This year the CEDIA EXPO was held in Atlanta. While the town was great, the Georgia World Congress Center had its ups and downs -- literally. To get to the C hall from the A and B halls, one had to walk what seemed like miles and go up and down several escalators in the process. Once finally there, the show floor was easy to navigate.

That's the bad news. The good news is that there were some great stand-outs at the show, so read on.

Just Add Power's HDMI over IP Projector Connector was an instant hit with installers. If this system works as promised, it will be the first really affordable way to distribute HDMI signals throughout a residence. The components consist of a transmitter ($299) and a receiver ($250), and this matrix distribution solution for HDMI can easily be scaled to match your requirements. You can have as many HDMI sources as you like, distributed to up to 200 displays, all you need to add is a managed network switch with VLAN/IGMP support. The HDMI over IP transmitter and receiver can support sending 1080p signals up to 330' on a single CAT5, and much farther (1,000') when using cascaded Ethernet LAN switches to distribute the signal. The Just Add Power HDMI over IP solution also supports a return IR channel, allowing remote control of the HDMI source from any display location on the network.

The best audio I heard this year came from the folks at Triad Loudspeakers. Triad has paired up with Anthony Grimani's PMI, Ltd. to deliver completely engineered home theater CinemaPlus speaker packages. The systems use a combination of Triad's Gold and/or Platinum loudspeakers along with PMI's design and engineering, using custom plans and acoustic treatments. Three CinemaPlus packages, based on room size, are available to all Triad dealers at approximately $45,000, $77,000, and $93,000 MSRP. Expensive, yes. Amazing sound, YES, YES, YES!

Control4 showed its upcoming 2.0 second gen operating system, and it's gorgeous. The elegant new user interface will provide Control4 integrators with its most powerful automation and entertainment solution to date. Using Flash-based software, third-party companies can create applications that provide information to the customer, ranging from local weather and traffic reports to RSS feeds. Installers can download applications that have been developed by third parties, and install them in minutes. In addition, installers can now customize the interface for each individual project. Control4 also showed its new MediaPoint extender that aggregates and streams audio and video stored anywhere on the network, including NAS drives.

Along similar lines Pioneer showed a network entertainment concept player, code named "Project ET," that encompasses high quality audio and video playback, Internet access, and home theater control capabilities all within a single set-top device. The 1 terabyte box features uncompressed and compressed audio file storage and playback. The product is Ethernet-equipped and has built-in WiFi to maximize connectivity and includes a built-in internal Blu-ray Disc®/DVD/CD player. Pioneer's concept lets consumers download and stream music, video, and photos directly from a networked PC to a home theater for viewing on a large-screen television with the opportunity to directly access new, unique content from multiple free and paid online content providers, including YouTube, Netflix, and Picasa, among many others.

Seura, the people that put TVs behind mirrors, have come up with another unique product called Hydra. Designed for use in showers, bathtubs, spas, kitchens, and other indoor wet environments, the 19" LCD Hydra™ waterproof television brings technology to the most unexpected settings. Using Pantone's® color-matching system, the Hyrda is available with unlimited color choices. Design-savvy consumers can get a television that matches an imported marble shower, a colorful backsplash, or even a favorite shirt. Designed to work seamlessly with systems like those manufactured by Crestron, AMX, and Control 4, this solution is bound to be a favorite among integrators. Features include a 16:9 screen HDMI input, PC input, VGA input, RS 232 control, and a sleek-looking waterproof remote control. Prices start at $2,999 for standard colors. Custom color units retail for $3,599.

Finally, Atlantic Technology showed a prototype speaker with very impressive bass. What made this demo most interesting was the fact that the speaker produced low level frequencies from a relatively small enclosure. The technology is called H-PAS (Hybrid Pressure Acceleration System) and it enables small speakers to produce very deep bass. Atlantic Technology will be offering a thin, floor-standing, H-PAS loudspeaker later this year, with future models possibly including soundbar form-factors. This is definitely a company to watch.