Winning a CEDIA award is quite an honor, especially considering the high standards to even be nominated. These systems are under extreme scrutiny by the judges, who are typically the top experts in their respective fields. Every detail is under a microscope, from blueprints and documentation to wire management. To be considered for these awards the audio and video must be calibrated to be within professional reference specs. To say the least, the systems that are nominated are some of the best that money can buy.
At the 2018 CEDIA awards Tom Marino and his team from Advanced Technologies (based out of Baton Rouge, LA) found themselves in a familiar situation. After winning Best Integrated Home (Level II $100,000-$200,000) in 2015, In 2018 they were once again sitting at one of the big tables at the awards show, nominated once more in the same category. The competing systems were all world class, but thanks to all of their hard work and attention to detail, Advanced Technologies had the winning installation.
Advanced Technologies is a loyal customer of AVPro Edge, so naturally we were ecstatic to learn that they had been nominated for the Best Integrated Home award. We were especially excited because the backbone of the video distribution system was our own AC-MX88-AUHD, an 18Gbps 8x8 HDMI Video Matrix Switch.
This installation is in a residential home and features a robust A/V system with an integrated 5 camera 4K security system. The customer wanted the highest reliability and security in this system, and were adamant about seeing the best possible video quality throughout the home. Tom agreed, mentioning that “HDR is a bigger improvement in picture quality than going from 2K to 4K”. Each of the 6 TVs throughout the home are 4K/HDR capable and all the video sources including the security system are passing through the AVPro Edge AC-MX88-AUHD Matrix Switch. All HDMI connections are hardwired, and the longer runs are wired with AOC HDMI cables. For audio, the home features 8 distributed audio zones and one zone that has a full surround sound so the family can experience movies at their fullest.
One of the customer’s biggest needs was that the system had to be easy to use. Thanks to the AVPro Edge AC-MX88-AUHD matrix switch, the customer has the freedom of watching any source (including the security cameras) in any room and listening to the audio from any source (including OTA channels) throughout the home. There are plenty of other great smart features throughout the home including motion sensors, control of the garage door, audio announcements, and nearly 30 smart lights throughout the property. The A/V is all automated and controlled with a Leviton Bitwise system, and all of the displays were ISF calibrated in order to meet the high demand for picture quality.
When asked if Tom had considered any other switches before the AVPro Edge AC-MX88AUHD, Tom excitedly explained. “No! Nobody had an end to end 18Gbps solution for the job. This client purchased all new 4K/HDR TVs and demanded only the best”. He also added “AVPro Edge offers a matrix switch that allowed us to plug and play HDMI all of the sources and displays in the system. The installation was straightforward, the layout is good, the buttons on the front make sense. There were no hiccups and it just worked. I plugged the sources and displays in and it was done!” During the installation of the AC-MX88AUHD-GEN2, Advanced Technologies ran into zero issues. When asked how the installation went, Tom gave us three word.
Congratulations to Tom Marino and his team at Advanced Technologies for winning a CEDIA Award for Best Integrated Home in 2018. We at AVPro Edge are proud of you and honored to be a part of it! For more information on the AC-MX88-AUHD-GEN2 matrix switch and many other 18Gbps capable solutions, please visit us at AVProEdge.com.
Advanced Technologies is located in Baton Rouge, LA. For more information or to contact Tom Marino please visit www. AdvancedTechnolgoesBR.com.
A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.
Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.
A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.
Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.
Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.
Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.
Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.
With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.
By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.
Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.
Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.
Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.
