SVI Magazine

Held at AWE’s headquarters in Epson, Surrey, over 100 trade professionals attended the two-day product showcase and training event which boasted a number of new product launches from brands within the distributor’s ever-expanding portfolio. Amongst those touting their high-tech wares were Philips, Xantech, Pioneer, Cineversum and, the latest addition to the AWE family, award-winning British manufacturer Arcam – a deal that was announced at the show. As the exclusive distributor for Arcam's new range of CI-focused products and existing SOLO products, AWE will stock the MZ8 and MZ12 8- and 12-channel multi-zone power amplifiers, the FMJ T32 DAB tuner and the complete SOLO range of music and movie systems – all of which boast RS232 control.

Known for their slick design and user-friendly interfaces, another highlight was the latest addition to the Philips Pronto range of controllers. This is the slimline TSU-9300, which sports an intuitive rotary cursor and 2.8-inch QVGA colour touchscreen, and not only has the same graphical capabilities as its big brother, the TSU-9400, but also offers the same reliable Wi-Fi as the TSU-9400, 9600 and 9800. Bringing RS232 and IP control to a new price point, the TSU-9300 comes in an aluminium and black gloss finish, and has a user interface that can be completely customised to suit the individual needs of both installer and end-user. Also present, and sure to be a hit with interior designers and consumers alike, the new custom-finished Pronto TSU-9600 made its début appearance – hand-finished in sumptuous leather.

life's a screen
The competition between flatscreen manufacturers has always been fierce, and this year's event provided the opportunity to compare the offerings of two heavyweights: Panasonic and Pioneer. Appearing next to the legendary Pioneer KURO, the new Panasonic TH-50VX100e Custom Home Theatre plasma was on display, alongside its range-mate, the TH-65EX100e. Both of these flagship displays boast a high level of video processing with smooth motion, thanks to 18-bit chipsets, while four HDMI inputs and RS232 control ensure excellent connectivity – available solely through authorised dealers, the exclusive Panasonic Custom Home Theatre (CHT) range is set to be a favourite amongst installers.

Also keen to promote their latest innovation, Philips attracted a great deal of attention by demonstrating the brand new 56-inch Cinema 21:9 LCD screen. Touted as an ideal screen for watching movies on, each unit boasts five HDMI sockets, Full HD resolution, a response time of just 0.1-milliseconds and will display films in the 2.39:1 format without the black bars above and below the picture present on more standard displays.

Flying the flag for projectors, the recently launched, state-of-the-art Cineversum BlackWing One put in a notable appearance. Beneath the iconic chassis, designed by Antoine Béon in Paris, this unit boasts the 3-chip LCOS Full HD engine which delivers an impressive 15,000:1 contrast ratio. In addition to enhancing the input signal quality, the internal HQV video-processor also removes video noise, ensuring the best possible picture. With an operating noise level of less than 20dB, each projector is carefully tested and individually calibrated for out-of-the-box performance.

let's get digital
Part of AWE’s brand offerings for the past year, Xantech showed off the MRC88M multi-room controller and HD-88 video switcher. An upgraded version of the popular MRC88, the 8-source, 8-zone, MRC88M controller offers faster serial control, intelligent power sensing, IR routing, and can give full metadata on optional LCD touchscreens when combined with the Xantech XIS100 iPod dock or XiVaLink servers.

Ideal for on-screen selection from products such as media servers and security cameras, each switched zone is provided with audio out and composite video outputs, while the video switching can be upgraded to HD over component or CAT5, plus digital audio, via optional HD-88 products. Designed for multi-dwellings or installations where cost is a factor, the new Xantech Digi-5 range of digital multi-zone, multi-room audio products were also on display.

On a CAT5-based system which provides fully distributed digital music system at the price of analogue, this new product line-up is configurable for single or multi-zone concurrent listening in four locations, and is expandable to up to 32 locations. Available in multiple form factors such as a structure wiring module and an equipment rack model, additional features include room EQ and local and shared source switching in each room, while all hubs, both racks and the wall mounts also feature RS232 control ports.

last words
“The AWE Expo has once again exceeded our expectations,” commented Stuart Tickle, Managing Director of AWE. “Visitors really appreciate the chance to see brand new products close-up, meet manufacturer representatives and put important questions to them as well as brush up on their training. The AWE Expo is now a valued and proven forum for this exchange of information. We’re already making plans for the next event in the series.”


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
+44 (0)1372 729 777 http://www.awe-europe.co.uk