CEDIA EXPO isn't a trade show—it's a career-changing experience.
Is that an overstatement? Hardly. Where else, over the span of four days, can you:
See all of the latest and greatest residential AV products, all under the same roof;
Attend world-class CEDIA training to learn about emerging trends, new technologies, and ways to improve your business;
Select from more than 100 manufacturers' trainings (including a dozen sessions from URC alone) to polish your professional skills;
Network and socialize with colleagues and compatriots;
Enjoy big discounts on URC products purchased for Personal Use (you must attend training to qualify), and
Watch URC's Jeff Wagner make you laugh while you learn about the newest Total Control products
Visit our training room (107/108) on Thursday between noon and 3:00 pm to "Give URC Total Control Accelerator a Spin" and then spin our famous Wheel of Fortune to win great prizes, and
stop by our booth (3240) to check out all of our latest gear AND receive a free URC Mini-Remote (supplies limited)?
There's so much going on, so much to learn, and it's all so much fun. So don't miss out. CEDIA can only be a career-changing experience if you attend.
To learn more about CEDIA EXPO 2011 or to register for URC's training classes, click here.
As you've guessed by now, this issue is devoted to CEDIA. If for some reason you can't attend, keep an eye on our website during the weeks that follow. We'll be posting video highlights of CEDIA and the legendary URC CEDIA Party on our public webpage (and maybe some secret stuff on our password-protected URC Control Room).
Safe travels, and we hope to see you in Indy!
– Your friends at URC
A Splash of What's to Come at CEDIA: URC's First Water-Resistant Remote!
Julie Jacobson of CE Propreviews one of the new products we'll introduce in Booth 3240 at CEDIA EXPO: The MXW-920 water-resistant remote.
Many of you have been asking for this remote for a long time, and you can see it in person for the first time at CEDIA! And the MXW-920 won't be the only new product we'll show. Visit us at Booth 3240 or, if you aren't headed to Indy, follow our Twitter or Facebook accounts to get all of the details.
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Total Control DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amp Wins CustomRetailer EXC!TE Award
We're EXC!TED about gaining even more recognition from our industry! The DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier, which brings crystal-clear audio to up to eight zones in a home (expandable to 32 zones) with ZERO added compression, has won a 2011 CustomRetailer EXC!TE Award.
The DMS-1200 is one of the core products of our Total Control whole-house control system. Check the DMS-1200 and the rest of our products out at Booth 3240 during CEDIA EXPO!
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URC Controllers Turn a Bad Integration Around
Electronic House recently profiled how The Source Home Theater used URC's MX-5000i and MX-900 to fix a sloppy prior installation for a New York City penthouse owner. Even though the MX-5000i is considered by many consumers to be a pricey remote, the homeowner understood and trusted The Source's recommendation. EH reports that he's happy he did. His key requirement was ease of use, and the MX-5000i, thanks to The Source's programming, delivers!
Thanks to The Source Home Theater for its great work. And if you have a great story to share, let us know. Maybe you'll be the next URC dealer EH features!
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Hank and Hugh Tour Canada with SF Marketing (and our new CEDIA products)
Late last month, URC took part in a three-city dealer show and training event sponsored by our Canadian distributor SF Marketing to introduce our exciting new URC Total Control system. SF Marketing is a multi-faceted company crossing many product areas, and URC was just one of the many lines featured.
Dealers attended live training meetings throughout the day. Also featured was a showroom display that allowed dealers to spend hands-on time with the products, as well as talk with the SF staff and our own Hank Eisengrein. After show hours, dealers were invited to attend dinner meetings to spend more time with the SF and URC managers.
The tour started in downtown Vancouver at the Blue Horizon Hotel's 31st-floor meeting rooms, which provided stunning views of the city skyline, as well as our Total Control, Network Series and Complete Control line of products. The economy is booming in Vancouver, so this was a busy event!
Next, the team flew to Edmonton and the Mayfield Inn & Suites, which provided a large showroom for display. URC ran two Total Control training sessions for two hours each day.
The final stop was Calgary and The Holiday Inn. Plenty of local dealers, as well as not-so-local dealers who drove quite a distance, flocked to the event. In addition to the Total Control products from URC, dealers here saw a preview of the three new Complete Control remotes that we'll formally unveil in Booth 3240 at CEDIA EXPO next week: The MX-780 OLED color PC programmed remote, the new MX-1200 color touchscreen handheld remote, and the water-resistant MXW-920 remote, which is based upon our long-time dealer favorites, the MX-900 and KP-900.
While the Western Canada dealer show and training tour was under way, URC's Hugh Hart was in the Greater Toronto Area with SF Marketing sales professionals, showing URC Total Control products to dealers in the GTA.
"SF Marketing is extremely proud to represent URC custom/professional products, and we are excited with the Total Control system and the new additions to the core Complete Control product line," said Steven Freytag, SF's general manager, Digiflex & Consumer A/V Division. "Our dealers love when Hank and Hugh can meet with them live here in Canada, close to their locations. We are happy that URC was able to bring the CEDIA excitement to our loyal Canadian dealer base."
SF Marketing, based in Dorval, Quebec, also represents the URC Commercial division in Canada, as well as many other commercial installation products. For more information, contact SF Marketing at 800-363-8855; email info@sfm.ca for general inquiries, or email Steven Freytag directly at Steven.Freytag@sfm.ca.
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URC Product of the Month: URC Total Control
This month, we highlight the URC Total Control whole-house control system, which will dominate our CEDIA EXPO Booth 3240. Total Control offers CEDIA pros one-stop shopping and non-stop performance.
Total Control delivers just what its name implies, enabling custom integrators to provide homeowners with total control of AV, lighting, climate, security and more. While many products are part of Total Control, here’s an overview of the key building blocks of the system:
The catalyst of the Total Control system is the MRX-10 Advanced Network System Controller, which enables all devices in a Total Control System to enjoy full two-way control. Through the MRX-10, users can control lighting, blinds and drapes, audio equipment, media servers and much more using Total Control remotes and keypads. As the central hub for all communication in a Total Control system, the rack-mountable MRX-10 stores and issues one-touch automation commands for all components throughout the house—even traditional AV devices that are not IP-equipped—over a home IP network. The MRX-10 delivers lightning-fast response time with 100-percent accuracy and absolutely no outside interruptions.
The DMS-1200 Multi-Zone Network Amplifier allows users to access their favorite tunes from any music device anywhere in the home, via a single Ethernet cable. The DMS-1200 provides up to eight zones of crystal-clear audio, expandable to up to 32 zones, and introduces absolutely zero added compression to audio streams, providing CD-quality audio when available. The DMS-1200 handles IP sources such as URC’s SNP-1 Streaming Network Player, which delivers Internet radio and subscription services like Rhapsody, Pandora and Sirius XM, and the PSX-2 Personal Server, one of the industry’s most advanced iPod/iPhone docking stations. Installers can deliver personalized SNP-1s and/or PSX-2s for every member of the family, bringing each person’s concept of “My Music” throughout the property. The DMS-1200’s four analog-to-digital inputs enable installers to plug in any combination of legacy analog sources with standard audio cables. For additional zones or extra rooms, the DMS-100 Single-Zone Amplifier allows installers to easily expand a Total Control audio system, either on the initial job or down the road.
Leading the way among Total Control end-user control devices is the TKP-2000 In-Wall Two-Way Network Touchscreen. Permanently connected to the home network via Power over Ethernet (PoE), the TKP-2000 offers a full-color 3.5-inch LCD touchscreen and six hard buttons, along with two-way feedback with system status for all Total Control components.
Finally, dealers will particularly enjoy URC’s Remote Off-Site Programming feature, which allows you to program and tweak Total Control systems from the comfort of your own office, reducing truck rolls.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Visit Booth 3240 and talk to one of us about everything Total Control can do for your customers—and your business!
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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Hank's Tip of the Month
By Hank Eisengrein
URC Regional Training Manager, East
This year marks another exclusive CEDIA EXPO addition of the very popular "Tips and Tricks with Hank" class. New this year, of course, is the exciting Total Control whole-house control system from URC.
Many years ago, Eric Johnson came up with the idea to have me teach a session based on the most commonly-asked questions from installers. These fun and useful facts were based on our early custom professional remote designs (MX-500 and MX-700) and feedback from the very active community on RemoteCentral.com. There are still entire sections available on RemoteCentral that cover the basics of using and programming a custom remote control.
One enduring topic involves the different techniques for learning an IR code from a factory remote control into a custom programmed remote control. My top tip for learning is to always use fresh batteries in the factory remote control. There's more to it than just pushing a button. Time-tested workarounds help you, the professional installer, capture IR codes and use them for system programming. Funny names such as "the flutter effect," "lights out," "flyboy," "the substitute teacher" and "duck blind" are the basis of these tricks. Our good friend Daniel Tonks has the archive available here, and it continues to be a very helpful set of tools for learning IR codes.
Another common question we're asked at URC is "How do I find a code?" Two years ago at CEDIA, I taught a segment in the annual Tips and Tricks class on this popular topic. URC has a set of videos available, including a nine-minute video (featuring a much fatter version of Hank) that explains this process. Just logon to our password-protected dealer website, URCControlRoom.com, and click the Video Gallery tab on the What's Hot page. Once inside the Video Gallery, you'll find a video segment titled "Where can I find those missing IR codes?" which was produced by Mitch Klein. While you're in the Video Gallery section, don't forget to watch my MX-450 Sham WOW, Slap Chop, Orange Glo video, too!
For the past two years at CEDIA, my Tips and Tricks classes have featured top tech tips taken directly from the fine staff at URC HQ in our customer service department. Joe Salvatore and his team have contributed information collected for his weekly reports on the top five tech support issues. I always ask our team to provide me with new information, and this year is no different. And, for the first time, at CEDIA EXPO 2011, we'll have Total Control tips to share with the crowd.
Please make plans in your busy schedule to attend my class, which will be held in Training Rooms 107/108, just steps away from the show floor, on Friday, September 9, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. I look forward, as always, to a full house; pre-register at CEDIA's website if you want a seat. I'll have new real-world stories from my constant travel in the field with you, the loyal URC dealer. Rest assured that the 2011 edition of Hank's Tips and Tricks will be a memorable event.
I also strongly encourage you to attend several of our other CEDIA EXPO training classes. You can see the list here.
And of course, stop by our URC booth, 3240, and meet the people from URC headquarters who work so hard to bring you the finest custom professional products. You'll know you're there when you hear Jeff Wagner screaming about Total Control.
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Be Social
By Cindy Davis
Principal and Founder, customCEsocial
It's not as if you need to add a "social element" to get a lot out of CEDIA EXPO. This isn't an ordinary group of exhibitors and attendees. The slight tweak of a legacy speaker or the launch of a new cable connector is enough to break out the keg at the end of the show day and party.
But what better group to appreciate the tapping out of tweets, updates and uploading videos to YouTube on smartphones and iPads (just got mine) than you guys?!?
Here are five tips for "being social" at CEDIA:
Manage your various social networks, as well as keep track of more than one stream, by downloading a social media dashboard app to your smartphone or tablet, such as TweetDeck or HootSuite (both free).
To maximize your social time, load up your social accounts ahead of the expo with popular Twitter hashtags, and you’ll start to discover which people (“influencers”) you want to follow. The official CEDIA hashtag is #CEDIA11. Jamie Riley, CEDIA’s Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations, says, “There is a great group of Tweeps that converse using the hashtag #AVTweeps.” In addition, use #AVchat, #AVNews and #CEDIA. “Pay attention to key influencers or companies that interest you the most,” Jamie adds. “You never know what type of deals and information they are going to have. Also, download the CEDIA EXPO App; we will be communicating directly with the App users the week of EXPO.”
If there is one custom install company that I feel uses social media to its max, the award would have to go to Maryland-based Gramophone. I asked Gramophone Marketing Director Kate Hudkins to open her social media “little black book” to share what Twitter accounts she’ll be following and why:
“@AVwriter and @JulieJacobson because they’re both great, and seem to have a solid grasp of Twitter. They retweet the important items, and provide nice perspectives on the industry.”
“@CEDIA for information about the show, retweets of important announcements, etc.”
“@CustomRetailer. Great conversationalist on Twitter. I like following this account because it lets me eavesdrop on the conversations going on in our industry.”
“@HTSA_. As a member of HTSA, this account provides me with valuable and relevant information.”
“@ihiji is informative and provides a wide array of information in easy-to-digest and easy-to-understand tweets. They’re not just tweeting about their brand, but about the industry.”
Don’t just preach to the choir. Share your excitement about cool new products you find at CEDIA EXPO with your customers. Your Facebook account is the best place to post an image, a quick description and a benefit. “Look at what I’m bringing back to the store!”
If you’re reading this newsletter, you’ll want to follow URC’s Twitter account, @URCRemotePatrol on Twitter and like its Facebook page to keep up-to-date on new product announcements during CEDIA. And if you haven’t yet, check out URC’s YouTube Channel, where some of the videos would be perfect to share with your customers to show the benefits of a universal remote or Total Control system that you’d like to install for them.
Continue to follow these social resources after the show, and you'll have tons of free and helpful content to share with your customers.
I would like to suggest someone start the hashtag #CEDIAkegger. Now there's a Tweetup waiting to happen. However, with this group, it would be more like a Mashup. Cheers!
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,here, here, here and here.
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Tech Tips
By Joe Salvatore
URC Technical Support Manager
A little bit of service goes a long way, but a whole lot of service goes even further!
Clients whose dealers go the extra mile for them, especially in extreme circumstances, usually refer their dealers to other prospective clients for one primary reason: Great service. And the most memorable service usually comes in emergency situations that allow you, the dealer, to deliver maximum impact. Excelling in such situations helps propel you worlds apart from your competition.
Thousands were without power here on the East Coast recently after being pounded by Hurricane Irene. It's safe to assume that most people were more worried about their fridges, their HVAC systems, and the fact that they were unable to bathe before they even thought about using their entertainment systems. Undoubtedly, they weren't thinking that their AV dealers would step up to the rescue. On the other hand, imagine if you kept a couple of portable generators lying around, reserved your best clients? Your customer would never forget this, and word would likely spread to his or her friends about your above-and-beyond service.
A much more mundane strategy, but no less effective, is to provide loaner gear when clients experience defective units or other unexpected troubles. The remote, in particular, is the most integral part of a customer's system, so why leave your customer unable to control his or her system if something happens to the remote? It's so simple to load a duplicate version of any customer's program file into a loaner keypad or remote while waiting on return service. Keeping loaner gear on hand is 100 percent worth the expense in terms of keeping your clients happy.
Our best to all of you who were impacted by Hurricane Irene. Let's hope hurricane season is over soon!
We're in this industry because we have a passion for the gear, the technology, the smiles we put on our customer's faces (and our own!).
One of the most exciting industry things to do is attend the annual CEDIA EXPO, which returns next week to Indianapolis.
As I get my excitement on for the show, I've come up with the Top 10 reasons you should be excited about heading to Indy. Hey, maybe I'll convince some last-minute procrastinators to join us there too.
The energy. All kinds of things hot and new will be on display. You can’t get that buzz on a website or in a magazine.
The annual URC party. Without a doubt, our party is always a huge event during CEDIA. This year, you’ll get to play all the arcades, hit the bowling lanes, chalk up the cue and play pool, eat, drink and mingle with friends at [CENSORED] on Thursday evening. However, you NEED an admission badge to get in, and the only places you can get one is during our trainings on Wednesday or at our booth (3240) on Thursday. NO ONE will be admitted without a badge this year. So get a badge and come party with us!
Hank Eisengrein’s Tips and Tricks class. Friday afternoon from 4:00 to 5:30. If you’ve been to Hank’s legendary class in the past, you know it’s always a high point! If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
That one thing that makes the show so worthwhile. Chances are, something at CEDIA EXPO will change your life, improve your efficiency, help you close your deals faster than ever. It may be where you least expect it! So it’s worth it to come out and look.
Check out the competition. So you keep running into brand XYZ from your competitor? CEDIA EXPO is a great opportunity to really check it out: touch it, play with it, and see why your stuff is better and how you can sell YOUR system designs over theirs.
Distributors are great, but… Do you rely on your distributors to let you know what’s hot and what’s new? Well, as great as distributors can be, they might have over 65,000 items in their back room, making that a tall order. Come to the show and find out for yourself what products are out there.
URC Total Control. It’s HOT and you need to experience it! Booth 3240!
URC Training. We have the best trainers in the industry, and they’ll be in Indy. Will you?
Free stuff! Spin and win an MRX-10, TRC-780 or other URC product. Don’t know what they are? You REALLY need to come to Indy! I hope to see you there!
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URC Tool Box App of the Month
KP-4000 Template for dbx ZonePRO 1260/1261 via IP
The KP-4000 is an ideal control panel for restaurants, sports bars, health clubs and so many more commercial applications. This template will get you started on setting up and programming the popular dbx ZonePRO digital processor with a KP-4000/MRX-1 control system.
To access this app 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.
Late last month, our master distributor for Europe, BMB Electronics, hosted a URC Total Control Training at its head office in The Netherlands. The training was specifically for BMB's Dutch-speaking customers. BMB's Renny Vos reports that the attendees "liked the Total Control solution and were very enthusiastic about the products!" You can check out some photos of the event here.
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Upcoming Events
Stay up-to-date with our training and events schedule for September. Click Here
