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A new indoor camera launch can look like just another spec sheet, but this one is aimed squarely at integrators who care about local control, clean interoperability, and practical installs. We unpack Shelly’s compact indoor video camera and why its mix of 1080p video, wide field of view, and black and white night vision makes it a serious contender for homes, offices, retail spaces, and small commercial environments.

We dig into what matters beyond resolution: dual-band Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth for simpler commissioning, two-way audio for real-world use, and mounting flexibility for shelves, walls, or ceilings. Then we get into the integration story, covering support for MQTT, WebSocket, and WebRTC, plus platform compatibility with Home Assistant, Frigate NVR, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. If you’re building systems where the camera needs to be part of the automation fabric rather than a standalone app, these details change the design conversation.

Automation is the headline. Motion detection can trigger local routines without a cloud subscription, letting the camera drive lighting, relays, and other Shelly devices with low latency. For projects that need smarter filtering, Shelly Cloud adds object detection that can distinguish between people, pets, and vehicles, and advanced users can explore local AI models on compatible hardware. We also cover storage options including microSD and optional cloud plans, with three months of Shelly Cloud included, plus price and availability at £37.90 via Shelly.com and authorised distributors. Subscribe, share the brief with a fellow integrator, and leave a review telling us whether you’re aiming for local-first CCTV or cloud-led analytics.

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A subwoofer launch can be “just another box”, or it can quietly change how you design and deliver real-world installs. Today’s Inside CI News Brief focuses on the new BluSound Pulse Sub, a compact wireless subwoofer built to slot into BluOS home cinema and multi-room audio systems with minimal friction for both integrators and end users.

We dig into what’s new in the redesign: a 350-watt amplifier driving dual-opposing 6.5-inch woofers, a configuration intended to counteract mechanical forces and reduce cabinet vibration. That matters when a client wants deeper bass but not a room that buzzes, shakes, or forces awkward placement. We also look at the industrial design refresh, from soft contours and tonal weave fabric grilles to matte satin finishes, plus integrated cable management channels that help keep the final result clean.

On the setup and commissioning side, we highlight wireless integration within the BluOS ecosystem, with pairing handled in a few steps through the BluOS controller app. We also talk through the practical installer controls: smart DSP managing power and crossover behaviour, and app-based settings for volume, crossover, and phase so you can tailor the low end to different rooms and systems. Finally, we cover system options, including adding the Pulse Sub to Pulse Cinema and Pulse Cinema Mini soundbars, pairing with products like PowerNode, Pulse M, and Pulse Flex, and using the low line-level input for traditional audio systems, alongside the announced €849.99 price and later-this-year availability.

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Outdoor audio is where great design meets harsh reality: rain, UV, salt air, awkward mounting points, and customers who want big sound without visible kit. Today we break down a headline launch for custom installation pros: KEF’s first-ever Outdoor Collection, built as a modular outdoor speaker platform for everything from small gardens and terraces to multi-zone estates and hospitality environments. 

We walk through the range in plain terms, from SR4Q and SR6Q landscape satellites to BH bollard speakers, dedicated BL bollard subwoofers, and the flagship BQ three-way bollards. Along the way, we dig into the specs that matter when you’re writing an outdoor audio system design: IP66 and IPX5 weatherproof ratings, UV-resistant construction, aluminium grilles, and operating limits from minus 25°C to plus 70°C. KEF also calls out more than 500 hours of salt spray testing, which is the sort of detail that helps when you’re planning coastal installs or exposed outdoor zones. 

Installation flexibility gets a proper look too, with ground stakes, partial burial on select models, surface mounting for patios and decks, and even optional wood deck mounting for more concealed placements. We also cover KEF’s CASA Network DSP amplifier platform, including browser-based configuration, GaN enhanced Class D, multi-source and multi-zone capability, and IP control drivers for Control4, Crestron, and Savant, plus the pre-configured Landscape packages that bundle speakers, subs, and amplification into complete systems. 

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You can feel great bass, but you don’t always want to see it. Today we’re breaking down a product move that speaks directly to the daily realities of custom installation: Monitor Audio has introduced a new Creator Series family of in-wall subwoofers with dedicated DSP installation amplification, designed to deliver high output while fitting conventional 4-inch wall depths.

We walk through the three-tier line-up, including WS1-W10, WS2-W12 and WS3-W12, and why Monitor Audio is pairing each model with its own tuned rear enclosure. We also dig into the hardware choices that matter when you’re specifying for performance and predictability: a 10-inch C-CAM driver on the WS1-W10, low-profile high-excursion 12-inch units on the WS2-W12 and WS3-W12, and the RHT2 cone geometry aimed at controlling cone break-up and improving dispersion for cleaner, more consistent bass.

Amplification gets equal attention. We cover the new IA500-S, including the power delivery and preset EQ modes intended to speed up on-site tuning, plus the IA750-2 pairing for the top tier and what that could mean for distributed audio systems and home cinema design. We also highlight installer-focused details such as the low-profile magnetic grille, simplified cable routing, spring-loaded terminals, and fixing approaches like Tri-Grip 2 and enclosure mounting. If you care about discreet installation, long-term reliability, and expanding what’s possible in shallow-depth projects, this brief is for you.

Subscribe for weekday updates, share this with a fellow integrator, and leave a review if these quick, spec-ready rundowns help your work. What’s your biggest challenge when delivering serious bass in a shallow wall?

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StormAudio is preparing to make a very deliberate statement at CEDIA Expo 2026: a new processor called EVO 1 that’s described as fully digital, immersive and compact. If you build and commission home cinema systems for a living, you already know why that matters. Rack space is finite, budgets are real, and “good on paper” is never enough when you’re the one who has to deliver clean results on site.

We walk through what StormAudio is saying so far, including the claim that EVO 1 is purpose-built for systems up to 16 channels and introduces a new digital integration architecture, while still keeping the calibration tools, immersive decoding, bass management and long-term upgradability associated with the brand’s higher-end platforms. Technical details are still under wraps, but the intent is clear: a 1RU AV processor aimed at bringing reference-level performance to projects where size or cost used to force compromises.

The launch is only half the story. StormAudio kit will be spread across the show floor, powering nine high-end cinema demonstrations designed to show predictable, repeatable outcomes in demanding rooms. We also highlight the Sound Room 10 collaboration with Christie Projection, Seymour Screen Excellence, MadVR Labs, Ascendo, Acoustimodi and Movia, with StormAudio Fusion 20 at the heart of the audio chain for processing and calibration.

If you want to stay ahead of home cinema trends, CEDIA Expo news and the practical realities of integrating immersive audio, hit subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more integrators can find the show.

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A pair of bookshelf speakers that can take a turntable, a TV and your streaming services without a rack of separates sounds like a compromise, until you look closely at what PSB has built with the new iQ Series. We unpack the announcement for busy custom installation pros and anyone chasing real stereo sound in a clean, modern system: BlueOS multi-room streaming, high‑resolution audio up to 24‑bit/192 kHz, and the practical formats clients actually use day to day. 

We walk through the iQ Series connectivity that makes specifying simpler: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive, plus HDMI eARC for television, USB‑C audio for laptops and mobiles, optical and RCA for legacy sources, and a built-in MM phono stage so a turntable can plug straight in. We also look at how PSB supports better low end in compact rooms with a subwoofer output and DSP-enabled filtering, helping integrators deliver fuller bass without messy workarounds. 

On the engineering side, we highlight PSB’s new TI Burr Brown Class D amplifier platform and the design choices aimed at “real stereo performance from a simplified system”, including DSP-controlled crossover tuning, port design, and compact driver integration. We also compare the IQ1 and IQ2 in plain terms: wired vs true wireless stereo architecture, finish options including walnut veneer with copper accents, and where the pricing lands across colours and premium trims. Subscribe for daily custom installation news, share the episode with a colleague, and leave us a review with your take: is all-in-one hi‑fi finally the smart choice?

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WowHouse 2026 just delivered a message the smart home industry cannot miss: design-led interiors are no longer treating technology as an optional extra. We walk through the latest Inside CI News Brief and unpack what the WowHouse 2026 Impact Report says about where attention, budgets, and expectations are moving for luxury residential projects.

From the scale of the showcase at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, to the headline results, the figures tell a story of momentum: 24,933 visitors, a reported 120 million PR reach, 110 international features, and strong digital engagement across web and social. We also look at what “engagement” actually means here, with 115,000 website visitors, 300,000 page views, 2.8 million social impressions, and more than 2,000 visitor-generated posts, plus an expanded programme of speakers, talks, and guided tours.

The most useful takeaway for integrators is how the rooms were built: professionally integrated smart home systems placed at the centre, while still protecting the materiality and craftsmanship of the interior. We dig into the kinds of solutions being showcased, including architectural lighting, concealed audio, immersive sound, video-led features, automation, and intelligent control, and why CEDIA leaders like Andrea Harvey and Wendy Griffiths keep coming back to one point: early collaboration between designers and integrators creates homes that are both beautiful and highly functional.

If you work in custom installation, smart home design, or luxury residential technology, subscribe for daily updates, share this with a colleague who partners with designers, and leave us a review so more integrators can find the news that matters.

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A surround channel should melt into the room, not point at you from a corner. Today’s Inside CI News Brief brings a fast, practical look at a new architectural loudspeaker from Ascendo that aims to tackle one of immersive audio’s most stubborn problems: keeping surround and height effects spacious and even across every seat.

We break down Ascendo’s announcement ahead of CEDIA Expo 2026, where the company will debut the Panoramic Surface On Wall. The key idea is its proprietary full-range composite radiating surface, designed to behave less like a traditional point source speaker and more like a controlled acoustic surface. Ascendo says this approach can deliver unusually broad and continuous coverage, with high-frequency radiation extending to nearly 180 degrees up to 20 kHz. If you design or calibrate cinema rooms, you already know why that matters: wide, consistent dispersion can reduce tonal shifts off-axis and help stop surround and overhead channels from sounding localised.

We also dig into the engineering philosophy behind the product. Ascendo’s Jeffrey Heinzel explains the brand’s focus on building loudspeakers for their intended acoustic environment rather than forcing an existing studio or hi-fi concept into cinema use. From a custom installation perspective, we connect that thinking to real-world outcomes: smoother seat-to-seat balance, less perceived loudness spike for listeners sitting close to a channel, and fewer issues with reflections and boundary interference.

If you want a quick, credible update on immersive cinema audio and what to watch at CEDIA Expo 2026, listen now. Subscribe for weekday briefs, share this with a fellow integrator, and leave us a review with the one room-design challenge you want solved next.

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Studio-grade monitoring in a private cinema sounds like overkill until you hear what it unlocks: scale you can feel, dialogue you do not have to strain for, and imaging that stays locked even when the mix gets dense. Today’s Inside CI News Brief unpacks PMC’s debut of the PMC 10 XBD main monitor system at CEDIA Expo, and why this demonstration is designed for busy custom installation pros who need more than marketing claims.

We walk through the Soundroom 6 installation built with Playback Custom and explain how the full immersive layout comes together: three PMC 10 XBD units for the left, centre, and right channels, CI series speakers handling surrounds and heights, and six PMC15 subwoofers delivering serious low frequency reinforcement. If you design high-end home cinema rooms, this is a neat case study in how reference standards used in film scoring, mixing, and post-production can be translated into residential spaces without losing accuracy.

The technical details are the headline: a twin-cabinet design, ATL bass loading, Laminare X airflow, a 3-inch dome midrange with the Avoid absorber, and a handbuilt soft dome tweeter aimed at low distortion and fatigue-free listening. We also cover the fully active approach, with each PMC 10 XBD powered by its own Master 36 amplifier and DSP platform delivering 3,600 watts per speaker, plus StormAudio processing and rack amplification for the subs. Demonstrations run throughout CEDIA Expo, with sessions presented by Grammy and Emmy winning engineer Tommy Vicari.

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A lifetime of engineering can change what “great sound” means in a real living room, and a lifetime of teaching can change whether an install works flawlessly years later. We’re breaking down CEDIA’s first three 2026 awards programme recipients and why their careers still matter to anyone building smart homes, home cinemas, and networked residential systems.

We start with Lifetime Achievement winner Peter Lingdorf, whose influence runs from building major European hi-fi retail to pushing high-performance audio forward through brands such as Steinway Lyngdorf, Lyngdorf Audio, and DALI. We dig into two standout milestones: Equibit, a truly digital amplifier approach that converts PCM audio directly into the PWM signal driving a switching power amplifier, and RoomPerfect, a 3D room mapping room correction system with a formidable patent footprint. If you care about louder, cleaner, more accurate playback at home, this is the why behind the tech.

Then we turn to the two CEDIA Fellows. Dave Tikaschuk’s legacy is a reminder that AV system documentation is not admin, it’s engineering: symbols, drawings, and standards reduce errors, speed up commissioning, and make service calls less painful. Gordon Van Zoden’s story tracks the industry’s shift to IP-based residential systems, with decades of leadership in training, certification, and practical networking guidance that helps integrators deliver stable smart home experiences.

Subscribe, share the brief with a colleague, and leave a review. Which of these three pillars do you think the industry needs most right now: better audio innovation, better documentation, or better home networking?

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