Sales of these ‘digital experience’ rooms represent a potentially lucrative new customer set, in addition to creating upgrade opportunities among their existing home theater customers.
John Alifano, Manager, Consumer Electronics Division, D&H Distributing

photo © RTO Online D&H Distributing booth at the August 2006 APRO convention in Orlando, Florida.

D&H is more than just a source for home theater products and PCs. To truly take advantage of market opportunities, Rent to Own dealers need a consultative partner who can suggest and provide unique product combinations; a partner that keeps them informed of emerging trends that help grow their businesses; a true business partner like D&H.

John Alifano, manager of D&H Distributing's consumer electronics division, said, "Major trends are now driving digital home sales in hot categories such as gaming, computer technology and digital media, which could offer significant incremental opportunities for dealers and custom installers." Alifano added that these supplemental systems can transition a simple home theater installation into a "total home experience" for the consumer—and transition the dealer, retailer or reseller toward becoming a larger, more successful integrator of the Total Digital Lifestyle.

Alifano said D&H foresees the following high-potential areas for rent to own dealers and customer installers, which could allow them to expand their offerings, gain a competitive edge and generate new sales:

The High-End Gaming Room – With the advent of new technologies like AGEIA's PhysX processor, which delivers an intensely realistic, dynamic 3-D gaming experience; and new gaming platforms such as Nintendo's forthcoming Wii system, these advanced technologies have brought about a trend toward high-end installations dedicated to videogaming, similar to the original home theater movement. Mass adoption of the cutting-edge gaming room is estimated to rival or even exceed the initial popularity of home theater systems, due to gaming's already entrenched following in the market, and the multitude of existing home theater installations. Sales of these ‘digital experience’ rooms represent a potentially lucrative new customer set, in addition to creating upgrade opportunities among their existing home theater customers.

New, large-format products such as Panasonic's Professional Series HD Plasma Displays offer additional margin opportunities, heightening the user's experience through advances like 8.58 billion colors; 3000:1 contrast ratios; a formidable new Dual Picture mode; and a built-in video wall processor. Ranging from 37" to a towering 103", these panels are ideal for high-end installations.

The Digital Media Upgrade Cycle: Since downloadable digital media has become fashionable, users will need to incorporate broadband access, computing capabilities and other relative technologies into their legacy home theater and media networks. This upgrade cycle can accommodate high-end media PCs, servers, NAS and hot new media extension products such as Sling Media's Slingbox, which allows the user to access his or her home TV system from any PC device, anywhere in the world.  Such peripheral technology is quickly becoming an integral component of the total digital home experience. "Surveillance anywhere," videoediting and digital photography may be next in line to become a standard integration.

Satellite radio and iPod: Traditional distributed audio systems allow users access to their music from room-to-room throughout the home and small office. Now, users want to completely mobilize their digital music collection, whether through a portable MP3 device, satellite radio system or a car stereo system. D&H offers a plethora of digital audio offerings, from Yamaha's XM-ready MusicCAST wireless management system; to Russound's new ST2S SIRIUS Tuner and BGD1 iBridge Dock, for multi-room iPod integration. 

D&H Distributing is one of America's oldest and largest wholesale distributors of computer and consumer electronics products, with an impressive 85-year history serving as a consultative partner and trusted advisor to CE dealers, custom installers, integrators and retailers in the channel. Call D&H toll-free at 800-340-1007 or visit www.dandh.com.