At a Glance:
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Home Theater Speaker Systems
If the ideal audio setup with theater-like sound involves various speakers mounted around the room, a home theater speaker system is likely the best option. These speaker systems are available in bundles and separately as individual pieces. The system is often made up of several speakers and an audio receiver.
What is the Typical Speaker Configuration?
The base home theater sound system model has 5.1 channels, including five speakers and a subwoofer. The typical 5.1 channel model includes two front speakers, a central speaker, and two rear speakers as well as the subwoofer. It is important to consider that the center speaker and the subwoofer are imperative pieces in this setup. They are the key to achieving a great sound.
Other models include 7.1 channels (seven speakers and a subwoofer) and 11.2 channels (eleven speakers and two subwoofers) for an intense audio setup. An alternative to these systems is an audio receiver paired with bookshelf speakers. This allows more flexibility in placement without losing the professional sound.
Should I Choose a Home Theater in a Box?
A Home Theater in a Box includes all the necessary pieces for theater-like sound. These boxes are a great option for anyone that does not want to pick the combination of speakers, subwoofers, and soundbars. However, it is possible to assemble an entirely custom speaker system by purchasing individual pieces.
Soundbars
A soundbar is a long speaker that plugs directly into the television, eliminating the need for a receiver. They can be incorporated into a full home theater speaker system, paired with a subwoofer, or installed alone. Soundbars come in a variety of brands, sizes, and price points.
Ask anyone what the number one frustration of trying to live, work, and play with technology is, and most people will tell you it’s the quality of their home internet. Network speed and reliability are vitally important factors in making the most of time spent at home. Several factors can inhibit your internet experience, including the number of devices connected, bandwidth caps, and your router’s location.
If you feel like your internet connection has slowed or performance is compromised, the following are some steps you can take to improve the network’s speed and reliability.
1. Consider Your Data Cap
Some internet service providers (ISPs) have data cap options. With these, you can use a certain amount of data each month, and if you go over, your internet speed will dramatically decrease or you might be charged extra. Familiarize yourself with your cap by looking at your bill and identifying if you frequently exceed your monthly limit (you can also find out which devices are using the most data). If that’s the case, you’d be wise to increase the cap.
2. Reset Your Routers
Resetting your routers from time to time (e.g., once a month) will refresh your internet connection and clear out anything that may have been slowing it down from data that gets cached in the device’s memory. If you have a separate modem from your router, you should reset that as well. If you seem to be having a lot of connection issues, try resetting your modem and router more frequently or look at upgrading to pro-consumer grade products, which perform better than off-the-shelf options. Outlet timers and power management systems can reset it for you on a set schedule, allowing you to reset your router in the middle of the night, for example, or any other time when you don’t need to use the internet. You can also call your internet provider to do it for you remotely.
When to DIY
Undertaking your own AV projects in your home may be a necessity if you’re on a time crunch or a tight budget, so long as you’re sure you know what you’re doing. There’s a multitude of online resources — videos and how-to guides — that can help you in this process. Be sure to invest the time to watch and educate yourself, follow directions carefully and choose quality components for your project. Obviously, what you’re capable of will depend on your confidence and experience; but generally, things like wiring outside of the walls or TV/Component installations can be undertaken relatively simply and usually without needing to hire outside help.
When to Hire an Expert
It’s always better to be safe than sorry! If you feel like you’re venturing into territory beyond your experience or comfort level, an AV professional will save you time and money and almost certainly reduce your anxiety level. Naturally, expert installers know the best equipment to use — and can gauge that effortlessly for your needs — as well as the most efficient ways to install these solutions, especially if you’re wanting to avoid unsightly wires everywhere. They can teach you how to use and get the most from the equipment, and how to integrate the solution with other smart home or AV devices so everything works together seamlessly.
When you hire a qualified AV specialist, you can expect ongoing support, maintenance, and upgrades — an investment that will hopefully last the lifetime of the product or installation. It’s useful to know that if something were to go wrong, you can call on someone knowledgeable to help troubleshoot or pinpoint further issues before they become a major problem.
TV
Have you ever noticed how many TVs get installed over fireplaces? It’s not because people necessarily wanted to put the TV there. It’s because the fireplace is typically designed as the focal point of the room and it just ends up making sense to put the TV right above it. Many are fine with that, but some others think that having a big black rectangle at the room’s primary focal point is not the most desirable aesthetic choice!
Fortunately, the industry has come up with several ways to dress up or hide the TV completely:
- Digital Art ‒ Some TVs have a “digital art” mode that can make your TV look like a painting, family portrait or whatever image you want to show off. Some even come with a light sensor to make the art respond to your room’s lighting in a way that makes the art look more natural.
- Mechanized Lifts ‒ There are dozens of options that make clever use of automated lift mechanisms that can hide your TV in a myriad of ways. An Art Lift allows you to hide the TV behind a real piece of art that can slide up or sideways to reveal the TV when you turn it on. Other motorized lift mechanisms can raise your TV up out of a cabinet or have it descended from a hiding place in the ceiling. You can even have the TV pivot left or right towards the viewer.
- Recessed TV ‒ You may not really care about completely hiding the TV, but you would like the installation to be a little sleeker. In that case, you can have your builder frame out the wall so that there is a pocket for the TV to be installed into. This creates a clean and flush appearance from the front and side.
Speakers
Having the ability to play music anywhere in the house or yard is one of the most requested features we get. While a set of floor standing speakers might make sense in a home theater or media room, other rooms can have great sound too without the speakers being a prominent visual feature.
- Architectural Speakers ‒ Most people are familiar with in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. What you may not know is that you can get them in a smaller form factor that closely matches the size and shape of your recessed lighting. This makes the speakers really blend in. There are even in-wall and in-ceiling subwoofers that can provide some added bass without the big black box on the floor.
- Invisible Speakers ‒ If you really don’t want to see the speakers at all, invisible speakers can be installed during the construction phase that perfectly blend into the wall. They are mudded and painted over, just like the drywall, so even the sharpest eye can’t see them.
- Custom Soundbars ‒ Adding a soundbar to enhance TV audio is extremely popular these days. But a lot of soundbars look like an afterthought rather than part of an integrated system. But they don’t have to. Many manufacturers provide soundbars in custom lengths that perfectly match the width of your TV for a clean, purposeful look.
Lighting Control
A smart lighting system isn’t just for convenience. It can enhance the look of your home as well. Lighting control systems can be programmed to remember lighting “scenes” that recall specific lighting levels for a room or the whole house. You can have all your lights set to just the perfect level for whatever mood or activity you want and recall it with a simple button press.
“Centralized” lighting control systems take things even farther by reducing your banks of light switches (sometimes four, five or more in a row) and consolidating them into a single, elegant keypad. Often these lighting keypads are available in a variety of designer colors and textures to perfectly complement your décor.
1. Lower Energy Usage and Costs
With smart thermostats, when you’re out of the house or on vacation, you can set your air conditioning and heater to your desired temperatures. Manufacturers of smart thermostats make claims of 10% to 20% savings on energy bills, and that can really add up in the long run. When you track your energy usage you can easily see where money can be saved. Smart thermostats are inherently environmentally friendly and some even give you “badges” to reach new levels of energy efficiency. Several smart thermostats also have the ability to add remote temperature sensors, allowing you to heat/cool specific areas of the home.
2. Control Your Thermostat Remotely
Smart thermostats allow you to use an app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer to set the temperature for your home remotely, all through an easy-to-use interface. This means, when you’re out of the house or on vacation, you can set your air conditioning and heater to your desired temperatures. In the app, you can also create schedules so that at certain times throughout the day, the temperature will change according to your wishes. You can even set vacation modes for longer trips. Another feature of smart thermostats is the ability to receive alerts for when your temperature goes above or below a certain point.
3. Smart Thermostats Learn Your Home and Your Routines
Using movement sensors, smart thermostats can detect when you are in and out of the home and create a general schedule based on your lifestyle. When you’re gone from the home, energy usage will slow, and then pick up again when you return. Some smart thermostats can also measure the outdoor weather and adjust the indoor environment accordingly. They can also work with other smart home devices, such as smart humidifiers or air purifiers, exchanging information for a stronger integrated system. Voice-controlled systems such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home can connect to your smart thermostat, allowing you to adjust the temperature with the sound of your voice.
Smart thermostats are easy to install, using the wiring already there for the home’s heating and cooling system. Similar to other smart home devices, smart thermostats give you insights into your home in comprehensible ways and are designed to be easy to use.
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Your heating and cooling system should not be overlooked when growing your smart home. If you’re ready to enable the extra layer of convenience, comfort, and cost savings into your home, AV Design Consultants provides many options to cater to your lifestyle. Contact our experts at AV Design Consultants to learn more about our products and services.
Deter or Record Package Thieves
For a myriad of reasons, people are shopping online more now than ever before. If you’re not home, delivered packages might be sitting on the front porch — in plain view from the street and sidewalk for hours. It’s not hard for someone to walk up and take your latest Amazon order. Having a camera watching over the front porch may very well discourage the notoriously observant porch pirate. If they still manage to grab your goods, at least you’ll have the footage and maybe even their vehicle details to share with the police. Capturing the event clearly along with attributes, such as gender, facial features, clothing, and descriptive information can be the difference between remaining a victim or seeing justice being served.
Confirm Package Deliveries
If you’ve ever received a notification that your package was delivered, only to discover it’s nowhere to be found when you get home, it’s not always the work of a thief. Delivery people can make mistakes, and occasionally, your goods end up on someone else’s doorstep. While a surveillance camera won’t tell you where your package was misdelivered, it can prove to you, as well as the seller and shipper, that no delivery took place. This can be the difference between a full refund or having to absorb the total cost of a lost order.
Keeping an Eye on your Loved Ones
Pools, playsets, and trampolines are all great activities for the kids. But each one of them represents some level of risk without supervision. Having a camera focused on these areas will allow you to observe (and hear if your cameras have microphones) what’s going on regardless of whether you’re there or not. Security cameras can also record the comings and goings of your loved ones. Special rules can detect precise motion, sounds, and now motor vehicles and people. So, annoying false alarms, in most cases, can be avoided. The best part is most of these devices are mobile-friendly. If you have elderly parents or simply want to see when you kids leave for or get home from school, security cameras are your eyes and ears.
Monitor Doors and Gates
If you don’t have security contacts on your entry doors or garage doors, there’s no way for you to know if they’re open or closed without visual verification. The gates to most people’s yards never have sensors on them. It’s not uncommon for the family dog to take off on a neighborhood excursion because someone forgot to pull the yard gate closed. A quick check of your cameras lets you know that everything is secure before letting Fido out the back door to do his business. Advanced security cameras can even detect if objects in a field of view are removed or abandoned. These advanced features add in the digital equivalent of what a sensor would do, just by looking at the scene. Imagine being alerted if your beloved 10-foot holiday inflatable disappears suddenly. The combinations are endless, and today’s cameras offer so much more than they did a mere 10 years back.
Animal and Human Mischief
Occasionally, some things happen on our property, and we have no idea who or what the culprit is. What if someone gets hurt on your property or trash cans get knocked over, flowers and veggies disappear from the garden, or smelly little gifts show up on the front lawn? Checking your security cameras might reveal mischievous people, raccoons, and some hungry deer — or even expose your neighbors not cleaning up after their dog or cat. What you do about these particular intrusions is totally up to you, but at least you’ll know what’s going on outside your home whether you’re there or not — day or night!
Where It All Began
Many of the smart home manufacturers that have been in the game for a while started, at least to some degree, with a more modest aim than automating your home. They started by making it easier to operate your TV and all the various devices that you had plugged into it. Essentially, they started with creating a universal remote.
As technology advanced, broadcast television was no longer the only thing to watch on your fancy color TV. We added cable boxes, VCRs, Ataris, surround receivers, and more. Each one of those devices generally came with its own remote control. Simplicity gave way to a plethora of button-filled devices strewn across the coffee table, challenging you to decode the correct sequence of button presses to turn on the nightly news.
Universal remotes fixed all that. That original mess of remotes got shoved in a drawer, replaced by a simple and intuitive device that only required a single button press to bring everything to life. It wasn’t long before people started wondering… what else could we control with this thing?
Smart Home Meets Smartphone
Smart home manufacturers expanded past the media room to control lighting, shades, security, HVAC and more. Universal remotes were joined by proprietary touch screen panels, some in-wall and some wireless, to simplify the operation of these increasingly sophisticated systems. Touch screen technology was pretty new. It was also pretty expensive which contributed to making the smart home a strictly luxury product.
The release of the iPhone, and later the iPad, brought the price of touch screen devices way down. Smart home manufacturers started to look at how they could leverage these mobile devices to enhance their own offerings. They released apps that would allow a client’s iDevice (and later Android devices as well) to communicate with their smart home devices. Since these devices were mobile, they added the benefit of allowing people to control their system even when they weren’t home.
Circadian lighting, also known as human-centric lighting, is a solution to many of the hidden hazards of artificial lighting. It’s a system that mirrors natural light cycles and therefore helps promote a healthy and stable circadian rhythm. Circadian lighting systems change the light intensity and color temperature in fixtures throughout the day, minimizing the effects of unnatural light and promoting increased productivity, better sleep, and long-term health benefits.
There are three (3) approaches to implementing a circadian lighting system:
- Intensity tuning – The most cost-effective way to implement a circadian lighting system. Light fixtures have a fixed correlated color temperature (CCT), but the brightness, or intensity, can be adjusted through a control system to reflect the time of day. For example, in the morning and at night, lights are at a lower intensity, but during the day they are brighter, in tune with the sun’s rise and fall.
- Color tuning – Similar to intensity tuning, color tuning changes the brightness of lights but also changes the CCT to more closely reflect natural lighting. It does this by disabling white lights and color tuning lights by utilizing warmer and yellower colors in the morning and evening and cooler and bluer colors during the day, with the aim of promoting alertness and productivity.
- Stimulus tuning – Spectrally optimized LED lights create white light with high circadian stimulus without actually changing the color of the light throughout the day. Stimulus tuning reduces blue light during the evening to help promote melatonin production, which is our body’s natural sleep agent. During the day, it replaces “bad blue” lighting with “good blue,” or sky-blue lighting. This “good blue” helps our eyes send a signal to our brain to maintain a circadian rhythm. Stimulus tuning is the method of circadian lighting that most mimics the daylight spectrum.
Circadian lighting systems are proven to help maintain high energy levels and promote better sleep. The Lighting Research Center conducted a study that found people receiving high circadian stimulus throughout the day felt more energetic and alert, experienced better sleep, and felt less depressed than workers receiving low circadian stimulus.
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To learn more about how circadian lighting can benefit your life and find out which system is right for you, AV Design Consultants provides many options to cater to your needs. Contact us at AV Design Consultants to learn more about our products and services.
Some examples of IoT devices include smart home products such as light bulbs, security systems, doorbells, cameras, and speakers. By definition, it extends the power of the internet beyond typical electronic devices — to “things”; devices that are traditionally connected to the internet, such as smartphones or computers, are not considered IoT devices.
As the popularity of IoT devices increases and prices fall, the IoT network grows ever larger. It is predicted that by 2025, there will be 41 billion connected things. While at first IoT may seem vast and complicated, there are many simple ways you can integrate IoT devices into your home.
Before attempting a DIY IoT project, it’s helpful to understand the basics of what IoT is and how it works: through a combination of sensors and actuators to connect a physical device to the internet. Sensors measure physical properties. For example, a sensor might measure an environment’s temperature and then convert those external properties into a signal to send to an actuator, which uses this information to choose an action. If the temperature is above or below a certain number, it can adjust the thermostat to shift back towards what you want it to be.
It’s important to have the right infrastructure in place. Some IoT devices are Bluetooth-connected, which is straightforward and simple. Others may need more hardware and physical connectivity. When devices need to connect to the network, that’s when hiring a professional is important as these devices move a lot of information around on the network. This network “traffic” can affect your internet speed and ability to do things you might be used to such as streaming audio or video. Common DIY home installations include thermostats, security cameras, IoT alarm clocks, and smart garage doors.
A successful IoT project considers your day-to-day problems and uses a connected product to solve or make that problem much easier to handle. The following describes the two main use-case types in terms of IoT projects.
Method #1: In-Wall Storage Box
Occasionally, with smaller video sources like Apple TV or Roku media players, people might choose to attach these on the back of their TV or on the wall behind the TV. While this effectively hides devices from the front, it pushes the TV off the wall by a couple of inches, ruining the look from the side. An easy solution is to simply put them inside the wall!
Today’s in-wall enclosures are designed to fit between the wall studs. These come in different sizes (14” x 14” is most common) and give you a place to install one or more small components. These enclosures can easily accommodate small network switches or surge protectors. With your sources recessed into the wall, your TV can now mount right up against your wall surface for a true low-profile installation.
Method #2: HDMI Extenders
Standard HDMI cables are not intended for, or sometimes even capable of, sending 4K video and high-resolution audio signals very far. They are usually limited to about 20 to 30 feet before things get more complicated. That makes it difficult to hide a game system or Blu-ray player inside a cabinet or a closet that isn’t close by. HDMI Extenders give you the extra distance needed to make this happen.
HDMI Extenders, sometimes called “baluns,” are actually two boxes. One is a transmitter, and the other is a receiver. They are connected by a category cable like Cat5e or Cat6. A shielded category cable works best and is preferred when possible. The video source (Xbox, PS5, cable box, Blu-ray, etc.) plugs into the transmitter and sends the HDMI signal over the cable to the receiver where your TV is located. From there, the HDMI cable connects the receiver to your TV’s HDMI input, and you’re set! This inexpensive method allows you to achieve distances as far as 330 feet!
Method #3: Video Distribution
This option not only lets you hide all your video sources, but it also allows you to share them amongst every TV in the house. It’s like Method #2 but with multiple sources in a single location distributed to every TV in your home. You gain several benefits with a video distribution system:
With the holiday season quickly approaching, there is a decent chance that your mind is primarily focused on how you plan to decorate your home for the festive weeks that lie ahead. We agree that holiday decorating is much more jolly than most tasks around your home this time of year; however, we can’t stress enough the importance of keeping your place ultimately safe and secure. Not to mention thwarting off the thoughtless porch pirates attempting to swipe packages right in front of your doorstep. This holiday season (and for the remainder of the year), it’s time to take your home’s safety seriously and consider investing in a reliable home security system to give you the ultimate peace of mind. If you’re looking where to start for some security ideas for your modern home, we’ve put together a guide on how to secure your home with some of the latest and greatest home security solutions.
At a Glance:
Amazon Fire TV (Stick Lite, Stick, Stick 4K, and Cube)
All versions of the Amazon Fire TV Stick are some of the most affordable streaming devices out there, retailing for less than $40. They come with an HDMI connector, an Alexa voice remote, and the Stick 4K is capable of 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR. The Amazon Fire TV Cube is a set-top-box setup and retails for $120. It has all the capabilities of the sticks but also has double the storage, and ethernet connectivity native. One of Fire TV’s most popular features is its Alexa voice control. You can prompt Alexa to find your favorite shows, browse the app store or even ask about the weather. Fire TV’s app store features streaming services such as Prime Video, Netflix, and Hulu, and live TV apps such as Sling TV or YouTube TV. There are also music apps and games available for download. Amazon Prime Video and other Amazon features are heavily integrated into the Fire TV platform, so if you’re already an Amazon customer this may be a good fit for you.
Chromecast with Google TV
Chromecast with Google TV is an affordable and popular streaming option, with a retail price of around $50. It plugs into the HDMI port of your TV much like a stick; however, its HMDI connection is on a short pigtail cable, allowing it to connect a bit easier in tight spaces. It boasts 4K abilities and has a voice-controlled Google Assistant remote to help search and answer questions. It also has access to the Google Play Store and its hundreds of apps to choose from, along with its own streaming service, Google TV. Chromecast with Google TV has Dolby vision compatibility, gaming with Stadia, and Google Photos integration, which makes for a personalized touch to your streaming experience. Much like Amazon, Google TV and other Google services are heavily integrated into the Google platform, so if your home is already full of Google devices, including Nest devices, this may be the right solution for you.
Note: A “Chromecast”, unlike a “Chromecast with Google TV”, is simply a device that allows you to “cast” or “mirror” your smartphone, tablet, or computer, to a TV.
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV is a set-top-box setup with a Siri remote and retails for $179 and $199, depending on how much storage you prefer (32GB and 64GB respectively). In addition to the hundreds of apps for download from the Apple app store, you can also enjoy games from the Apple Arcade. Apple TV offers its own live TV streaming service, as well as flexible HDR and a TV calibration feature. This is the only media streaming option without a kid’s mode, but it does have password restrictions for certain content or apps that you can add. With Apple TV, you have access to things you have stored in iCloud, such as saved music or photos. You can also connect your Apple Airpods to the TV for private listening. Once again like Amazon and Google, if your other electronic products are Apple, this may be the route for you so you can streamline your devices and enjoy all of Apple TV’s features.
Roku (Express, Express 4K+, Streaming Stick+, Ultra, Streambar, and Streambar Pro)
Roku has the most versatile selection of devices including stick-like devices with cable pigtails, a stick, a set-top-box device, and even (2) soundbar solutions, all ranging from $30 to $150. Roku has 4K capabilities and has the most streaming app options in its app store. Unlike other streaming services, Roku is impartial to any one streaming service and does not try to promote one streaming app over another. It also has a screen mirroring feature, where you can easily project content from your phone or tablet to the TV screen. Another perk of Roku is that while it does offer a physical voice remote, you can also control it from your phone by downloading the Roku app. Rokus are also compatible with Amazon, Google, and Apple voice assistants. The remote also has a 3.5 stereo jack that you can plug wired headphones into, allowing for private listening. Roku Streambars add cinematic sound into the environment by having the media player built into a four-speaker soundbar, which is unlike any other product on the market. If you’re brand agnostic, or maybe just want a little more flexibility when it comes to brands, a Roku device might be the way to go.
Aspect Ratio
A projector’s aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and the height. A 4:3 ratio is a squarer image, whereas 16:9 is standard for most films and other modern content and is generally the preferred option. It’s also the ratio that almost, if not all, TVs are made with. Knowing the aspect ratio of your projector lets you find a screen that will suit the projection.
Lumens
The term “lumens” refers to the brightness of your projector. In a dark room with no windows, 1,000 lumens can be sufficient, but outdoor spaces are different. Typically, outdoor spaces require a projector with at least 3,000 lumens for good screen visibility; and if you plan to watch content outdoors during the day, you may need to go higher, up to 6,000 lumens or more is recommended.
Bulb Lifetime
Many projector light bulbs advertise a lifespan anywhere between 30,000 and 70,000 hours, but in reality, your viewing time will likely never reach that amount. So don’t stress about the lifetime of whichever bulb you choose; chances are it will be more than enough. Even if you do end up having to replace your bulb, they are relatively inexpensive, and you’ll likely be ready to upgrade to something newer by this point.
WiFi Capability
WiFi capability in projectors is the latest advancement in the projector world. WiFi ensures you don’t need a wired internet connection and opens up the world of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu through your projector. You’ll want to be sure your outdoor space has a strong internet signal to avoid lagging and buffering issues. Also, WiFi projectors tend to be more expensive than traditional ones but are worth it if you want to stream your content without purchasing additional devices. This is more often found on multi-purpose projectors whereas higher-end projectors focused on picture quality might not have this.
Speakers
Most multi-purpose projectors have built-in speakers but tend to be a little underpowered for the purposes of an outdoor space. Adding external speakers or a soundbar will definitely improve sound levels and quality. You have a choice of wired or wireless speakers, whichever is better for your application. Installing weatherproof speakers is a great way to enjoy music at any time, not just sound for when you watch movies.
