Letter from
Marilyn Sanford
President, La Scala
With spring upon us, Vancouver is still humming with the sounds of ongoing residential and business development. Construction continues to hit record levels which also has us bustling. It’s an exciting time for us at La Scala.
In addition to bringing home a Silver Award for Best Integrated Home System at the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Show (CEDIA), we’ve been busy evaluating all the latest technologies and innovative products from this show and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). We feature two such products in this issue of Playback. Of course, the best of this new technology will be available at La Scala, driving the performance of our systems to an even higher level.
Aside from introducing new products, there are a couple of initiatives we’ve been developing and are pleased to announce:
New Smaller Project Focus
Though we’re mostly known for our larger more sophisticated projects, we’ve launched a distinct department focused on delivering our talents and knowledge to smaller projects, with shorter timelines. Be assured, you’ll still receive the best experience and great value, always with our 24/7 365-day service guarantee – both during and after installation.
Service Agreements
We’re revamping our service program to create a deeper partnership with our clients and to show appreciation for their patronage over the years. In addition to our current Elite program, which provides free maintenance as well as an annual check-up, La Scala is introducing a new program that provides reduced rates as well as priority response. Contact us for more details.
So far, 2007 has been an interesting year with much more on the horizon. Our dedicated and diligent team of experts would love to answer your questions, share more information with you about new technologies and initiatives and demonstrate the latest gear in action. We look forward to it and hope to hear from you soon.
CEDIA Expo
Custom Electronic Designers and Installers Association
Denver, Colorado
More than 28,000 people attended the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Show, (CEDIA), breaking previous records as the largest and most successful trade show in the organization’s 17-year history. Of course, La Scala was there to see and evaluate the latest and greatest.
CEDIA’s purpose is to build recognition and acceptance for this specialized and rapidly growing field, which has only recently become better known outside the consumer-electronics industry. Homeowners are coming to expect more when it comes to high-end home entertainment, whole-home automation and home networking. CEDIA provides awareness and appreciation for the specialized knowledge and skill-set of custom residential electronic systems contractors. These specialized contractors are becoming highly sought after as the demand for home theatre, multi-room audio and video, lighting control and integrated systems continues to rise.
CEDIA Expo also provides training opportunities for Industry participants, as well as hosting in excess of 450,000 sq ft of exhibitor space dedicated to the latest in home technologies and support solutions.
2007 International CES
Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
Las Vegas, Nevada
With more than 140,000 attendees from across the globe experiencing the latest consumer technology products from 2,700 exhibitors, the 2007 International CES reinforced its status as the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the 2007 International CES show floor buzzed with more than 20,000 exciting product launches and major partnership announcements.
A surge of display technologies debuted on the show floor with record-breaking sizes and even greater resolution. Other exciting technologies on the show floor included the hottest products in digital imaging, robotics, in-vehicle entertainment, content-shifting devices and gaming, as well as the latest advancements in high-performance audio and home theatre.
CES was also host to a distinguished panel of industry speakers, including Microsoft's Bill Gates, Motorola's Ed Zander, Disney's Robert Iger, Dell's Michael Dell and CBS' Leslie Moonves. For additional information on the 2007 International CES, including keynote transcripts, photos and a complete list of conference sessions, visit www.CESweb.org.
Silver Win: Best Integrated Home System – Global Convention
We’re very proud to have received a Silver Award for Best Integrated Home System at the International CEDIA Awards ceremony.
This covers multi-technologies including Home Theatre, Multi Room Audio and Video, Lighting and Touch Screen Controls, Security, Surveillance, Communications and LAN Networks. These are sophisticated projects judged by a panel of experts on the basis of overall design, fit and finish and difficulties encountered.
High Definition DVD
The television has come a long way since Scottish inventor John Logie Baird first introduced the original mechanical contraption to the public in 1926. Today the home entertainment selection is abundant with LCD TV, HDTV and Plasma TV’s saturating the market, coupled with the vast selection of DVD players, projectors and audio capabilities – the possibilities for a superior home cinema experience seem endless.
Continuing to lead the evolution in high definition DVD, Toshiba has introduced its second-generation HD DVD boxes. Building upon the success of its first generation units and the increased demand for high-definition content, Toshiba’s two new HD DVD players – the HD-A2 entry-level model and the top of the line HD-XA2 model are exciting products. The HD-A2 is limited to 1080i output, while its big brother, the HD-XA2, offers 1080p output. Our overall experience with the Toshiba models has been very positive, though it is slow to boot.
Video Projectors
We’re excited to announce the arrival of the new 1080p three-chip digital projection system by Meridian. Taking high performance theatre to a new level, this system uses the JVC Dila and Faroudja technologies and offers improved contrast ratio, excellent shadow detail and film-accurate colour.
With a native resolution equal to full-bandwidth High Definition, the D-ILA1080MF1 Digital Projector takes all the beauty and drama of the original source, reproducing with stunning accuracy.
Heather Sanford
Heather, our customer service representative, works behind the scenes to ensure that our valued customers’ needs are met. Looking after scheduling, coordinating service calls and handling product warranty are all key activities in her day. Heather is working on her degree part time. She has a flare for languages, speaking Dutch and French, and she is currently studying Spanish at SFU. This is undoubtedly part of what makes Heather such an effective and key communicator at La Scala.
Marilyn Sanford is President and Co-owner of La Scala, a Vancouver-based custom installation business, and past President of CEDIA Canada. For more information, please visit www.lascala.ca