Since 1946 Klipsch has made some of the most innovative and unique speakers. The founder, Paul W. Klipsch wanted to reproduce the sound of a live orchestra in his living room. The result was the Klipschhorn and a speaker design philosophy that has contimued to this day. In addtion to being found in homes all over the world, Klipsch speakers can be found in your local movie theater, music studios, and production and editing rooms of major studios.

Happy Anniversary Klipsch!

Here is another custom rack we did. This type of rack is best for centralized AV systems that have a large amount of equipment. This particular rack from Middle Atlantic holds not only the home’s multi-zone audio video distribution system but also the AV gear for the theater room. The layout of the rack is designed well in advance of the installation. Every component is assigned a position in the rack that allows for ease of use and the best wire management. Air flow and cooling also play a large factor in determining the position of the component.

After the layout design is completed, the rack is ordered with custom face plates for each component to give the finished product a polished look. Before we take the rack to the jobsite, we assemble it in our shop, install the gear, and test the equipment and the system design to make sure everything is working.

A custom cabinet like this makes installation and servicing easier, looks great and makes the gear easier to access and use for the home owner.

It is not just Blu-ray DVD players that have internet content. The 2011 TV models are here and they are loaded with internet features from content streaming services like Pandora and Netflix to Apps like accuweather and APnews to an actual web browser.

Check out the features of LG’s new line up of Smart TVs.

And take a look at the Smart Hub from Samsung!

This stuff is so cool it will make you giddy. All the more reason to make sure you have a good IP and a powerful home network.

The internet is changing the home entertainment experience at lightning speed. There is not a home theater, lifestyle room or master bedroom system that we do not equip with internet access these days. The most popular internet enabled device is by far Blu-ray DVD players. Today’s Blu-ray players that connect to the internet offer a host of entertainment features including Netflix, Pandora Radio, Facebook, Youtube, and much much more. Blu-ray players are not the only players in the game. Other devices that thrive on the internet are game systems (Xbox360, Wii, PS3), Camera DVR, Satellite/Cable Boxes and newcomers like GoogleTV, AppleTV and SmartTV. With all of these devices craving bandwidth, it is imperative that you consider the state of your network, internet service provider and bandwidth speed. Not preparing for these new devices could mean waiting for movies to download, poor quality or even worse…no connection at all.

Step 1: Go to www.speedtest.net and check you bandwidth speed. Begin the test and compare the results. If your speed is greater that 3 mbps then you have an acceptable bandwith speed. Acceptable, not great. Ideally you want 5 mbps minimum, if you can get 10 mbps or better then your golden!

Step 2: If your bandwidth is low, contact your service provider (att, charter, verizon, etc.) and request line tests and options for upgrading your speed.

Step 3: Check your physical network equipment such as your modem and router to make sure that the location where your internet enabled device will goes has either a hardwire connection or a solid wireless signal. This step is a little tricky, but it needs to be included. I always perfer a hardwire connection, but sometimes that is not possible. If do not have a network signal at your desired location, then there are several devices that can help bring a network connection to that location. Below are a few pictures of such devices.

If this seems like a lot of work, don’t worry! We do this for a living. We can come out to your house and do a network evaluation for you. With just a little prep work, you can be ready to bring in some really cool internet enabled devices that will take your home entertainment experience to a whole new level.

In installations where the electronic gear is centrally located in the house, it is vital to have a good rack to organize the equipment and manage the wire.  Here is one with 7 DSS receivers, an Escient media management system with 3 400 disc DVD/CD jukeboxes, AM/FM/XM tuner, and an ipod.  All of these sources are being distributed to the theater room, game room, living room, master bed, master bath, patio and pool.  In addition to those components there is a B&K multi/zone Audio Video distribution system, power management, and an RTI control system. 

All this gear requires a lot of space and a lot of wire and cable.  A cabinet, built ins or shelves in a closet would not be sufficient.  A custom rack like this one from Middle Atlantic is required.  The gear can be properly organized and as for the wire and the cable – well, see for yourself.

The upfront investment in a rack system pays off in the end when it come time to service the equipment or replace a component.  Everything is clearly labelled, wire is easy to disconnect, gear is easy to remove, and re-installtion is a snap.

This retrofit installation was rather unique.  The room was large, open, and awkward making the TV placement difficult.  After a couple of designs involving a large custom cabinet to the right of the fireplace to house the TV, it was finally decided that the best place for the TV was over the mantle above the fireplace.   The cabinet idea was kept but redesigned to become bookshelves with cabinets underneath to hold the AV gear.  The builder removed stones creating a pathway for power and AV cabling.  Once the cabling was in place the custom bookshelfcabinet was installed.  The TV was mounted with a tilt mount bracket to provide a better viewing angle.  A receiver, Blu-ray player, DSS receiver and Klipsch subwoofer were installed inside the cabinet.

The client wanted better sound than the TV provided so along with the subwoofer a pair of KEF 6000 ACE speakers were mounted to either side of a 55″ LED TV.  This provided big sound to match a big picture.  An RTI universal remote controls this system and the house wide audio system.  No matter how difficult the installation there is always a solution.

Just how do those incredible installers magically run wire from one end of the house to the other?

I’ll never tell!

On October 1st 2010, Denon turns 100.  That is an amazing feat in the AV world.  We have sold and installed Denon for decades because of the quality of their products and longevity of the company.  Since they began in 1910, Denon has been a leader and an innovator with numerous patents and audio components.  From turn tables, cartridges, professional cassette tape recorders, and the pressing of high quality LP records to CDs, DVD players, Surround Receivers, and Blu-ray players, Denon has continually been at the forefront of the industry. 

AVR2311CI

One of Denon’s more recent innovations is the creation of the ‘CI’ (Custom Integration) products.  Denon put in place a certification program for Authorized Dealers like Sound Ideas that sell, integrate and service these specialized products.  It is an extensive and annual program that includes many hours of in person and on-line training, as well as constant updates about the products.  Starting with the AVR2311, The CI line up from Denon adds some really cool features that we can use to fine tune the receiver for any room layout.  Audyssey EQ Pro and Auto Room Correction allow for detailed audio calibration, and there are settings in the menu that allow for even furthur customization.  The receiver also has IP connectivity to give you hundreds of internet radio stations and services such as Rhapsody.  Add a Denon iPod dock and you get an onscreen menu to control iPod.  With so many other brands putting out cookie cutter receiver designed for the masses, it is refreshing to see a company commit to providing a high level of customization at reasonable prices.

Check out the cool features at Denon’s website and stay tuned here for more reviews and updates.

With summer now in full force, we have been getting a lot of requests for work in the area of outdoor audio and video.  More and more people are realizing the benefit of bringing technology to their outdoor living spaces.  Manufacturers are catching on to this trend, so they have been releasing some cool products that really take outdoor entertainment to a new level.

Waterproof  Remote

One such product is the RTI U2 universal waterproof remote (Picture on Left).  If you have an outdoor sound system, you can use this remote in conjunction with one of their wireless RF base stations to control your whole sound system. You can literally use this remote in your pool.  I remember the first time I installed one of these remotes I was so excited that it floated that after programming it I put it in the pool to see if it was true.  I came back to test my experiment and saw the remote floating in the center of the pool, far from arms reach.  After locating the net and fishing my remote out…It worked great and controlled the outdoor sound like a champ.

Outdoor Speakers

There are two main types of outdoor speakers, hanging or rock.  Hanging speakers are mostly used on the side of your house or under eaves of your porch.  These speakers are surprisingly robust and have great sound.  Rock speakers are mostly used around pools and landscaped outdoor living areas.  They look cool and sound good too.  People are attracted to these speakers because they blend into their landscape and disappear.  Both of these speaker types are usually installed with an all weather volume control that will let you control the volume of your sound without going inside to your equipment location.

Outdoor Video

Putting a flat panel TV outdoors can get a bit tricky.  The biggest hurdle is trying to prolong the life of a sensitive piece of equipment in the harsh environment of the Texas outdoors.  Often we will install a TV in  a loggia, patio or pool house that provides some shelter for the weather.  Even if the TV is protected from direct rain fall, it is still in an uncontrolled environment and that can significantly shorten its life.  Here are a couple of options to protect and increase the life of your TV.  The first is to get an all weather TV that is designed to be used outdoors.  Pantel and Sunbright have LCD TVs that are great for any outdoor situation, covered or exposed.  Their specially designed TVs are temperature controlled and ventilated.  They are also protected from dust, insects and spider webs, which are very damaging to electronics.

If your are looking for a less expensive option then try pairing an inexpensive flat panel TV with a protective cover.  The covers are designed to provide some protection from dust, insects and moisture when the TV is not in use.  Sound Ideas offer these covers in a variety of colors and sizes to fit any TV.

Hopefully this post helps stir your mind about the options that are available for outdoor entertainment.  There are a ton of things out there to choose from, and I just wanted to get you thinking and give you some basic things that we have done in the recent past.  No matter what you choose to do, the important thing is to get out there with friends and family and enjoy the outdoors!

Brian Mitchell at eCoustics.com wrote an article titled “Ten Reasons why 3-d TV May Fail“ about the problems with 3-D technology in the home.  Are people really going to want to put on 3-D glasses every time they watch TV?  Are existing systems compatible with 3-D or are we going to have change every component?   What about the lack of content?  While he is not saying that it will fail, he makes several valid points as to why it could. 

Stephen Hopkins over at CEPro.com feels that Mitchell is blaspheming and counters with the article “Ten Reasons Why 3d Will Succeed.”  He argues each of Mitchell’s points such as stating that 3-D glasses are temporary until auto-stereoscopic technologies develop, but he does not really say why  3-D will succeed.  Hopkins subtitled his article “Why 3D will find an important niche in the home theater experience” but fails to address this at all.

Take a moment to read through the articles.  Both Mitchell and Hopkins make good arguments, but they missed a few.  Here are my top 5 reasons why 3d could go either way.

1.  Avatar looked amazing in 3-D on a giant screen. It was very realistic and totally immersive.  At times I had physical reactions like motion sickness and vertigo because of what was happening on the big screen.  I do not think the move is going to look the same or even come close to achieving the same effect on my 47″ TV.  So how big a TV do you need to have until a 3-D movie or program gives you the same feeling it did in the theater – 50″, 65″, 80″, 100″? 

2.  I already wear glasses to watch TV as do millions of people.  I hate having to put on a second pair to watch a movie in the theater.   Doing that at home just to watch TV?  No way!  If I only had to wear one pair?  Maybe. 

3.  Right now content is limited but that will change.  The bigger question is will 3-D strive to be the standard format or is it going to become a feature used for special events and movies?  Is everything I watch like the local news eventually going to be in 3-D or will only programs like the Super Bowl or the Olympics be broadcast in 3-D?  I think 3-D will be adopted more quickly if only certain programs are in 3-D.   

4.  Gamers will be among the earliest adopters and will become the biggest proponents for 3-D technology.  Gaming, even more so than movies, is all about achieving an immersive experience.  Gamers want to lose themselves in the Game and that is what 3-D does the best. 

5.  The novelty might wear off quickly.  3-D movies have come and gone for decades.  We stand at the cusp where 3-D moves from being a gimmick to a legitimate story telling tool, but for every “Avatar” there will be a dozen “Clash of the Titans.”  Home technology fads come and go – it is too early to tell if 3-D will work in the home.