McIntosh MX100 AV Processor Receives Control4 Certification

McIntosh announced that its MX100 AV Processor has implemented Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP) and has received "Connects with Control4" Certification from Control4, the smart home brand from Snap One. This certification confirms the seamless integration into custom install and smart home systems powered by Control4's smart home operating system (OS) that connects virtually all of the technology in a home. With Control4 Smart Home OS 3, users can control nearly every device and system in the house, including their McIntosh-equipped home theater.

AVA is a new Swiss-American manufacturer of connected home products from the founders of NEEO and former Control4 executives. The company's first products are the AVA 2.1 Streaming Audio System and the AVA Remote, an elegantly designed Android-based dedicated touchscreen device. Combined, the new premium solutions are meant to offer a powerful hub and interface for the smart home and connected devices, available exclusively through the professional installation channel.

While I visited the exhibits at the excellent Colorado Convention Center during the 2019 CEDIA Expo in Denver, I was frequently asked about my impressions of the show - but often it was as if people were asking me to validate their own negative impressions - because "this industry has seen better days...", and "the show is smaller than ever." I saw the show in a different perspective, which I will address in this report.

As announced in May 2019, SnapAV, a leading provider of A/V, surveillance, networking and remote management products for professionals, and Control4 Corporation, the smart home solutions company, announced the successful completion of their merger. Unified into a single organization, Control4 becomes a professional smart home brand in the SnapAV portfolio. The combined company promises to expand investments in solutions and services for technology professionals.

SnapAV, a leading manufacturer and supplier of A/V, surveillance, networking and remote management products for professional integrators, announced the acquisition of Control4 Corporation, a leading global provider of smart home solutions. The two companies entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby SnapAV will acquire Control4 in an all-cash transaction for $23.91 per share in cash, representing an aggregate value of approximately $680 million. The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2019.

Recently approved by the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Standards Board for adoption as part of the organization’s standard portfolio, HDBaseT now reaches new heights. At the ISE 2015 show in Amsterdam there were more HDBaseT products than ever, addressing all market segments in the AV world. The HDBaseT Alliance confirmed availability of compliance testing specifications for Spec 2.0 of the HDBaseT Standard.