes people more likely to read what you have to say when you do directly promote your business.
So how can you build trust and add value through social media? Here are some tips:
Share your opinion on a new product category—whether that opinion is positive or negative. This fosters credibility among consumers.
Comment on a competitor's great job. It might seem counterproductive, but by doing so, that competitor's clients and friends will get to know you too.
Share your favorite music playlists. It personalizes your business, and shows that you're passionate about audio. Also, a particular artist or song might be the connection that draws a potential customer to you.
Post pictures of an entertainment system from your home or your showroom. Share your thoughts on your own home entertainment experience. Passion can be contagious.
Give away tips that people will find helpful. Everyone loves free and helpful information, and it will establish you as an expert.
The take-home point: Be a good citizen on Facebook, Twitter and other services, and good things will come back to you!
Cindy Davis, the principal and founder of customCEsocial, can help you directly to improve your presentation to customers online. Contact her for practical advice on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or email. You can also reach her at 617-281-0736. Find Cindy's previous Be Social columns here, here and here.
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Tech Tips
By Joe Salvatore
URC Technical Support Manager
There's a common misconception that if a remote control device locks up or is unable to connect to your PC during initial setup, the device should immediately be considered defective.
This is not the case.
It's simply a sign that some piece of software or hardware involved in the equation needs to be updated. The problem could be with the device drivers, the device firmware, or URC CCP software, for example.
It's always best practice to try to eliminate each variable, one by one. Start by making sure your URC software is up to date before you begin programming a new file for a customer. Next: Even though your remote or keypad comes fresh and unprogrammed from the factory, it's always a great idea to first download an empty, unprogrammed configuration file (using the corresponding URC software of course) before downloading a fully programmed configuration. This ensures that the new controller runs the latest internal firmware, which will enable it to accept multiple revisions to its configuration file without freezing up.
Here is the recommended way to do it, in this specific order:
Factory reset the remote or keypad inside the remote onboard setup menu.
Download a default configuration file from the PC to your remote or keypad. The file should be blank, with no programming done at all.
There's another potential cause of lockups that's worth mentioning: overuse of large custom images. Many programmers love tricking out their color touch screens with PNG graphics because of their sharpness, and that's okay; in fact, it's encouraged. However, PNGs can eat up internal memory fast. If you're programming an overly large multi-room file with excessively large image files, your touch screen may freeze up or slow down. The simple solution is to compress these graphic files to JPEG format, which requires less space. Also, always be sure you're not stacking unnecessary images on top of each other.
Following the aforementioned advice will stave off graphic-induced lockups in nearly every case. Unfortunately, knowing how many PNG files you can use is different in each situation. It's a trial-and-error procedure.
You should now be able to narrow down the cause of a controller lockup and be able to resolve it in less time. If not, drop our tech support group a line at (914) 835-4484 for real-time assistance!
Congratulations! You have entered the brave new world of social networking. You have a Facebook page, a LinkedIn profile, a blog on Blogspot.com, and you've even created a website. Determined to leverage this exciting marketing and connecting opportunity, you've been posting, updating, linking and creating. You've read how keeping things fresh with regular updates is essential, and you're determined to be the freshest thing on the web since lettuce. Good for you!
So let me ask this critical question: In your zeal to create interest and excitement, is there anything—photos, links, posts, anything—that might come back to haunt you?
Allow me to digress. My son Ben came home from college a couple weeks ago, excited about his summer internship and thrilled that his new employer wanted to interview his friend Luke for a similar position. Things were looking very good for Luke, as he had been interviewed on the phone a couple of times and then set up for an in-person meeting.
Then things went silent, and Luke didn't get the position. Ben inquired with his summer employer to find out why, and it turns out that they felt Luke would "not have been a good fit." Reading between the lines, Ben and I looked at Luke's Facebook page. Perhaps it was that photo of him on the beach, wearing nothing but a smile and a beer (a well positioned umbrella keeping things PG-rated), or perhaps some of his postings with too many typos?
I receive many emails and resumes from parties interested in working for URC. I spend valuable time carefully poring over all of them. I end up making many spelling and grammar corrections on some, returning them to the senders in the hope that they learn something, and don't make the same mistakes again.
I click links forwarded from friends and associates and often wonder if they ever actually read the content carefully? Many times these links are not delivering the message or representing the position they thought it would.
Take an hour or two and cruise some dealer websites. Count how many typos, and dead or wrong links, they have, and send them a grade. What you'll find can be pretty sad, actually.
These amazing, unintentional gaffes are in fact a permanent record. Yes, permanent. One can NEVER take things down from the Internet. Anything you ever put there will be forever archived: photos you think you've deleted, blogs you cancelled, even older versions of your website. Don't believe me? Check out http://www.archive.org and search for something...
Luke was not thinking about potential employers (future customers?) when he was being so careless. He will eventually clean up his act and his social network. But the damage is done.
How's YOUR social network going to look to a potential employer? How about to a potential customer? Is there anything you've put up, or are considering putting up, that you may possibly regret later?
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Consumer Conversation
By Debra Sharker
URC Director of Sales, Consumer Products Division
How many times have you heard a consumer say, "All I want is to get to my favorite channels, so give me a remote that does just that." URC has been listening, and we've created the perfect solution with My Favorite Remote (URC-R40), just released by our Consumer Products Division.
This beautiful new unit delivers the ability to not only consolidate many remotes into one, but also to organize favorite channels so the user can access them with just one press of a button.
My Favorite Remote is an IR-only, DIY model that has an on-screen wizard for easy programming, plus learning capability if needed. No PC or internet connection is required. The consumer can create their own automated activities (macros) quickly and easily. My Favorite Remote delivers great value at a retail price of $149.99.
Best of all, this wand-style remote control allows for fabulous organization of favorite channels into four major screens of NEWS, MOVIES, SPORTS, MUSIC. These buttons are marked on top of the remote and each opens a screen dedicated to the category. The consumer programs in the channel number one time, chooses a full-color logo from an assortment of over 150 icons, and then it's ready to use. All of their favorite channels are available with just one press! Finally, the consumer has what he wants—the ability to move from favorite to favorite in an easy-to-use format.
If you have a retail showroom, My Favorite Remote should be on your shelves. The consumer will have a great experience with a URC entry-level remote and remember our name, and the place he bought it, when he is ready for a custom solution.
Retailers, take note: My Favorite Remote is available from the following national distributors—D&H, SED and Petra.
URC delivers more than just remotes. We deliver the total experience. See the Consumer Products Line at our site or contact me at dsharker@universalremote.com.
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In The Trenches
By Braden Napier
URC Product Specialist, West Coast
The DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier, part of URC's new Total Control product lineup, is a powerful product providing an easy way to distribute music throughout a project of nearly any size. With its strong customization features, powerful 50 watts-per-channel output, and sleek design, the DMS-1200 is an audiophile's dream!
When my first DMS-1200 arrived at my doorstep for testing, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. As I unboxed it, I was so excited to finally learn what this Total Control product was really about.
I wasn't disappointed. Once I connected and programmed everything, this amp really put a ton of power through to my speakers (and I love my music loud).
Not only is it loud, but its audio quality is extremely high. At lower volumes, I can still make out the detail of the audio track clearly. (I should note that I haven't yet spent a lot of time using the DMS-1200's customization features, which are available to the dealer within URC Accelerator.)
Let's take a real look at what this product is going to accomplish for you. Using structured wiring, it's simple to expand the system. Add new amps to the network anywhere within the project, and you suddenly have access to more zones and sources. Running Ethernet to a remote room and a DMS-100 Single-Zone Amplifier allows easy expansion to an upstairs location, for example. Speaker wires can then be run locally, eliminating the need to run new wires in a finished home.
My favorite feature of the DMS-1200 and Total Control is that there's no audio compression at all. What goes into the DMS-1200 is exactly what comes out through your speakers.
All of this, with the ability to expand over Ethernet to up to 32 zones and 32 sources? Talk about an integrator's dream!
With the DMS units within Total Control, it's easy to bring every audio source into every room of the home, regardless of its location. The PSX-2 iPod dock in the bedroom can easily be distributed (without adding compression, of course) to every zone and easily selected using the variety of two-way interfaces within the Total Control system. With the release of our SNP-1 Streaming Network Player on the horizon as well, you'll be able to provide high-quality internet and satellite radio as well as the coveted Pandora.
As a true audiophile, and an integrator in days past, I can definitely tell you that the DMS-1200 will make solving obstacles easy, provide amazing high-quality audio throughout a home—and a tidy little profit as well (I love profit)!
Don't take my word for it; grab a DMS-1200 and test it yourself. If you have any questions while setting it up, our tech support team will be there to support you every step of the way.
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URC Tool Box App of the Month
ReQuest F Series Two-Way Modules
Give your customers two-way control of ReQuest F-series music and media servers via this module, created by ReQuest itself. This free download contains the .vfd files for our MX-6000, MX-5000 and KP-4000 network controllers.
To access this and many more apps in the URC Tool Box, log on to the URC Control Room.
Haven't checked out the Tool Box yet? What are you waiting for? Do it today! Just log onto the URC Control Room and click "URC Tool Box" on the left side of the home page.
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URC Complete Control Partner of the Month: Symetrix
With InfoComm 2011 being held this month, we're shining a light on one of URC Commercial's partners: Symetrix, which specializes in professional audio DSP hardware and software. This month, we will embed a full complement of Symetrix's control platforms and codes in Commercial CCP. Find out more at the URC InfoComm booth, 1411.
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What's Hot
There's a new tab on the URC Control Room navigation bar. It's labeled Total Control. Click it and you'll find the following:
URC Accelerator (available for download!), which is used to program Total Control products
URC Accelerator Programming Manual
Working with Timers in Accelerator subsection
Working with Drivers in Accelerator subsection
Total Control Application Diagrams
Total Control Installation Manual
14 Total Control spec sheets (one for each Total Control product).
This is the largest collection of material ever produced by URC!
So download the URC Accelerator software, download the manuals, and you'll be well on your way to learning how to specify, install and program Total Control from URC.
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International News
URC has appointed QualiFi as our exclusive distributor for Australia. QualiFi has been a leading importer/distributor to the AV industry since 1982, and has been among the largest automation control solutions suppliers since 1999. Based in Mount Waverley, Melbourne, with over 60,000 square feet of office and warehousing, QualiFi was a founding member of CEDIA Australia in 1994. QualiFi has a strong relationship with all Australian CEDIA members and other custom integration companies. Its unique value-adding approach to brand distribution is highly regarded by AV and custom integrators nationwide.
At last month's CEDIA Expo Australia, QualiFi was proud to re-launch URC to the Australian market. Joe Salamanca, business manager of visual and control products for QualiFi, reports: "With the help of URC's charismatic trainer Jeff Wagner, a number of live information presentations were given. Each day, attendees of the URC presentation were not only enlightened on the URC range and charmed by Jeff, but they also went into a draw to win one of three MX-5000i remotes. Integrators were shown various interactive displays of URC products teamed with other smart systems, and the response was very positive. Total Control products took the limelight of the Expo, with integrators anxiously anticipating the range of the products, including the iPad/iPhone control integration. The highlight of QualiFi's presence at CEDIA was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to QualiFi's CEO Michael Henriksen at the CEDIA Awards Dinner."
URC is excited about our new relationship with QualiFi, and looks forward to helping CEDIA Australia members succeed!
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Upcoming Events
Stay up-to-date with our training and events schedule for June. Click Here
