It is official!  A new study funded by Samsung and performed by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley discovered that viewing a 3D image can cause headache and eyestrain in some people.  If you are a glutton for punishment you can wade through the original paper here, or you can read about it here or here or here.

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.

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

I’ll never tell!

Quite often we find ourselves working along side other professionals to create a client’s dream theater, as was the case with the two home theaters featured in the September issue of Indulge Magazine .    The article focuses on the unique look and design of each theater and has brief interviews with the people involved in creating the theaters. 

Designing a home theater is a collaborative effort between the home owner, the electronic systems contractor (Sound Ideas), the builder, the architect and the interior designer.   The home owner has an idea of what they want their theater to look like and works with an interior designer to create the concept.  Then the builders, architects and Sound Ideas are brought in to turn that dream into reality.  We work with the architect and builder to make sure the design and constuction of the room provides the optimal speaker layout for great sound, and that the seating design allows for the biggest screen possible and the best viewing angles.  We also work with the interior designers to come up with acoustical panels that fit the design of the room and provide the necessary sound absorption and reflection.  All the electronic components are chosen with great care to provide the home owner with the best audio and video while maintaining the integrity of the original design.  It is quite a thrill seeing the project go from an idea to the finished theater, and nothing beats the look on the client’s face the first time they sit in their new theater and watch a movie. 

Over the years we have worked with many different builders, designers, and architects.  We would like to say thank you to the ones involved in the two theaters featured in the article as well as all of the others we have worked with down through the years.  Thank you all and here’s to many more years of making dreams come true.

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.

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.

Here is the before shot. This is a common problem. Notice the large CRT TV that has it’s own base that goes down to the floor. If you wanted to put a flat panel in its place, it would be impossible to find a base that would match.

Above is the after picture. We created a bottom piece that would match the existing cabinet and we mounted the flat panel to a floating false wall. Everything matched  very nicely even though the existing cabinet was a manufactured cabinet with  a weird stain. In the end the cabinet modification we did was seamless and looked like it had always been like that.

In November 2003 I saw Master and Commander: Far Side of the World.  It was a really good movie.  The cinematography was stunning but what really drew me in was the sound.  The sound mix was so incredible that at times I lost all sense of the theater and found myself inside the movie.  Richard King won numerous awards including an Oscar for his sound editing.   I remember thinking this movie would be great for showing off Home Theater Systems.  I was right.   The DVD quickly became one of my reference demos.

The first 15 minutes of the movie is the best sequence.  It has an incredibly wide range of audio: the soft sounds of the ocean; the creaks, cracks, and pops of a wooden ship; soft and loud conversations; and an explosive cannon battle.  This movie will give your system a workout and really show off  the dynamic range of your speakers.  Here are some of the highlights:

Chapter 2 at 2:35 – This is one of the best scenes for surround sound.   We board the HMS Surprise just before dawn, and as we travel through the belly of the ship, we hear creaking, groaning and popping all around.  We move past the sailors snoring in their hammocks, and above us we hear the men moving on the deck in preparation for the changing of the watch.  The sounds of early morning on the ship are all around us, and it feels as if we are really on board the Surprise.   

Chapter 3 at 6:20 – The officer of watch sounds the alarm and the crew beats to quarters.  This is a major transition from a soft scene with no action to the controlled chaos of the crew preparing for battle.  As the action moves left to right and behind the sounds swirl around us.

Chapter 4 at 8:54 - Captain Jack Aubrey sees flashes of light within the fog bank and yells for his crew to get down.  A fraction of a second later we hear the muffled thump of cannons being fired and then the cannon balls crash across the deck of the Surprise sending schrapnel and splinters flying.   This is another sudden transition from a calm scene filled with dialogue to loud explosions and shouting.  We are taken all over the ship from the deck to the where the cannons are being prepped down to the ship’s surgeon’s quarters.  The audio places us right in the heart of the battle. 

Chapter 4 at 11:45 – As Aubrey is rushing back onto the deck a cannon ball explodes nearby momentarily stunning him.  The audio becomes muffled as if we are hearing through his ears.  When he recovers himself and surges back to to his feet, the audio snaps back into crisp focus, and we are back in the action with Captain Jack.

Chapter 5 at 13:13 – With the ship rudderless and the sails in tatters, Aubrey decides to make a run for the fog bank.  The long boats are lowered and the crew struggles to pull the Surprise toward the fog.  The sounds of the battle recede, and the musical score swells creating a real test for all of your speakers. 

Chapter 5 at 14:46 – They make it into the fog bank, and the sounds from the pursuing ship fade away.  The fog envelopes the ship, and the audio becomes muted.  The music dies down; conversation and sounds become  muffled.  It is as if the fog shrouds not only our eyes but also our ears.

If you really want to show off your system or just see what it can do, I highly recommend the first 15 minutes of this movie.

Over the past year I have worked with many clients to modify their cabinets. The story is usually the same and it goes something like this. “Ten years ago we had this beautiful cabinet custom made for this specific big screen tube television. Now we want to update to a new flat panel HDTV, but our cabinet was not made for a flat panel. What can we do?” Sometimes the solution to the problem is simple and other times it is not. The above picture is an example of a simple problem. So let’s walk through the solution.

Before any installation takes place we need to come to the job site and take measurements so that we can find what fits just right. Sometimes we will even borrow an existing cabinet door to match paint or stain color. All the preliminary work is done and now it’s the day of installation. First we need to get that beast of a tv out of it’s hole. Next we put up a “false backing” that will match the existing cabinet. Third, we run the necessary cables and set the mount in position. At this point we also install custom trim work, caulk and do touch up painting. We really have an attention to detail at this stage.

The fourth step is to prep the flat panel for the bracket. During this step we align the position so that the gap around the flat panel is even all around the edges. Next, we hook up all cables to flat panel and mount it to the bracket. It is important during this step to work with “kid gloves” because the new HDMI cables are very sensitive to bends and it is easy to scratch or damage the surrounding cabinets while mounting a flat panel. We want everything to look beautiful, so we take great caution mounting any tv.  Finally, we train the client on their new set up and answer any questions they might have. We really work had to make this whole process as painless as possible. The goal is to do the modification in such a way that it looks like it has always been apart of the cabinet.

Now that you have a general idea of the process I will be posting some before and after images from future cabinet modifications. If you have more questions, or you would like me to come to your house to look at your cabinet, just email David and I will get back to you asap.

Not many things can be as frustrating as sitting down to movie night with the family or watching the big game with friends only to discover your system is not working. Over the years of helping clients with their systems, I see the same problems come up again and again. Here are the top five most common problems encountered and some tips to fix them.

1. Problem: “I can see a picture but do not hear anything” or “I can hear the game but can’t see it.”

Solution: Your TV or Surround Receiver is on the wrong input. Check the source input on your TV and your surround receiver. The inputs need to be on the same source. If you have sound and no picture then slowly cycle through the inputs on your TV until the picture appears. If you have a picture but no audio, do the same with your surround receiver.

2. Problem: “My satellite receiver is stuck on one channel.”

Solution: Your satellite receiver is frozen and needs to be reset.
Some Sat boxes have a reset button on the front. If yours does not, unplug it from the wall outlet for about a minute then plug it back in. This can be applied to any device even your DVD player or surround receiver. If a source is not working properly, always unplug it first and reset it.

3. Problem: “My surround speakers are not working.”

Solution: You are watching a program that does not have surround sound or your receiver is not in the proper surround format. Not everything you watch will have a surround sound mix. DVDs heavy on dialogue and low on action will not have a lot of sound coming out of the rear speakers. The same is true of analog TV channels. HDTV broadcasts will usually tell you if the audio is in Dolby Digital 5.1.

If you still think there is a problem, listen to an action DVD that you know has a lot of surround effects or play a CD in 5 channel stereo. The best way to check all your speakers is to use the Test Tone feature built into your receiver, but only do this if you are comfortable with using the receiver’s menu system. Also listen for crackling, a hum, or any kind of distortion as this could indicate interference or a damaged speaker.

4. Problem: “My universal remote won’t work my system.”

Solution: The batteries are dead or the IR emitters have fallen off the front of the components. Always check the batteries first. If you have a rechargeable remote, check the charge. Remember even rechargeable batteries can go bad. If you have an IR or RF system, check the IR emitters attached to the front of your components. If they have fallen off, your remote cannot talk to the component.

5. Problem: “I think the projection lamp in my TV is out.”

Solution: Check the indicator light on the front of the TV or the top of the projector. Most rear projection TVs like Mitsubishi and front projectors have a lamp indicator LED that will flash when the lamp is burned out. Even if your TV or projector is working you should check the hours on the lamp. If the lamp is at or over 1000 hours then it is time to get a new one. Most projection lamps are estimated to last 1000 – 2000 hours, but only have a warranty of 6 months. The actual life of a lamp can vary depending on its environment, how often it is used, the pictures it displays, and the brightness settings of the projector. I strongly recommend that if your lamp is at 1000 hours or over 6 months old, you should get a new lamp and use the old one as an emergency back up.