Solid Growth for Smart Home Automation Systems and Wi-Fi Deployments

According to market research company ABI Research, global revenues from smart home automation systems will grow at a 21% CAGR between 2015 and 2020, with the North American market contributing close to 46% globally. Meanwhile 802.11ac Wi-Fi deployments continue to accelerate in 2015 and the market is gearing up to tri-band 802.11ad solutions.

Consumers are flocking to connected wireless speakers. The popularity of mobile devices and changing consumer habits in media consumption are not only increasing demand for wirelessly connected audio devices, but also rapidly altering the home audio landscape, according to new research from market analytics firm IHS Technology.

On December 2014, the ATSC issued a Call for Proposals for a comprehensive audio system for the next generation ATSC 3.0 digital television standard. Dolby (with Atmos), DTS (with DTS:X) and a consortium comprising Technicolor, Fraunhofer and Qualcomm (jointly promoting MPEG-H Audio) have submitted their audio systems. Now, the ATSC has begun its technical review of the three detailed proposals.

For our March 2015 edition, we have selected a series of articles dedicated to Test & Measurement, both from a practical and a DIY perspective. First is Ethan Winer’s (re)take on Practical Applications for SPL Meters, followed by an historical recap from Voice Coil magazine editor Vance Dickason, on his reputed Test Bench process used to characterize drivers. We also discuss Headphone Testing issues among other things.

Qualcomm Connected Experiences, a subsidiary of Qualcomm, has announced the general availability of its AllPlay Click Software Development Kit (SDK). Furthermore, several major hardware and content providers have announced launches relating to the Qualcomm AllPlay smart media platform.