Why You Need Our HDM-GA1

In previous posts, we discussed our HDM-GA1 and the three awards it won during CEDIA 2015 in Dallas.  Awards are great but if our customers do not understand WHY this product is winning awards, then Metra Home is not educating our customers.  Education is key to staying on top of the CI game and here at Metra Home we want to be the go-to resource for CI questions. 

We made our name in the early days of HDMI by providing the first “Made in America” long distance HDMI cable solution, and we have continued to develop and refine these capability with our latest (and still) “Made in America” extender the HDM-GA1.

4K and HDR are real, products will be shipping this Christmas and in the hands of your clients by the first of the year. How will this affect you and more importantly how do you plan your installs to accommodate this expanded bandwidth requirement? 

Well… if your jobs are based around category cable extenders or current Redmere enabled cables, you will be in a world of hurt as neither of these technologies truly support 4K/60 4:4:4 or HDR content.  If instead you use the older style passive HDMI cables (up to 15 meters in length) you can take your jobs forward and include ANY capability that HDMI 2.0A by using our HDM-GA1.

The HDM-GA1 allows the installer to utilize existing in-wall passive HDMI cables up to 15 meters in length to upgrade and support the full 4K/60, 4:4:4, HDR signal soon to be available in many video products.  We know that there are a lot of systems already installed in the real world that have quality passive HDMI cables in them and we also know that as an integrator you must build into the job the best possible avenue for future technology expansion.  Again the HDM-GA1 is the solution, why beat your head against the wall with worry about will a given format support what is coming when we already have the answer.

Here is what the HDM-GA1 will do for you.

1: It will take an existing passive HDMI cable up to 15 meters in length and allow it to support every single option that HDMI 2.0A can provide. That means 4/60, 4:4:4 Color, 3D, all available Multi-Channel Audio Codecs and (most importantly) High Dynamic Resolution [HDR].

2: When (not if) technology exceeds the HDMI 2.0A bandwidth all that you will need to do is replace the HDM-GA1 with the newer, higher bandwidth model.

3: My favorite, “ESD” damage, if you have an active that becomes damaged by “ESD” (electro static discharge) you can just write it off, there is no way to repair this damage and you must replace the cable. However if you are using a passive cable with our HDM-GA1, when this type of damage occurs you need only replace the HSM-GA1 and leave the cable alone.

An easy 4K/HDR upgrade solution.  It. Just. Works.

Feedback From Las Vegas

Last week Jason and Bob were at the ISC WEST Show at the Sands in Las Vegas.  This is the first time Metra Home Theater Group has exhibited at this show and we featured our Spyclops line.  I hear the show went well and the booth looked fantastic.  When the staff returns, I like to ask a few standard questions to get a feel for a show and how it went, how to improve, etc. I email them the questions and they answer them within the first few days of being back in the office.   I work with some funny people and sometimes these answers make me laugh.  This was one of those times.  I decided to make it my ISE Show Wrap up post because it shows why we are such a tight group here at Metra Home Theater Group.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

1. What did you learn at the show?  Las Vegas is just as hard on us Floridians in April as it is in January when we are there for CES.  When breaking down the booth we need to make sure our crates get there on time.  It’s difficult to work hard when your body is craving humidity.
2. What did you think about booth location?  I think by the time people got back to us, they had seen it all and they gave us a glance and turned around.  Still got some good leads in between nose bleeds.  Also, we need to make sure we do a nose check during the show.  Nose bleeds can happen at any time and scare people off no matter where we are located next year.
3. How many exhibitors were there?  Over 10000 and they all had big TVs in their booths.  We need big TVs next year to help draw in the crowds. 
4. What can we do to improve at the show next year?  Didn't you just ask that?  Well, big TVs are the way to go next year.  They catch the eye and will bring in traffic. Packing a humidifier in the crates so we are prepared for environment will also save us from multiple trips to the store after the show.
5. What was one positive from the show?  Break down goes really fast when you are ready to get home and breath the fresh Florida air full of humidity.

New Videos Are Ready for Viewing

Have you visited our YouTube channel? Metra Home Theater Group uses the channel to educate our customers (current and potential) on the products we provide.  YouTube is another great way to feature our best asset – our dedicated staff.  

We just wrapped our latest installment of videos and they are uploaded and ready to view at your leisure.  Go here  to check out the latest videos featuring our own Brent McCall and Miranda Grantham.   If this is your first visit to our channel, surf around make sure to view older videos and see why we are #MoreThanProducts.

Please feel free to leave a comment suggesting a topic for our next round of videos we plan on doing to kick off our countdown to CEDIA 2015 in Dallas.  

Metra Home Theater Group will showcase the Spyclops Surveillance Systems line, April 15 to 17, 2015 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, NV.

Jason Lundell and Bob Pancari will be attending the ISC West Show in Las Vegas, NV this week.  This is the first time Metra Home Theater Group has attended this show and we are excited.   We have been in Vegas for other shows but they have been held in the HUGE convention center.  ISC West is held in the Sands.  We feel that the more intimate booth conditions will give future customers a more one-on-one experience. These conditions are where customers learn about our best feature - our award-winning staff which is why we are #MoreThanProducts.

But the show is about products and Spyclops product line will be featured at this show.  The line includes camera accessories, as well as DVRs and DVR kits designed to work with compatible power distribution systems.  There is, of course, a remote surveillance service with 24/7 access via Web browser or smart phone.  Specifically, the Spyclops line includes bullet indoor/outdoor security cameras; domestic dome style cameras; 16-, 8- and 4-channel DVRs; 5-, 9- and 18-way power distribution boxes and various security cable.  Metra’s three new DVRs feature full 960H recording capability on all channels. In addition to higher recording resolution, the new DVRs offer four sensor inputs with one alarm output, as well as upgraded hard drives that are designed for 24/7 use.

Metra Home Theater Group cannot talk about our Spyclops line without mentioning our tech support.  We have designated employee that answers our tech line to help with all of your Spyclops tech support issues.  Deanna Mann is here for something as simple and unplugging the RJ45 Ethernet Cable from the back of a DVR to adjusting the masking area to no blue boxes, she can help.  Deanna is an example of how dedicated to excellent customer service we are here at Metra Home Theater Group and why we are #MoreThanProducts.

If you are attending ISC West next week – stop by booth #29109 to see for yourself how we are there for our customers.

Welcome Changes to Metra Home Theater Group

Metra Home Theater Group has made some changes to continue providing our award winning customer services.

•                     Please welcome our new Northeast US Territory Manager, Bob Pancari.  Bob brings with him 15 years of sales experience. 

•                     We also have a new Regional West Coast Sales Representative, Zak Yarnell.  Zak has worked in the manufacturing industry for last 5 years and brings with him extensive sales and supply chain knowledge.

•                     Miranda Grantham has been promoted to National Sales Manager. 

•                     Jason Lundell has also been promoted to Southern U.S. Territory Manager and Product Specialist.

•                     Erika Baily has been transferred to the Southeast Region with Jason Lundell from the West Coast.

To stay informed on all the exciting things that Metra Home Theater Group does, follow us on social media.

The Confusion Surrounding 4K

Last week, the blog discussed what 4K means to the customer and it caused quite the stir with my CI co-workers.  In an effort to clear things up a little and to add to the controversy of the subject, this post will outline some of the topics discussed in our offices.

Right now, 4K to the CI means confusion. This is because 4K, to most people (consumers), means twice as many pixels horizontally and twice as many pixels vertically to make up the picture on the TV.  4K meant the HD picture quality had to be improved for the consumer wanting bigger and bigger TVs.  Non-4K TVs have a 1080p picture with 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically.  Since the 4K televisions double both the number of horizontal and vertical pixels, we get: 2 x 1920 = 3840 and 2 x 1080 =2160.  Meaning 3840 x 2160, which equals 4K for the consumer.  This doubling is where the consumer gets the term 4K.  Here is a visual that helps people grasp exactly what that math represents:

However, the term 4K is not interchangeable for both the professional and the consumer version of this technology.  The term “4K” has been pushed on the consumer, but there is a professional 4K, which is totally different. Technically, “4K” is not correct when discussing the professional grade in cinemas and theaters.  The CI using the commercial grade resolution is actually dealing with a picture that is 4096 x 2160 pixels and call this the “real 4K.” This does not sound near as sleek as 4K – I can understand why the marketers wanted to use 4K. It just sounds better, but is confusing the subject.

To distinguish between the two, the Consumer Electronics Association coined the term ULTRA HD, or UHD for short.  For whatever reason, the TV makers stuck with 4K instead. It just sounds better than UHD.  Because it still is confusing to the professional CI to have two terms, things (at least for now) seem to have settled on using the term UHD 4K for consumer TVs.  I guess that is so they can leave room for UHD 8K in the future - which really will make things more confusing.

My question is why couldn’t the /Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) use one term for the consumer (ULTRA HD Anyone) and 4K for the CI?  Like regular gas and premium gas.  I am sure the concept would have caught on and not have confused a soul.

What is 4K?

4K ready cables.  4K televisions.  The term “4K” is being thrown around a lot lately and does anyone really know what it means?  I recently tried to explain the importance of 4K and how it will impact everyone’s life one day over dinner with a group of friends.  I was met with “I just don’t get it” comments.  Undeterred, I went to work and started a conversation on what is the best way to educate the consumer on the importance of 4K.  Other co-workers have had similar conversations with their friends and family members. 

“What is this 4K I keep hearing about? Should I care? Is this something that should be important to me?”

“I understand that it is something to do with TVs, but does that mean I have to replace all my other gear to go with it – a new Blu-ray player, a new AV receiver, new Blu-rays, new set top boxes or even new cables?”

“Will I have to upgrade my subscriptions to services like Netflix?”

These are some of the questions that came up in our office during our discussion of how to educate customers on the importance of 4K.  These questions led me to this blog post and what needs to be addressed first.  Metra Home Theater Group needs to define what 4K is for our customers before anyone will understand why it is important.

THE DEFINITION OF 4K – stands for four times the resolution of a high definition 1080p TV picture to newer TVs.  The picture looks stunning, especially with 4K content.  The terms 4K and/ or Ultra High Definition (UHD) can be used interchangeably.  So if you are in the market for a new TV, purchase a 4K TV because 4K is coming and according to statistics released by Strategy Analytics, half of U.S. homes will have Ultra HD/4K TVs by 2020.

Eventually, customers will have to purchase a new Blu-ray player and Blu-ray movies, but they are not available for purchase yet.  Most UHD TVs are Smart TVs which means you can watch UHD/4K content using Netflix or Amazon.  In addition, receivers older than six months may not support the UHD content.  Meaning, if you want to see UHD/4K content on your new TVs, you will need an updated receiver.  As the standard moves toward UHD, cables that support UHD content will have to be used in conjunction with your components.  Investing in UHD/4K ready cables will be necessary at this time.

The best advice that Metra Home Theater Group can give you at this moment is the following:  if purchasing a new TV and you plan on having it for 3 years, get 4K Smart TV and the UHD cables needed.  Start making the investment so you are prepared when 4K/UHD becomes the standard. 

Top Ten Things Learned at ISE 2015

In a few hours our staff is flying back from Amsterdam after exhibiting at the Integrated System Europe Show.  Unfortunately I did not attend this show but I was in hourly communication with the staff to say informed and engaged on social media.  Trying to cover a show while not being at the show was a challenge and sometimes humorous.

Here is a list of the top ten things I learned from ISE 2015 while not attending:

1. Brent, when tired uses Ethereal Home Theater, the former name of Metra Home Theater Group in a rAVe Pubs video.
2. Demonstration videos create booth traffic
3. Make note of time difference when texting staff in Amsterdam, sorry guys.
4. ISE attendance has exploded
5. ISE is the fastest growing and best attended AV show in the industry
6. The show next year will be 4 days instead of 3.
7. ISE2015 was a parade of innovative projectors, displays, video walls and 4K everything.
8. If we want an eye catching booth for ISE 2015, we need holograms and videos.
9. 99% of the crowd know exactly what they do and what they need
10. The Marketing Director should attend next year!

Our Staff - The Best Reason to Follow this Blog

To be relevant today in the electronic industry one must be online. By online, I mean online on all of the relevant platforms.  How do you determine which platforms are relevant?  Well, as the new (and first) Marketing Director at Metra Home Theater Group I started using the platforms I used personally.  With that being said, it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t start with a strategy.  I have pared down this list and decided to start with a blog for Metra Home Theater Group with the goal of giving our customers more information that they can use in their businesses.

Now, blogs have to be interesting and current to obtain followers.  Luckily for me, I have a writer’s gold mine at my disposal because I get to work with all of the colorful characters here at Metra Home Theater Group.  I mean this in the nicest possible way.  The staff of our home theater division is the hardest working, most intelligent and eclectic group of people. Thanks to their amazing knowledge base, I never know what subject will be the topic for the day, and thanks to their sense of humor the topics are also not guaranteed to be politically correct.  While our friendly conversations are not the domain of human resources, they are often very helpful to learn from each other and help translate what Metra does to our customers.  It was during one of these conversations that the idea occurred to me that I needed to do a blog for Metra Home Theater Group.  I’m very happy that I have the opportunity to sprinkle in the characters of MHTG with the business information.  We are a highly entertaining group and I think our customers whole heartedly agree. 

The Metra Home Theater Staff at CEDIA 2014

I plan for the blog to be informative and entertaining for my followers.  In addition to the latest in product development, this blog will star the hard working staff of Metra Home Theater Group.  Have my blog posts emailed directly to your in-box so you can read all about the fun group in Holly Hill, Florida!  Because where else will you find the technical director of 4k HDMI and the CFO discussing the death museum in California?

ISE 2015

Our staff leaves this weekend for the ISE show in Amsterdam, NL.  Put our booth # 7-R165 on your schedule.

Customer Service - Metra's Key to Success

Metra Home Theater Group is a leading source of electronics accessories for over 65 years, and this longevity is greatly due to the manufacturer’s investment in taking the time to understand the needs of residential integrators. We believe that customer service and technical support includes professional troubleshooting and brainstorming installation questions right alongside the customers. Product manager Brent McCall—who picks up the customer service line from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week—understands that integrators need to both comprehend the installation inside and out as well as look great in front of their client. McCall, who has been in the industry since 1978, is comfortable taking application specific questions, working out contingencies, or even flow charting the system to take an overhead view and find the best solution. Metra Home Theater Group excels at customer service because their team appreciates the opportunity to discuss the many facets of technology. 

We are a Residential Systems Stellar Service Award winner due to this dedication to customer service.  Congratulations to all the staff on receiving this award.  The entire staff’s dedication to customer service is what makes Metra Home Theater Group stand out from the competition.

Metra Home Theater is Exhibiting at CES 2015

Today is the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and Metra Home Theater Group is ready for the crowd to visit booth #12434.  Some of the staff flew out here on December 27th to begin putting together the booth.  Here is picture of the booth in progress with one of our hard working staff.

 

 

We kick off our year at this tradeshow and it is always a great show.  We have a feeling that it is going to be the best show to date. Why you might ask?  Well, for starters the booth was up WAY ahead of schedule something that has not happen in a long time.  Everyone is calm, relaxed and rested for the show to kick off January 6th at 10 am.  Also, we are exhibiting our new kits.  Our customers wanted kits and we delivered Spyclops and 4K Accessory Kits.  In addition, as the industry leader for 4K accessories,  we are showing our Ultra HD cable line at CES.  These HDMI high speed cables are designed for HD connections utilizing displays with 4K/60 capability for superior high definition picture and sound. 

 

 

As a large show there are lots of new products from all the industry leaders which produces a certain magic to a show this size.  The convention center is huge, really huge.  The booths are just as mammoth.   The day before the show most booths look like it would take another week to pull them together.  Yet, like magic, the first day of the show each and every booth is ready.  It's like CES fairies help out the night before the show to help get them in shape for opening day. 

 

If you are attending CES 2015, stop by our booth (behind Samsung's booth) # 12434.  Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more pictures of the magic of CES.