CEDIA 2007 Picks

Crestron makes a better looking panel than anything from AMX [yes, hell froze over]

Backlit engraved buttons on Crestron's Cameo and new TPS-8L and TPS-6L panels.  It's hard to tell without seeing them in person but it works - a backlit text button on a white bezel - just amazing.  Finally Crestron out cools AMX on a touchpanel appearence feature! [Meanwhile AMX has announced new Decora keypads that look like Crestron's decora series from years ago.]

DVPHD-PRO

4 HDMI sources windowed, touch panel overlay, computer integration....it's so cool.  I want it to for a cool security app, for sports watching...how about hooking up two tuners and everytime you change the chanel it does pic-in-pic with feedback on the current channel with artwork and then you press enter to take the channel [one of the only features of the DirecTV HR20 I actually like.]  http://www.crestron.com/downloads/application_diagrams/97/dvphd-pro.pdf

Coolest New Audio Feature-  Audyssey Dynamic EQ

We've been pretty impressed by the Audyssey EQ system.  The single mic out-of-the-box experience is passable, the 8-point Pro version is 80% of a decent hand calibration.  The Dynamic EQ system however was amazing - an experience very difficult to match with previous EQ/DSP technologies.  What it does is boost the bass and surrounds at low volumes so the relative volumes between the front, rear and sub channels are constant.  Without Dynamic EQ, the bass and surrounds became silent at low volume, with it the surround field was full and the bass present - all at a low enough volume level to not wake anyone up down the hall.

What's new with Flat Panels? - 120hz

JVC, Hitachi, Samsung and Toshiba all showed 120hz flat panels.  There was a fantastic smoothness to the image not seen in the 60hz versions.  120hz is necessary to best display film and video originated content as content originates as 24hz, 30hz and 60hz - 120hz is the number.  I didn't see a bad image at the show....I also never saw a standard-def image at the show.