Netflix looks to further close the gap with physical media with the announcement of "high quality audio," an adaptive technology taking advantage of available bandwidth to ensure the best audio experience.

Essentially, Netflix high quality audio ups the maximum bitrate of a 5.1 audio mix from 192 to 640 kpbs, and a Dolby Atmos mix from 448 to 768 kbps. As mentioned earlier the technology is adaptive, meaning audio quality goes up or down depending on the network speed on the customer side, similar to the approach the streaming service takes to video quality.

Two companies currently control the global home audio market, Futuresource reports-- Amazon and Harman/JBL, with the two taking first and second place respectively in the Q4 2018 home audio shipment rankings.

“Amazon regained its position as the leading home audio vendor in terms of quarterly shipments, wrestling the crown from Harman/JBL, which dropped into 2nd place,” the analyst says. “However, Harman/JBL’s strong performance between Q1 and Q3 was enough for it to achieve top home audio vendor for full year 2018. In revenue terms, Harman/JBL, Bose, Sony and Sonos led the pack consistently throughout the year.”

CEDIA announces Luke Williams, NYU professor and author of the international bestseller  Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business, will deliver the 2019 CEDIA Expo opening keynote.

“Companies need to be consistently making bold moves, even at the very peak of their success," Williams says. "It is an essential skill for anyone in business, from a small start-up to a global corporation."

Installers wanting to become a certified KNX partner get the chance to do exactly that with CEDIA, as the association announces the dates for the next CEDIA KNX Basic Training course.

The 5-day course looks into all aspects and principles of the KNX protocol, and also includes a one-day Residential Networking course. It covers several in-depth topics, providing essential information for aspiring KNX partners, and concludes with an examination to test the knowledge gained. If a candidate passes, they automatically qualify as KNX Partner.