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How to Upgrade Your Home Theater for 4K Entertainment

How to Upgrade Your Home Theater for 4K Entertainment

The Gear and Sources You Need for Top-Quality Viewing

It’s no secret that major electronics brands, studios, media outlets, and streaming services are ditching 1080p for 4K as the resolution standard. In fact, more than half of U.S. homes are expected to adopt 4K TVs by next year, which is a much faster adoption rate than 1080p saw in its prime.

If you’ve decided to upgrade your home theater for 4K viewing, then our Fayetteville, Arkansas team is here to help. Below, we’ll walk you through a few necessary product upgrades you’ll need to transform your viewing experience to today’s standard of crystal-clear entertainment. Read on for more!

What to Consider When Buying a Home Theater Projector

What to Consider When Buying a Home Theater Projector

Find the Perfect Home Theater Projector for Your Space

Creating the perfect home theater can be a thrilling yet daunting task. Like any new construction or renovation project, it requires a lot of planning. You only want the best experience for you and your family, so that means buying only the best equipment that will meet your needs.

In this blog, we guide you through three common questions you should consider before deciding on a projector for your home theater in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area. Just keep reading to learn more!

5 Oscar-Winning Films You Have to Watch in Your Home Theater

5 Oscar-Winning Films You Have to Watch in Your Home Theater

These Films Will Bring New Life to Your Surround Sound System

At the mention of the Oscars, which award category do you think of first? Probably not Best Sound Editing, right? But after you watch (and listen to) these 5 Oscar-winning movies for Best Sound Editing in your Bentonville, AR home theater, you’ll remember why you invested in top-quality surround sound in the first place. Read on to see the movies that will make the best of your home theater surround sound system.

How to Choose A Home Theater Projector

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Thinking about buying a home theater projector but not quite sure where to start? You've come to the right place. 

Here at AV Design Consultants, we are always happy to make a projector believer out of a customer. But jumping into a new category of technology can be overwhelming, so we are here to help make projector research and selection as easy as it can be. 

With our help, you'll be able to pick out the best home theater projector for your space and budget. You will be ready to enjoy amazing theater-like quality, all from the comfort of your home. But first, let's look at what you’ll want to consider before making your home theater projector purchase.

Why You Need a Home Theater

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Are you ready to bring movie magic home?

While televisions have long been at the center of American living rooms, home movie theaters aren't nearly as common. However, those people who have taken the time, resources, and space to put in a home movie theater have found just how great it is to enjoy theater-caliber sound and picture right at home. 

A home movie theater brings many benefits to you and your family, but all of us here at AV Design Consultants know that transforming an entire room of your home into a theater isn't an easily made decision. To help guide you through your purchasing decision journey, we've put together a list of reasons why now is the perfect time to get a home movie theater, as well as some of the great benefits that just such a theater will bring to your life. 

Theaters Aren't Open

2020 has truly been one for the record books, and one of the industries hit hard by quarantine has been movie theaters. Many movie theaters across the country have been closed for months, and we don't have any indication of when widespread Hollywood movie releases will once again be the norm. This means that the best way to experience a movie hasn’t been accessible to most people since the beginning of the year, and with no sign of when movie theaters will reopen, it may be time to consider bringing that traditional theater experience home. 

Combine this with the ease and increase in availability of video-on-demand movies -- or look at what Disney is doing with "Mulan," which was originally due to have a theatrical debut and now is totally bypassing that by releasing on Disney+ -- and the timing is really ripe for an explosion in-home movie watching.

Of course, if you want your home movie experience to even begin to rival that of a theater, you'll need a theater of your own. 

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Why You Need to Upgrade to a Home Audio System

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Sound is special. It’s the difference between watching somebody strum a weird wooden shape and listening to somebody perform Bach on bass guitar.

The importance of sound isn’t just limited to concert performances or watching your kid’s school band play “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” for the millionth time, either. It’s also important at home and can bring a whole new level of immersion to your music, TV shows, and movies.

For those of you that aren’t quite convinced -- or are still on the fence about ditching your old dusty system and upgrading to something new -- we took the liberty of putting together some reasons why – and how -- a new hi-fi home audio system will change your family’s life for the better.

Planning for a Dedicated Home Theater

Planning for a Dedicated Home Theater

Seating

Seating is one of the most important elements of an enjoyable home-theater experience. Tiered systems that imitate a sloped theater ensure that everyone can view the screen. You’ll want to place seats far enough away from the screen so that viewers are not overwhelmed by the screen size.

Many options are available for materials and design to ensure everyone has a comfortable seat in the house.  And with features such as USB charging, built in LED lights, and more, personalizing your home theater can provide you with a seating experience much better than movie theaters can.

Lighting

To embody the true theater setting, you’ll want your room to have as little ambient light as possible, as more light reduces your ability to see the content. That is why dedicated home theaters typically do not have any windows in the room.

That being said, accent lighting to help minimize eye fatigue, rope lighting to improve the ambiance, and having it all controlled by the same system that controls your audio video will help make it easy to push one button and have everything set up perfectly and ready to go.

Screen Type and Size

There are many options when choosing a screen for your home theater, such as a flat-panel display or a projector with a fixed, electric, or auto-masking screen. If you’re going with projection, depending on the length of the room, learn whether your room is more suitable for a high-throw or short-throw projector.

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Multi-Room Audio: Turn Your Home into a Musical Adventure

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It’s time to take music everywhere.

Back in the day, listening to music used to be tethered to the physical realm: The vinyl goes on the platter or the disc goes into the player, you sit close by, and you listen through speakers or headphones connected to player. And that was pretty much it.  

But that’s not the way it is anymore.

With multi-room audio systems, you and your music are free of physical wires and media. Music can flow throughout your whole house — all wirelessly. Let’s take a look at what is possible for multi-room audio, and what awesome features you are missing out on.

3 Questions to Guide You to Select the Right Projector

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Different projectors are designed for different uses. Whether you’re hosting a moving night or leading a business meeting, a big-screen projector with vivid color output leaves a lasting impression. For movie aficionados and gamers, a projector offers a larger screen size on a reasonable budget, particularly in comparison to a flat-panel display. For business professionals, a projector is a flexible tool for sharing presentations with any size audience.

Selecting the right projector from a crowded field of models with a wide range of prices, features and capabilities can be a daunting task. Unlike most televisions, a projector’s performance is impacted by the room’s environment and the type of screen that the projector is paired with. To obtain the highest-quality picture — whether you’re using your projector for leisure or business — you’ll need the appropriate type of projector for your particular use case.

It’s Summer Movie Season: Prepare Your Home Theater!

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It’s summer movie season, and that means it’s time to recline those seats, pop some popcorn, and figure out who gets to choose the first film for summer movie nights! 

The best part of having a home theater is that you don’t have to leave your house for amazing picture and sound. With your home theater at the ready, you and your family can make your own summer movie nights – all from the comfort of your couch or other home theater seating. 

Before you settle in for summer blockbuster after summer blockbuster, you need to make sure your favorite room in the house is ready to go! Our experts at AV Design Consultants want to ensure your whole family has seamless summer entertainment experiences, so keep reading to find out where to focus your efforts to get the most movie magic possible. 

Navigating the Many Options for Media Streaming

Navigating the Many Options for Media Streaming

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.

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3 Ways to Make Your TV's Black Boxes Disappear

3 Ways to Make Your TV's Black Boxes Disappear

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:

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When DIY Doesn’t Cut It: How an AV Expert Can Help

When DIY Doesn’t Cut It: How an AV Expert Can Help

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. 

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The Best Audio Systems for Theater-Like Sound

The Best Audio Systems for Theater-Like Sound

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.

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Subwoofers: What Are They & Do You Need One for Your Sound System?

Subwoofers: What Are They & Do You Need One for Your Sound System?

What is a Subwoofer?

A subwoofer is a crucial component of a complete audio system because it delivers lower frequencies between 20 – 200 Hz, which traditional two-channel or surround sound setups can't produce on their own. In fact, subwoofers are responsible for the .1 in a 7.1 sound system to deliver all the low-frequency effects.

Subwoofers work seamlessly with the rest of your sound system as one unit, so you never miss a beat.

How Do They Work?

A subwoofer speaker uses large drivers called woofers to produce deeper sounds. These woofers are typically enclosed in a wood or plastic structure and look like any other speaker. The subwoofer then uses the large woofer and a built-in amplifier that powers the signal to produce deeper, cleaner bass.

But to reproduce high-quality sound, they have to deal with the crossover (when sound transitions from speaker to speaker) and phasing, which deals with the timing differences from identical signals.

  • Low-Pass Crossover: The frequency where your speakers begin to roll off and the subwoofer beings to produce bass notes. Subwoofers work best when you set your crossover to 10 Hz above your speaker's lowest frequency range.
  • 0/180 Degree Phase Switch: Woofers work best when they move forward and backward while in sync, but the bass cancels out if they are out of phase. If that happens, you can use the switch to "dial-in" your subwoofer.

Why Do You Need One?

As we said before, a subwoofer lets you feel the sound in your chest or down your spine instead of simply hearing it. And if you have a glass of water nearby, you can even see it when the sound causes the water to ripple. But there's more to it than that, and once you've experienced that deep bass, you won't want to go back. For instance, subwoofers will:

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In-ceiling Speakers: Are They Any good? 5 Reasons You Need Them

In-ceiling Speakers: Are They Any good? 5 Reasons You Need Them

How In-Ceiling Speakers Benefit You

 

In-ceiling speakers aren’t intended to replace floor-standing or mounted speakers. It’s just a way to add some flair to your audio while also limiting some of the clutter. No one is staring into your ceiling arrangement, after all. Apart from decluttering, in-ceiling speakers are beneficial for a variety of reasons, including:

1. Not Costly

The majority of low-cost ceiling speakers provide excellent sound quality and value for money. So, if you’re trying to stick to a strict budget while adding to your home audio, there’s no need to worry about it taking up the entire budget.

2. Impressive Sound Quality

Despite their relatively small size, ceiling speakers can transmit beautifully detailed music from above and even help enhance the surround sound of your speakers. Even theaters use them to add to the surround sound experience, so why not add a couple to your home. 

 

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3 Reasons You Need A Home Theater Projector (+1 Bonus)

3 Reasons You Need A Home Theater Projector (+1 Bonus)

Customizable Screen

The beauty of projectors is that they can be used on any surface instead of just ones. Many projector owners prefer to project onto custom-made screens or white-painted walls to assure quality, but this isn't required. You can re-adjust your home theater projector infinitely because it doesn't require a set frame size.

Do you need a massive image for a blockbuster film? Or perhaps a little one to fit into a small space? One projector can accomplish both, and its image may be projected onto any flat surface!

Reduce Eye Strain

When it comes to eye comfort, projectors have two distinct advantages. Because projector users can project larger images, eyestrain is less of an issue. When looking at small graphics and images on a TV, viewers are forced to go closer to their screens and struggle to focus.

Additionally, the type of light emitted by projectors reduces eye strain. The use of reflected light in projectors has a lower visual impact on the eye, unlike the emitted light of TVs. So you can comfortably binge-watch to your heart’s content.

Compact Size

While a large-screen TV's size may dazzle some, it also restricts the device's mobility and utility. A projector the size of a laptop, on the other hand, can display a large image on a variety of surfaces but also has versatile placement.

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How to Make Your Speaker System Your Home's Best Kept Secret

How to Make Your Speaker System Your Home's Best Kept Secret

In the Wall or the Ceiling?

One of the easiest ways to hide your audio is with in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. Both speakers are recessed into the sheetrock with a mounting bracket, but while the grilles are still noticeable, you can paint those the same color as the walls. And you don't have to worry about the wires since your installer will run them for you.

With in-ceiling speakers, you need to take care of which rooms you put them in since sound travels. So, if you have a young child, having in-ceiling speakers in the room above them might make it hard for them to stay asleep.

Pro Tip: Make sure to choose speakers with full enclosures to minimize sound reflections and keep your sound pure.

Cloak of Invisibility

Have you heard of invisible speakers? They work just like in-wall or in-ceiling speakers, except they don't have exposed grates. Instead, you plaster over invisible speakers, and they stay hidden entirely inside the sheetrock. But don't worry about the quality of your sound — these are designed with superior audio!

The beauty of invisible speakers is that you can also install them within recesses about the size of canned lights so that they blend in with your light fixtures. No matter how often your guests look around, they won't be able to find where the sound is coming from!

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Perfecting Room Acoustics the Easy Way with Professional Installers!

Perfecting Room Acoustics the Easy Way with Professional Installers!

Why Room Acoustics Matter

Before we go into the nuts and bolts about room acoustics, first, we have to explain why it matters so much. Yea, room acoustics give you better sound, but what does that mean?

With a well-thought-out speaker setup and good acoustics, you'll be able to immerse yourself more into the content. So, if you're watching an intense film, the sound will have you feeling like you're a part of the experience. If you don't have good acoustics that balances the direct to reflected sound, you'll miss out on hearing clear and well-articulated sound in the way the creators intended you to hear it.

Minimize Reflections

Reflections are the first things your professional custom integrators will consider. Minimizing reflections is essential because they can cause sound waves to bounce off surfaces and create an echo. If the reflection separates from the sound signal by a single second, that's enough to cause a reverberation or an echo.

And because sound covers a large spectrum, from the tinkling of glass to the rumble of an explosion with human voices in the middle, finding all the reflections is a tough job — especially if you're dealing with a smaller room. But a professional installer knows how to keep the room dimensions and reflections into account and strategically use acoustic paneling to minimize the reflections.

Sound Absorption

Sound absorption is another crucial element of room acoustics. Absorption and diffusive materials regulate how much sound penetrates through the walls and ceilings and help control the noise.

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