Inside CI

Distributor OneAV has added the new MOTIV building automation platform to its portfolio. Powered by Niko Home Control, MOTIV is described as the next stage in the evolution of the established Niko ecosystem, and spans lighting, climate, shading, ventilation, energy management, and access control.

Smart home Control4 Case Study Perched on a peninsula overlooking North Carolina's Lake Norman, a luxury waterfront residence has been completely transformed through a 16-month whole-home renovation that took the property back to its structural shell before rebuilding it around a contemporary vision that balances design and technology.

Cables Hi-fi home cinema Cable specialist QED has unveiled a revamped Performance range, bringing together speaker cables, interconnects, digital audio, optical, Ethernet and USB models under a unified connectivity portfolio. The new line-up comprises 13 core product categories and is intended to simplify cable selection across a wide range of sources, from turntables and CD players through to TVs, streamers, DACs and networked audio devices.

CEDIA Smart home home cinema New research reveals optimism across the UK custom installation market, with 67 per cent of firms expecting revenues to increase, while skilled labour remains the industry's biggest challenge.

Loewe has expanded its We.BOOST wireless home cinema system with a new dedicated centre speaker, providing a more straightforward path to a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup. The centre speaker connects wirelessly via the We.BOOST Dongle, with a USB software update enabling the system to recognise and integrate the new channel. The brand says the idea is to strengthen front‑stage focus and dialogue clarity, without adding cabling or forcing a move to a more complex AV stack.

Training AI Smart home POLAR will formally introduce AISpeech to the UK and Irish professional AV market at the Frezza Showroom in central London on October 14. POLAR was recently appointed exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for the Chinese manufacturer of conversational AI technology. The event is aimed at system integrators and end users, giving them an opportunity to see the technology in operation and meet the AISpeech team.

PMC marked its 35th anniversary with a music‑industry celebration at the Capitol Records Tower, Los Angeles, showcasing its newest main monitor systems to artists, engineers and industry executives. The event brought together Grammy‑winning performers, producers and senior figures from Universal Music Group for an evening of live music and critical listening.

home cinema Hi-fi Training L‑Acoustics and Audiologic are hosting a trade Open Day in London on October 8, giving installers a rare chance to experience HYRISS and the full L‑Acoustics installation portfolio in a residential‑style showroom. The event takes place at L‑Acoustics’ Highgate facility and follows Audiologic’s recent appointment as a Certified Provider Distributor for L‑Acoustics installation products across the UK and Ireland.

I flew out to Denver on my own this year for CEDIA Expo and, in some ways, it felt a little different from previous trips. I’ve been coming to CEDIA shows for a very long time and, for much of my career, I’d arrive with a fairly fixed agenda. There would be brands to represent, customers to entertain, meetings booked from morning until night and usually a team of people around me. This time I had a bit more freedom.

projectors home cinema Epson Epson has lifted the curtain on a new generation of 4K laser home cinema projectors, utilising AI‑driven picture optimisation. The range is centred on the latest iteration of Epson’s 3LCD laser platform, here enhanced with AI imaging powered by an MT9681 chipset with Matter support and Google Home, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant integration for smart‑home control.