Runco^®, a Planar Systems (NASDAQ: PLNR) brand and a leading video provider to the luxury home, is pleased to announce its participation in an exciting new TV series from the DIY Network. Set to be unveiled at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and will premiere in June 2011, the DIY Network’s Hollywood Hi-Tech (wt) show will follow lifestyle-technology expert Janna Robinson as she uses innovative gear to give celebrities’ homes the ultimate high-tech makeover. The series will feature A-listers including reality-TV star Khloe Kardashian, basketball champion Lamar Odom, Entourage stars Kevin Connolly and Jeremy Piven, and Transformers star Josh Duhamel. The celebrities themselves will be involved throughout the makeover process, from the initial consultation to the unveiling of the finished room.

DIY Network will reveal never-before-seen video clips from the show on a Runco WindowWall^™ tiled LCD wall prominently displayed at the exclusive press launch event at the Crazy Horse Paris Theater in MGM Grand on Thursday, January 6^th. This cutting-edge display wall with its 92 inch overall diagonal size and greater-than-HD resolution illustrates Runco’s ongoing commitment to provide the show producers with the ultimate in display technology.

The Hollywood Hi-Tech’s (wt) unprecedented show concept will feature award-winning Runco products, including the LightStyle^™ and VideoXtreme^™ series of projectors with FinishPalette^™ options to perfectly match the celebrities’ unique decorating style which help transform their rooms into beautiful and high-performance theater spaces. “Runco’s pioneering legacy in the home theater industry and our continued technical and design innovation is a perfect match for the Hollywood Hi-Tech concept and the celebrity homes that will be featured,” says Jennifer Davis, VP of Marketing at Planar. “Our products are completely tailored to the specifications of the installation, from the design of the projection system to match the room and screen dimensions, to the custom color scheme, which is something all of our A-list clients can appreciate.” Each product from Runco is factory-calibrated to the specific requirements of each order to ensure that its authorized dealers and their clients enjoy the ultimate entertainment experience. Runco technical experts are involved in the room designs for these celebrity installations and offer ongoing consultation on-site during the installation and final calibration of the projector.

Though A-list homes are the focus of the series, from video, to lighting, to whole-house automation, the program will be full of helpful information any consumer can use when evaluating and choosing hi-tech options for their own homes and working with audio visual specialists, like local Runco authorized dealers. Offering real solutions for real people, Hollywood Hi-Tech (wt) covers the best technology in home audio and video components, whole-house control systems, wireless security webcams, and state-of-the-art projection displays from Runco.

“Runco has consistently been a leader in the field for custom electronic design and is one of the founding members of CEDIA,” noted Utz Baldwin, CEO of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) who is co-sponsoring the launch event.  “This new show gives viewers nationwide a never-before-seen look at the hi-tech solutions that Runco and other CEDIA manufacturer members offer to clients through selected CEDIA dealers.”

Runco products are available exclusively through the Runco authorized dealer network. For more information about Runco or to find a local dealer in your area, please visit www.Runco.com.

Runco^®, the leading brand in luxury video solutions, today announced the latest enhancements to its WindowWall^™ display wall video system. New to the series is the WindowWall High-Efficiency (HE) video display that boasts lower power consumption. The company also announced that the current WindowWall High-Bright (HB) and WindowWall HE will be available with Runco’s legendary OPAL^™ (Optical Path ALignment) technology as an option. The new WindowWall HE will provide customers with all the must-have features of the current WindowWall system, but with the added benefits of OPAL technology, as well as lower power consumption, longer cable lengths and an even thinner mounting scheme included.

Runco’s proprietary OPAL technology significantly enhances the black level, detail and clarity within dark scenes allowing the smallest details within the darkest scenes to be vibrant without sacrificing the overall picture quality. Runco OPAL also reduces surface light reflections on the screen, a common viewing distraction that plagues viewers of flat panel displays. Only available on Runco displays, OPAL provides a truly stellar viewing experience to achieve the best imagery, technology and HD performance in the WindowWall display system. When implemented in WindowWall products, OPAL provides a smooth surface over the displays giving it a more luxurious look and feel.

The Runco WindowWall extends imaginative options in a room’s design and it offers a gamut of applications, from digital ambience to entertainment, to sophisticated office applications, such as video conferencing. The WindowWall can also become a virtual window changing the mood for any room by displaying snow falling on the mountains or the view of Manhattan from a skyscraper. Perfect for sports enthusiasts, the WindowWall can become an enormous screen showing a game or multiple games at once. As a digital display system, the Runco WindowWall can switch between sources and applications utilizing the built-in processing. When combined with a home automation system and architectural speakers, an enormous array of lifestyle options are enabled. With the WindowWall, Runco authorized dealers can expand their business beyond the traditional home theater setting.

“Always striving to offer the best in video solutions, it was a logical next step for use to synergize our best-in-class WindowWall display system with our revolutionary OPAL technology,” said Jennifer Davis, vice president of marketing for Runco. “By combining the two technologies, with greater energy efficiency, we are able to offer our customers a 100 percent customizable display wall system with a viewing experience that can’t be matched.”

Consumers, and businesses alike, are increasingly aware of the power usage of electronics and Runco has responded with a new high-efficiency WindowWall boasting 30 percent less energy usage than its high-bright counterpart. Perfect for indoor and lighting-controlled environments, the WindowWall HE features the same great attributes of the Runco WindowWall, while consuming far less energy.

Unlike any other display of this size and scale, the Runco WindowWall HB and HE are available with Runco’s innovative TileAlign^™ landscape mounting system. The revolutionary mounting system has been recently redesigned to a mere 3.5 inch mounting profile from the front of the display to the wall, and when paired with the included trim pieces or optional wood frame options, the WindowWall achieves a custom, built-in look. The thinner profile allows the WindowWall display system to meet even the stringent American with Disability Act (ADA) guidelines for safety.

The WindowWall was designed for reliability and performance.  Maintenance and source management are made easy with the WindowWall because the power, video and control signals are processed in off-board electronics that can be away from the wall, leaving a WhisperQuiet^™ fan-free display wall. Runco’s proprietary design means each panel can be individually accessed or removed, from the front, without dismantling the wall. Included Big Picture Plus^™ functionality allows for input switching and management between video or computer sources without any additional electronics.

The WindowWall HE, WindowWall HE OPAL and WindowWall HB OPAL displays will be available in early January 2011 and MSRPs vary based on size of the display wall. Runco’s WindowWall displays are available exclusively through the Runco authorized dealer network. For more information about Runco or to find a local dealer in your area, please visit www.Runco.com.

If you don’t know who John Sciacca is, or don’t read his blog, you should be. Sciacca offers a unique perspective on the custom install industry as an installer with his own business and a freelance writer in the channel. You can read his articles at Sound + Vision and Residential Systems.

Last week, John wrote a blog that hit home to a lot of installers and manufacturers, and hopefully opened some eyes into the vicious cycle that the custom install industry has fallen into. In his October 18^th blog titled “Custom Installation State of the Union Address”, John hits the nail on the head. The blog has gained some traction among the industry for his incredible insight and willingness to call out his peers and manufacturers alike in search for a solution. While there is no easy solution to this problem, and I don’t believe there will be in the near future, the problem needs to be address. Manufacturers are trying to do what they can to survive and thrive (especially in this economy), as are the installers, but with what seems to be so little communication and understanding between the two sides, I wonder if they will ever be able meet in the middle, or are we destined for a head on collision?

Here is a quick snipit of his post. Check out John Sciacca Writes for the full post:

So here it goes… Lately when I think about the future of this industry that I have loved so hard and for so long (I know; I said “hard and long…” )  I get sad and downhearted. Because the future that I see is not warm and fuzzy and full of rainbow colored unicorns. It is cold and jaggedy and bitter and metallic, and filled with crappy audio and unprofitable video. And, ultimately, I fear less stores like mine and likely yours.

 I’ve been in this business – installer, programmer, manager, partner, writer, general gad-about-town – for almost 13 years now. Shorter than some, way, WAY longer than most. And the future that I see us headed for, quite frankly, scares me. I used to think that I would work as a custom installer until I was too old to crawl around in an attic or a crawl space, but now I fear the industry will tire of me before I of it.

You really should be reading his blog (not only is he insightful, but quite funny as well)

Posted by: Lauren