TV… WHAT’S TOO BIG?

Remember when a 50” TV was huge! The new large screen UHD 4K displays are now becoming the norm with sizes ranging from 60” up to 85” and for the fortunate few, passed the triple decimal point! Virtually any size 4K display will work in your space due to the incredibly small size of each of the 8 million individual pixels that make up the 4K image. Imagine yourself standing only a few feet away from your 75” TV and viewing a perfect image, with crisp lines, fantastic detail and incredible colour, devoid of any video noise or distortion; for some, this is truly a life changing experience and the question is no longer – can the TV fit down the stairs and through the door?…now ask yourself – how big is your wall?

MY REMOTE CONTROL… WILL I ALWAYS NEED TO POINT IT AT MY SYSTEM?

Rest assured, there is no need to point…times have truly changed! The beauty behind a smart home falls back on the foundation of a smart pre-wire.  Pre-wiring allows for a number of space saving designs – such as concealing bulky stereo equipment. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best stereo equipment is bulky but why not put the equipment out of site and save space in your room. You can place the equipment in a closet, in an electrical room or behind the doors of antique piece of furniture. Your smart remote can talk to your equipment over WiFi or radio frequencies that are not limited to a clear line of sight. Imagine yourself in the backyard on a hot summer day selecting your favourite music station from the comforts of your lounge chair with your smart remote or smart phone…now if only the remote could bring you a cool drink!

MY REMOTE CONTROL… WILL I ALWAYS NEED TO POINT IT AT MY SYSTEM?

Rest assured, there is no need to point…times have truly changed! The beauty behind a smart home falls back on the foundation of a smart pre-wire.  Pre-wiring allows for a number of space saving designs – such as concealing bulky stereo equipment. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best stereo equipment is bulky but why not put the equipment out of site and save space in your room. You can place the equipment in a closet, in an electrical room or behind the doors of antique piece of furniture. Your smart remote can talk to your equipment over WiFi or radio frequencies that are not limited to a clear line of sight. Imagine yourself in the backyard on a hot summer day selecting your favourite music station from the comforts of your lounge chair with your smart remote or smart phone…now if only the remote could bring you a cool drink!

MY SMART TV & WIFI SEEMS SO SLOW… WHAT GIVES?

The smart home is only as good it’s weakest link… the network! There is a saying; “you can always build a 2-story home on the foundation built for a high-rise building. You can’t go the other way”. You need to treat your network needs in the very same manner – yes; you can never have enough wire! Wireless you say – Yes, wireless is extremely convenient but in our industry, and our personal spaces hard-wired is the way to go. Most importantly, you should consider the hardware that your internet provider has supplied then consider how many times you’ve had to call them to complain…sometimes countless hours…then thinking, there must be a better solution? We’ll sit down with you to understand your current situation, your future needs and to dream with you about the endless possibilities.

WINDOW COVERINGS… MANUAL OR AUTOMATED?

Whenever possible, we recommend automating your window coverings…every time! With the arrival of the smart home, automated window coverings is the next step to take when designing energy efficient spaces. The thermostat that controls your HVAC system is an integral part of maintaining optimal temperatures throughout the day when the space is occupied or vacant.  For example; it’s the summer, you are away and the temperature in the room is rising. …what would a smart system do? Traditionally the AC would turn on to cool the room adding stress to the grid, increasing your consumption, and also adding costs to your energy bill during peak hours. Instead your smart home processor takes advantage of the energy efficient window coverings and lowers the shades, drastically reducing the ambient temperature without the need to run the AC. Now ask yourself this easy question…is this the type of system that you would want to help lower your energy consumption? A harder question… who wouldn’t?

WINDOW COVERINGS… MANUAL OR AUTOMATED?

Whenever possible, we recommend automating your window coverings…every time! With the arrival of the smart home, automated window coverings is the next step to take when designing energy efficient spaces. The thermostat that controls your HVAC system is an integral part of maintaining optimal temperatures throughout the day when the space is occupied or vacant.  For example; it’s the summer, you are away and the temperature in the room is rising. …what would a smart system do? Traditionally the AC would turn on to cool the room adding stress to the grid, increasing your consumption, and also adding costs to your energy bill during peak hours. Instead your smart home processor takes advantage of the energy efficient window coverings and lowers the shades, drastically reducing the ambient temperature without the need to run the AC. Now ask yourself this easy question…is this the type of system that you would want to help lower your energy consumption? A harder question… who wouldn’t?

PRE-WIRE… IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

Absolutely, 100%! Whether you are starting with a brand new build, a big or small renovation, or the conversion of your basement home theatre, running wires up front will pay for itself over time. You can expect a positive return on the value of your space when pre-wired, even without installing a single audio/video component. We will make sure your space is ready to move forward into the future at your pace…not the pace of your dry-waller.

MUSIC IN THE BACKYARD… WILL MY NEIGHBOURS MIND?

After your neighbours take a listen to your outdoor system…you may have to invest in a guard dog! Great sound is great sound no matter where you decide to listen to it. Setting up your outdoor system is no different than your indoor system– it demands careful planning and thoughtful design. . Needless to say you don’t want to disturb your neighbours regardless of great sound. Think of your yard with two large speakers on your soffit attempting to fill your entire backyard with sound – main problem…by the time you turn the volume up loud enough to hear the music by the pool, your patio will be so loud no one could have a normal conversation, and of course, the neighbours start to reach for the phone to dial those special three digits! Volume of sound is like light features in a room – a properly designed series of pot lights strategically placed at 30% output will provide superior dispersion of light compared to one large ceiling fixture at 100%. This is exactly how you should consider installing speakers throughout your backyard. In this case, more is better! Need proof – take a listen to your favourite movie…then turn off the subwoofer…blasphemy! Depending on the size of your backyard, one or two subwoofers will make all the difference. Meaning you will not have to crank up the volume to sound full – it’s summer…steaks are on the BBQ…the only thing that should be full is your cooler and tummy!

MUSIC IN THE BACKYARD… WILL MY NEIGHBOURS MIND?

After your neighbours take a listen to your outdoor system…you may have to invest in a guard dog! Great sound is great sound no matter where you decide to listen to it. Setting up your outdoor system is no different than your indoor system– it demands careful planning and thoughtful design. . Needless to say you don’t want to disturb your neighbours regardless of great sound. Think of your yard with two large speakers on your soffit attempting to fill your entire backyard with sound – main problem…by the time you turn the volume up loud enough to hear the music by the pool, your patio will be so loud no one could have a normal conversation, and of course, the neighbours start to reach for the phone to dial those special three digits! Volume of sound is like light features in a room – a properly designed series of pot lights strategically placed at 30% output will provide superior dispersion of light compared to one large ceiling fixture at 100%. This is exactly how you should consider installing speakers throughout your backyard. In this case, more is better! Need proof – take a listen to your favourite movie…then turn off the subwoofer…blasphemy! Depending on the size of your backyard, one or two subwoofers will make all the difference. Meaning you will not have to crank up the volume to sound full – it’s summer…steaks are on the BBQ…the only thing that should be full is your cooler and tummy!