From Blu-ray players to flat panels, pro products face growing competition from their consumer counterparts. Tim Kridel investigates how integrators and vendors are adapting to the changing marketplace.
Is pro AV gear worth a hefty price premium? It’s not a new question, but what’s changed is that it’s no longer just consumer-on-pro pricing pressure. Increasingly clients are comparing consumer products to other consumer products in their quest for the best deal possible. Case in point: U.K. integrator Audio Dynamics recently bid on a Hindu temple project that included eight 50 inch displays. After years of clients balking at pro premiums, Audio Dynamics knew that offering consumer-model Panasonic plasmas would be key to a competitive bid.
“The guy came back to me and said, ‘I can buy LG 50s for £400 pounds,’†says Giles Smith, one of the firm’s founders and directors. “What do you say to that? You go, ‘Buy them, bring them and I’ll fit them for you.’â€
If that’s a story that’s familiar to you, then you should the whole article in April edition of InAVate’s ActiveMagazine, by clicking the link.
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