New Apple TV - The Ultimate Streamer?
Yesterday, Apple announced the next generation Apple TV, a product line that has been unchanged and virtually ignored by the company for several years. With this newest product introduction, our imagination is re-ignited with possibilities. Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, has been eluding to the magic "cloud" as the future of content distribution and management for some time and the new Apple TV delivers on that vision. The original Apple TV provided a cost effective method for bringing media from your computer to your home theater. Not only was it a fraction of the cost of more complex and sometimes cumbersome high-end media servers, it's simple integration with iTunes made syncing content a snap. So, how does the new Apple TV differ from the old, and will it make a difference in the world of downloadable media?  Filed Under: Contemporary Pro Interiors 
Posted Wed Aug 25, 2010, 3:32 PM ET — By Kim Wilson Photography: Eric Figge
Nowadays an integrated home entertainment system is just as much, if not more, about the interior design as it is the technology. In fact, the most sophisticated custom installations reveal little to no technology to the naked eye, however, behind the walls and artwork, or hidden in the ceiling you just might find some amazing state-of the art sound and video gear. Audiovisions recently turned their Lake Forest, CA. showroom into the ultimate Experience Center. Customers are not being sold on the cool products of the day but instead they are treated to a complete environment where form and function are far more relevant than what’s behind the curtain making it all work. Filed Under: Furniture Contemporary $$$
Posted Wed Aug 18, 2010, 4:39 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
With apps for pretty much every major home automation system and more that are capable of controlling your AV components, the iPad is replacing more expensive remote control touch screens from companies such as Crestron, Control 4, Home Logic, and Savant. In fact, Savant announced they are no longer supplying their own branded touch panels but instead will provide their customers with an iPad pre-loaded with the Savant control app, and customized for their clients. So, where do you put said iPad? That's where the Elite Home Theater Seating steps in with an ergonomically designed theater chair that holds your iPad. Designed to fit in the cup holder of the Elite HTS chair, you'll be in command at your very own captain's chair.
Posted Wed Aug 11, 2010, 4:08 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
As many of you know there is a standing open call for submissions to Home Theater Design (HTD) , and some of the best are considered for print in the HTD section of our sister publication, Home Theater. Recently a reader wrote to me and asked why we didn’t feature “the average homeowner’s theater”. Point in fact, we do, however, we probably decline more than we accept. I’d like to address that and explain why. Filed Under: Equipment
Posted Wed Aug 4, 2010, 8:45 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Outdoor speakers have been around for decades but the main difference today is who’s making them. Some of the finest loudspeaker manufacturer’s are using their unique technologies and sound signatures to elevate outdoor audio performance to a whole new level of design, reliability and high-impact sound. With the recent integration of video screens and LCD TVs into the outdoor environment, it’s conceivable to build a state-of-the-art home theater directly under the stars that will rival your indoor theater. With A/V this good, you may never go back inside. Filed Under: Furniture Contemporary $$
Posted Wed Jul 28, 2010, 6:15 PM ET — By Kim Wilson
Sanus JFV60 ($540) Filed Under: Reader Interiors Traditional $$$
Posted Mon Jul 12, 2010, 7:02 PM ET — By Rob Farnes
Nearly 5 years ago, I read an article in the Lifestyles section of the Orange County Register that caught my attention. A family in an average Orange County neighborhood put in a front projector and large screen to enjoy big screen movies at their house with friends and family. They told of how wonderful it was to see movies at home this way and I wanted to explore that experience. Filed Under: Reader Interiors Casual
Posted Wed Jun 30, 2010, 8:15 PM ET — By Edward Pawlick
I have been an avid reader and subscriber to Home Theater magazine over the years, when the new issue comes in I thoroughly enjoy reading it and always refer to past issues. My favorite part of the magazine is the home installs, reading about what other people put into their homes and to what lengths they go. Crazy stuff! We purchased our home in 1997 and have done three renovations. The last renovation was forced because we had a fire in 2005 and it destroyed our basement and we had extensive smoke damage. The fire started in the basement and at the time I didn’t have a dedicated room so I shared the downstairs rec. room with our two boys so my home theater system took the worst of the fire (my Bryston Pre-amp completely melted into itself). Luckily no one got hurt and we had a hell of rebuild to do! Filed Under: Furniture $$$
Posted Wed Jun 23, 2010, 8:07 PM ET — By Debbie Stampfli
With the latest crop of home theater seating, you may never want to leave home. Usually, the first question that comes to mind when you walk into a home theater is, “Where do I sit?” No matter how clear the picture looks or how powerful the sound is, a bad chair or sofa can ruin your home theater experience. But new technology and innovative designs aren’t just for the latest consumer electronics. These fresh seating options offer style, comfort, and convenience. They provide a killer combination of looks and practicality that will make your home theater memorable—in a very good way. Filed Under: How To
Posted Wed Jun 16, 2010, 6:30 PM ET — By Darryl Wilkinson
I’ve always lived in a used house. “Existing home” is the euphemism real estate people like to use. Life is good—until you realize that there are no phone jacks close to the spots where your bed or desk should go. And why are there no Ethernet jacks in the house? And no wiring for TVs anywhere but the living room? Needless to say, you can’t find in-wall speakers, volume controls, or multiroom A/V distribution of any kind. Maybe you should have guessed from the horse and buggy parked in the garage when your real estate agent showed the house that the previous owners weren’t interested in keeping up with the more technologically advanced Joneses across the street. Now what? Since there are no phone jacks handy, you can use your cell phone to call your local home remodeler and a custom home A/V installer. Oh, wait, you’d rather not spend money remodeling a home you just spent a lot of money on acquiring? Well, guess what? You don’t have to hire professionals to remodel your home in order to bring it into the modern, digital era of home entertainment and info enrichment. Doing it yourself is entirely doable. And if you’re clever, handy with a hammer (plus a few other basic tools), and don’t get queasy at the sight of drywall dust, you can integrate a lot of today’s high-tech gear and technology into your used home and make it look and feel like it was there from the beginning. If you’re really good, you can make it look like the stuff isn’t there at all. Filed Under: Reader Interiors Theme $$$ Contemporary
Posted Thu Jun 10, 2010, 3:42 PM ET — By Howard Rodgers and Jonathan Rodgers Photography by Bill Welles
In 1970 I started a hi-fi company called Rogersound Labs. Manufacturing RSL Speakers and selling audio components for peoples’ homes was my life. I have always desired a home theater of my own, though had no vision of what it should be like. The idea struck me in 1991 when I was in Bar Harbor, Maine and saw the movie “The Rocketeer” with my oldest son at the historical Criterion Art Deco Theater. I loved the style of the theater and the film. It was reminiscent of the old Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials I grew up watching, awestruck by their special effects (sparklers and strings, mostly) and sleek spaceships (which had a nasty habit of backfiring during landing). I knew then that I wanted an Art Deco Retro Sci-fi theater of my own. So, when we moved to our current home in 1998, we set aside a room that would be our theater Filed Under: How To
Posted Thu Jun 3, 2010, 4:04 PM ET — By Mark Elson
One of the myths about lighting control systems is that you can only install them if you’re building a new house, where the walls aren’t built yet, or if you’re performing a major remodel, where all of the walls are torn down. This myth perpetuates on the assumption that you need to run lots of wire while the framing is exposed. It’s true that once the drywall is up, pulling wire becomes prohibitively expensive because of the labor required. But I’m here to bust the myth that you can’t have fun with your lighting in a finished home. In the case of lighting dimming control, you can enjoy many of the features you’d find in a whole-house wired system, without the wire and the accompanying labor expense. I’ll show you what’s possible in lighting for existing homes and offer an overview of products from several key wireless lighting brands. You can accomplish the miracle of wireless lighting control via radio frequency (RF), a technology that uses specific, dedicated frequencies upon which the command signals travel. Unlike infrared (IR) signals, which your garden-variety handheld TV remote control uses, RF signals don’t have to be pointed; they can travel through walls and are generally stable. All of the wireless lighting systems I’ll discuss here are RF, and there are some new platforms within this technology. Filed Under: Pro Interiors Contemporary $$$
Posted Thu May 27, 2010, 3:50 PM ET — By Kim Wilson Photography by Brent Bingham
Anyone can have a room full of gear that is overflowing with the latest technology, however, how does it integrate into the décor, and more importantly how does it integrate with the humans in the room? Even the most tech savvy can become flustered trying to get all their AV gear to work together. However, add in a host of sub-systems like security, HVAC, telephone, home network and multi-zone audio/video, integration becomes absolutely critical. Filed Under: Equipment How To $$
Posted Mon May 10, 2010, 3:12 PM ET — By Mark Elson
Once when we were watching a DVD in the media room, my wife missed a scene because she was nodding off. But usually it’s me who does the nodding. I search for the remote control, and I can never find it when I need it. Forget about the whole remote, I’ll just settle for the right button. I fish around. There, that must be it. My fingers traverse the button terrain to find the Pause or Rewind button in the dark purely by feel. Because I’m holding the darned thing upside down, I accidentally hit the Open/Close button, which stops the movie cold and slides open the disc tray. Ah, the joys of not missing a minute of a movie! Does this sound familiar? If so, you need to read further. Juggling remote controls is one of the top three buzz-kills in the field of home electronics. And we can do something about it. The can-do spirit is in the air. Here, I’ll sift through the world of remote controls and share with you some prominent models that feature the absolute best characteristics in the category. Filed Under: Furniture Contemporary
Posted Mon May 3, 2010, 3:08 PM ET — By Debbie Stampfli
Home theater devotees tend to be homebodies at heart. After all, for the quality of the experience, movies look best in dark, windowless rooms with no sunlight. But, for an alternative theater experience, take your movies outside. There are a number of weatherproof options that will entice even the most devout indoor movie lover, with speakers, flat panels, and enclosures that withstand heat, water, and whatever else you can throw at them. Maybe going outside isn’t as scary as you thought. Filed Under: Equipment $$ How To
Posted Mon Apr 26, 2010, 3:05 PM ET — By Darryl Wilkinson
I’ve often thought it would be nice to have music in multiple rooms of the house; but, as I’ve alluded, my home is not custom install friendly. I decided that a wireless multiroom system would definitely be the best bet. Sonos, a company that focuses exclusively on wireless multiroom audio, has a system that’s designed to do just thatŃand moreŃin up to 32 independent zones without breaking the bank or tearing down any walls. After I read the endearing tag line, “Wireless that works like magic,” I thought, what better time or place could there be to check out Sonos’ latest system incarnation? So I asked Sonos to send out its Bundle 150 two-zone package ($999 ) plus a ZoneBridge and let the fun begin. Filed Under: How To
Posted Mon Apr 19, 2010, 0:00 AM ET — By Mark Elson
It’s no surprise that consumer electronics have become increasingly dependent upon professional installation. Consider the following categories: satellite antennae, A/V distribution systems, projectors and screens, wholehouse control, lighting and dimming systems, content-sharing DVR networks, and of course wall-mounting and wire-pulling for flat-panel TVs. Want to talk about remote access to media servers and CCTV cameras via Ethernet? A system’s operation is programming intensive and depends on physical installation, which requires construction expertise. There’s so much going on behind your walls and in your attic. I wouldn’t want to take responsibility for all of it at my house, and I know my wife wouldn’t want me to, either. I bang up my walls enough, schlepping a retractable ladder from the garage up three flights of stairs to the master bedroom just to change a 9-volt smoke alarm battery. Drill holes in my walls? Me? Are you kidding? In this article, I’ll help you find your closest local professional installers and provide an easy method to help you make the right selection. Filed Under: Furniture
Posted Tue Apr 13, 2010, 7:24 PM ET — By Debbie Stampfli
Acoustic treatments don’t need to be bland to make your sound stand out. In the past, acoustic panels were primarily utilitarian. They could absorb and diffuse sound, but they did little to reinforce your room’s style. Thankfully, times have changed. Now companies offer practical acoustic panels in stylish and up-to-date colors and fabrics; some even incorporate patterns and lighting. Since you’re no longer doomed to using big black rectangles, it’s time to add a splash of color or design to your walls and ceilings with the latest acoustic panels. Acoustic treatments don’t need to be eyesores in your beautiful home theater. Filed Under: Traditional Pro Interiors $$$
Posted Tue Apr 6, 2010, 5:16 PM ET — By Steve Derrico
I am an avid reader of Home Theater Magazine and have been for over 10 Years. I have been in the industry for 10 Years and within the last year started my own custom installation company in the Chicagoland area, Monarch AV Design & Automation. In 2009, we had the great opportunity to change an ordinary "blah" basement into a rustic and old-world getaway for the homeowner to enjoy a Pearl Jam concert, a game of pool, or just to enjoy a movie with the kids. Working with interior designer and general contractor, Phillip Sassano, we helped design a space that would be both visually stunning and meet the high expectations of the homeowner for musical and theater performance. Filed Under: Theme $$$ Pro Interiors
Posted Tue Mar 30, 2010, 4:39 PM ET — By Tom Spina
When movie prop collector (and long-time Tom Spina Designs client) Wesley Cannon told us his dream of having rooms in his home themed like an actual cave, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a more literal stab at the phrase "Man Cave." The result is a pair of richly themed and incredibly unique rooms in his new North Carolina home. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Older Posts >
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