IE Residential presents the latest online news, features and interviews on residential custom installation technology, including home cinema, whole-house audio, media servers, home automation, lighting control, iPhone and iPad control, and CEDIA Region 1 news – plus the Residential Systems Europe archive.
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Suppliers and installers joined forces to create a cut-price entertainment masterpiece for a children's hospice in Scotland, which included kit from JVC, Current Audio, Lutron and Pioneer.

Originally established in 1995, T&T Automation has gradually progressed from an initial base in voice and data engineering to enjoy a formidable presence in the UK and North American residential installation sectors. Managing director Tony Harper tells David Davies about the evolution of the company and the nature of its current workload.

Among the topics covered in the second part of our roundtable discussion on lighting control are: the problems around controlling LED, and what's being done to resolve them; drivers of future growth in the marketplace; and one area in which this 'grown-up' part of the CI portfolio (as it was described in part one) is still somewhat immature. Paddy Baker reports.

Lighting control is perhaps a more 'grown-up' area of technology than much of the CI product space - with its ability to solve real-life problems rather than simply entertain. But what do customers want and expect from the technology? How important is energy efficiency? These were just some of the topics covered in the 'AWEsome Forum' roundtable discussion convened by AWE Europe and IE Residential. Paddy Baker reports.

Vincent McAtamney (pictured) is preparing to roll-out three designer home cinema packages in a bid to bring a more all-encompassing approach to this competitive segment of the CI market. He spoke to David Davies about the development of these concepts and the history of his company, SMS Control Systems.

Once again this year, the CEDIA Region 1 AGM was preceded by the association’s Business and Technology Forum. This consisted of four sessions, whose subjects had been chosen following a survey carried out by CEDIA in July to determine the real-world issues and technologies of greatest relevance to custom installers. Paddy Baker reports

UK-based CI company Ingenious Home has made a particular mark on the home cinema/media room segment since it was established by Murray Whewell in 2009. The trend towards the use of smartphones and tablets to control home technology is among the developments currently inspiring Whewell, who discussed the past, present and future of Ingenious Home with David Davies.

We report on a modern smarthome in Belgium that has been tailored to the specific needs of a professional couple’s young family and business. The integrator was charged with expanding upon the existing AV installation to incorporate the latest Crestron whole-home technologies

We recently attended a briefing about the latest developments from movie server manufacturer Kaleidescape – a company that has had few competitors in recent years because of the contractual minefield surrounding the copying of DVD content. However, it doesn’t necessarily welcome having such a clear run, says Paddy Baker

CEDIA’s education chair, Matt Dodd, outlines how the programme at this year’s Business & Technology Forum is geared towards providing help for installers in dealing with real industry issues.

Residential integrator Home Cinema & Beyond decided that the best way to give potential clients a practical idea of just what can be achieved with a fully integrated home cinema and home automation systems was to create a stunning show facility within its owner’s home.

Starting a new company just when the world is about to go into financial meltdown might not seem like a good idea, but in fewer than four years, Adept Integrated Systems has carved out a considerable niche in the high-end installation market. CEO Matt Cupper explains the secret of his considerable success to George Cole.

The project that won the Best Integrated Home under £30,000 category in the 2011 CEDIA Awards was a renovation that included adding a complete AV and lighting system, controlled by the same system as the existing air-conditioning. There's a cinema room with plasma TV and projection, a Sonos audio system and more,

Recipient of the 2011 Crestron International Residential Integration award for Best Integrated Home System, Kensington Home Technology emphasises the ‘custom’ aspect of CI and says that customers value its resistance to over-specification. David Davies spoke to MD/co-founder Malcolm Stewart.

Recent success at the Crestron International Residential Integration Awards has ushered in a new stage of development for Intuitive Homes. Established in 2008, the company has carved out a strong reputation in the ever-competitive UK CI market. Now, as MD Stephen Nevison tells David Davies, the company is beginning to examine the possibility of international expansion to complement its burgeoning homegrown interests.