ELAN Home Systems Begins Worldwide Delivery of Brand New g! Series Home Control System

ELAN® Home Systems, the industry leading manufacturer of award-winning IP home control and multi-room A/V distribution systems, today announced that its ELAN g! Series Home Control System is shipping worldwide with built-in multi-language support.



The revolutionary IP-Based, whole-house entertainment and management solution includes the HR2 handheld remote, TS7 7" in-wall Touchscreen, HC12 and HC6 controllers, TS2 touchpad and its VL2 tabletop kit, plus g! Mobile iPhone app and new precision panels.

The ELAN g! Series Home Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive, icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs , iPhones, and iPads. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app that users love on the iPhone appears and works similarly on ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes as well as users' televisions and mobile devices. And the system's IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room - or across the globe.

Individual "apps" for each subsystem allow the user to control security, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, and PC Tablets. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle - and substantial energy savings.

The g! system's new crown jewel is ELAN’s first-ever handheld remote control, the HR2. This striking extension to the product line has all the function of a touchscreen packaged in a sleek 1-inch thick remote that weighs a mere 8 ounces. Its stylish, ergonomic design feels at home in your hand and is ready at a moment's notice with a built-in accelerometer that instantly turns the HR2 on when you pick it up. Integrated Wi-Fi and IR ensure both rich metadata content as well as speedy local control of sources and TVs.

Nearly 6 months of R&D went into the button layout alone - with 43 backlit buttons logically arranged in a very pleasing and easy-to-use configuration. Three hot keys provide instant access to commonly used features like the now playing screen, media guide and remote's home page. But the real magic is in the 2.4" OLED touch display that provides the perfect blend of feedback and control to complement the hard buttons required for easy TV viewing.

The 320x240 display boasts crisp, clear graphics and delivers quick-touch access to every subsystem in the home. Part of the remote's appeal is the gentle and artistic sculpting of the bottom and back so that depth quickly goes from one inch in the palm to a half inch midway up for an easy and balanced grip. Its Lithium Polymer battery powers the remote for ten hours with the display on and 14 days on standby. A stylish charging base is included and keeps the HR2 in a handy upright position - ready to grab-and-go with minimal storage space.

The TS7 touchscreen takes the g! experience in-wall with a high-resolution, 7" LCD display for control of all g! and subsystem features. The latest in LED backlighting technology ensures a bright, long-lasting image while conserving energy. Searching music and movie libraries has never been easier thanks to intuitive touch navigation and brilliant cover art. And like ELAN's legacy touchpanels, the TS7 features live, full-screen analog video for security cameras and TV preview. Six hard-buttons are available for commonly used functions, while an integrated microphone and speaker enable convenient messaging features. The touchscreen also comes with brackets and back-boxes for new construction and "dog ears" for easy retrofit installations.

At the core of the g! system are two new home controllers, the HC12 and HC6. These new controllers represent the intersection of all that g! has to offer with amazing on-screen interfaces, robust connectivity and an expansive two-way driver collection. In addition to integrated connectivity for RS232, RS485, relays, and IR, these controllers extend the g! experience to the big screen through a high-resolution, 720p on-screen component video display. This On-Screen Display (OSD) allows users to control all aspects of their home from the TV using the same uniform g! interface, without any additional hardware or expense. Also included is a built-in photo viewer which turns the TV and associated control interfaces into a digital picture frame. And music aficionados will love the built-in audio server capability (Network Attached Storage [NAS] drive required for HC6 controller) and optional internet radio streaming services.

ELAN is also shipping their new g! precision panels which help to make system installations easier than ever with a clean, professional and trouble-free trim-out of wires and cables. Featuring clearly labeled rear panel punch downs and front panel jacks for every system connection, these panels bring order to your installation. This saves installation time by eliminating misconnections and making trouble-shooting fast and efficient. These panels can be mounted in-wall or in a standard 19 inch wide equipment rack.

ELAN is also shipping its TS2 Film Interactive OLED Touchpad and the VL2 tabletop kit, as well as the highly regarded g! Mobile App for the iPhone. The TS2 has already proven to be a very popular control interface prominently featured in all of the trade publications and built around ELAN's category-defining Olé Touchpads with over 30,000 sales since its inception. The TS2 marries keypad functionality with the display capability and power of a touchscreen for an affordable way to control the home, plus adds a unique viewer app that provides security, lighting and other control means not available on Olé products. The double-gang TS2 features a 2" high-resolution OLED display and offers unprecedented support for audio with full navigation and 2-way feedback, control of lighting scenes, climate control, and security arming/disarming. It also displays real-time weather, forecast and time of day setting a new standard for affordable control with feedback. The VL2 quickly converts the TS2 Touchpad from an in-wall to a tabletop controller.

Take 1 Offers Infocomm Members Up To 25% Off On Their Inland Marine And General Liability Insurance Policies

Take 1, U.S. Risk Insurance Group’s entertainment division, today announced that all INFOCOMM members can now earn up to 25% off on their inland marine and general liability insurance policies, subject to meeting certain terms and conditions.

“Take 1 has served as the endorsed insurance provider of INFOCOMM for the last 15 years and this is a partnership that we take to heart,” explained Scott Carroll, Vice President and Program Director, of the Take 1 Program. “In recognition of this partnership, Take 1 is now implementing a two-step discount program that can save INFOCOMM members as much as 25% off on their inland marine and general liability policies. This is an offer that is only being made to INFOCOMM members and we are the only company offering this program to the membership.”

According to Carroll, any INFOCOMM member who purchases a Take 1 inland marine and/or general liability policy will automatically receive a 5% discount off the normal policy rates. Members can then earn an additional 20% discount upon receiving their CTS Certification from INFOCOMM.

“The Take 1 membership discount program is a very solid example of the unique benefits that only INFOCOMM members can receive,” noted INFOCOMM Senior Vice President of Membership Duffy Wilbert. “Insurance is a critically important and necessary cost of doing business and we applaud Take 1 for taking this leadership role in helping our members to better contain their cost of doing business. This is one more reason why Take 1 is our preferred insurance partner.”

INFOCOMM members who wish to take advantage of the Take 1 insurance discount program can do so by having their insurance agents inquire directly with Take1 Insurance about this savings, which will be applied at their next insurance renewal.

Since it’s founding in 1995 to meet the needs of film and television production companies, Take 1 has expanded significantly to meet the needs of audio-video and communications industry clients, as well. The company’s experience includes underwriting film and television production, companies, DICE (Documentary, Infommercial, Commercial, Educational) producers, touring entertainers, concert/playhouse venues, concert promoters, video game developers, and specialty rental operations focused on audio, visual, lighting, sound, grip, and production.