LG OLED and 84″ Ultra Definition 3D TV at CES 2012 from Dave the Gadget Guy on Vimeo.

Shades-Drapes from Sound Ideas Home Theater on Vimeo.

Pairing motorized shades and home automation creates a convenient way to raise and lower the shades in a single room or the whole house.  It also enhances the safety and security of your home. Press a button as you leave to lower all the shades and restrict the view into your home when you are not there. Place the shades on an astronomical clock to raise and lower themselves at a specific time of day.  

The following video is an example of a few shading solutions we did for clients.  In it you will see some examples of shades, drapes and roman shades in action.  In future videos we will showcase each individual style and go into more detail about it. 

Lutron Shades & Drapes from Sound Ideas Home Theater on Vimeo.

Yes, there are a few articles out there about this research.  Some of the writers actually read the paper while others merely read the article about the paper to write their article.  Most of them missed the point of the paper completely.

Long paper short – the focus of the study was not to discover that 3D causes headaches and eyestrain (which we already knew) but to figure out why it caused them.  We can now blame “vergence–accommodation conflicts” for the problem.  When we watch a 3D image on a screen our eyes do not resolve on a single focal point like in normal viewing but have at least two focal points  – the screen and the image that appears either behind or in front of the screen.  These two focal points are at different distances and therein lies the problem.  

They also discovered that  there is a relation bewteen the viewing distance from the screen and headaches, eye strain and dizziness.  If you are watching a 3D movie at a theater and get a headache or dizzy, move closer to the screen.  That will reduce the problem.

The hope is now that there is hard data on why some people get headaches and dizzy watching 3d content, film makers, theater designers and engineers will figure out a way to reduce or even solve that problem.

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.

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.

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.

What does this mean for the home theater industry?  Well, a Blu-ray Disc can hold 2 HD movies while the new Blue-Violet laser will hold over 50.  A  single disc can hold the extended versions of the “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy or all 6 of the “Star Wars” movies or entire seasons of HD TV shows like “24″ or “Lost.”   I also imagine this having quite an effect on the gaming industry.  Games have become so huge that some require 2 discs to play, like Mass Effect 2.  The next generation gaming platforms might use this technology to provide a larger and more immersive gaming experience.   

I don’t think we have to worry about another format war or Blu-ray suddenly becoming obsolete.  No announcement has been made as to when this would be commercially available, and it usually takes years before tech like this is ready for the mass market.

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.