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Q. I’m in the military and move every 3 years. I would like to have a whole-house audio system that is relatively easy to take with me when I move. Any suggestions? - Justin, VA There are a number of wireless based systems for whole house audio. One of the best is Sonos which can stream music you have stored on a computer or on an external hard drive called a NAS (Network Attached Storage). It also allows you to access the Rhapsody online music… View this story
Multiroom Audio • Audio • Ask a Pro

Rate increases, HD-Lite, outages – there are plenty of reasons why subscribers get fed up with their HD service providers. What are the alternatives? Switch to another provider? That’s one solution, but it could simply bring its own set of problems unique to that service. There’s always Over-the-Air (OTA) HDTV. Just like your mom and dad (and grandma and grandpa) got their TV for free through the rabbit ears, so can you get your HDTV for free. OTA HDTV in Brief Receiving OTA HDTV is… View this story
HDTV • Antenna • Set Top Boxes • Home Theater • Info and Answers • Slideshows

Believe it or not, there once was a day when quarters meant something and studyhall was spent at a suspiciously convenient gas station turned arcade. Suffice it to say, today’s platforms - the Wii, XBox, even the PS3 - have got nothing on that old school gaming… and I’m not talking about Grand Theft Auto III. If you can identify with that era (Eye of the Tiger ring a bell?), or you just have a taste for a more finite gaming experience, today’s deal would… View this story
Games • Gaming Systems • Deals • Enhancements • Product News

Got a bath renovation on your mind? Believe it or not, you can make your bathroom green—or at least greener than it’s been. Start with the easy stuff like energy conservation. Lighting control systems and occupancy sensors can help you save on electricity. Even installing an inexpensive dimmer switch can allow you to keep a very dim light on at night, and this uses far less electricity. Occupancy sensors like Wattstopper/Legrand’s Vacancy Sensors and Lightolier’s IntelliSight can be installed fairly easily as well. These will… View this story
Climate Control • Home Control • Lighting Control • Bathroom • Green Technology • Home Control • Info and Answers

“Who’s a greenhorn? What’s a greenhorn?”—Homer Simpson While that answer may be obvious, there are plenty of Homer Simpsons out there when it comes to selecting and setting up a TV. Media Decor just announced a series of online tutorials to take some of the common misconceptions out of how to choose, install and conceal a flat panel. “Media Decor recognizes the increasing demands of the consumer in this market segment. People no longer want to see technology, they want to conceal it,” said Jonathan… View this story
Flat Panel • TV Mounts • Web Services • Home Theater • Product News

No matter what type of color scheme you’ve got going on in your house, On-Q/Legrand’s got you covered with its new wall plates and devices. No more worrying that off-white just won’t fit in with that shade of green or magenta in your bedroom. On-Q’s new Studio Collection features “global art and living influences,” according to On-Q, and the result is 17 contemporary color options for these sleek decorative and functional pieces. The curvy design includes titanium edging and a screwless finish for added flair… View this story
Home Control • Touchpanels and Keypads • Lighting Control • Fixtures and Switches • Multiroom AV • Enhancements • Product News

Summer’s coming up quickly, spring is now in full bloom, and like Red said in The Shawshank Redemption, May sure is a fine month to be working outdoors. So wouldn’t you like to be listening to all of your favorite tunes while you’re gardening, lounging or just catching some rays? Monitor Audio’s Climate 10 outdoor loudspeaker will have you cranking up the music in no time. Just don’t bother the neighbors with it. That’s entirely possible with these full-range speakers. The Climate 10 features a… View this story
Location • Deck and Patio • Exterior • Speakers • On-Wall Speakers • Outdoor Speakers • Audio • Product News

You have to take marketing claims with a grain of salt. However, research firm DisplaySearch took Sony’s recent claims to their lab. The XEL-1 has been drawing rave reviews for its awesome picture, and long-life span. However, DisplaySearch put their claims to the test, and got some interesting results. After running two units for 1,000 hours, they came to the conclusion that the unit would lose half its brightness after 17,000 hours of use—almost half of what Sony claims. Sony says that its 3mm-thin, 11-inch… View this story
OLED • Home Theater • Product News

You get it. Storing your music collection onto a hard drive is better than spinning discs on a traditional CD player. First off, you’ll be able to organize your library by genre, artist or alphabetically, making songs easy to locate. Besides that, you’ll be able to keep all your tunes on the hard drive of one machine, which means you can finally clean out the CD cases from the drawers of your entertainment cabinet.  It’s clear why you’d want to invest in a music server,… View this story
Digital Media Servers • Digital Media Stores • Web Services • Home Theater • Multiroom AV • Networking • Info and Answers

Six years in development, the Tivoli Audio NetWorks Radio is ready for prime time. The company demoed the compact Internet radio this week at a press conference in New York. What you get: Access to thousands of free radio stations—including local stations you have trouble receiving over-the-air; playback of mp3 and WMA files stored on a PC via a WiFi or wired home network (not iTunes currently); a USB input for compatible mp3 players (not iPod) or music stored to thumb drive; an auxiliary input… View this story
Bookshelf Systems • Audio • Product News

When it comes to computer-based control, Mac users are a tad limited. Now Perceptive Automation wants to add options for Mac fans, with its latest software. Just announced, Indigo 3.0 is a major update, allowing Mac users to remotely access almost any aspect of their home control. That means you can turn lights on and off while you’re on vacation, water the lawn on a hot day, or crank up the hot tub before you leave the office—all from any web browser. The new version… View this story
Home Control Systems • Powerline • Software • Home Control • Product News

Odds have it you’d like a big(ger) TV for that man room. It’s probably just as likely you haven’t won the Powerball lately, and there’s the problem. Solution? Well, a lot of you (us) are contemplating swapping those LCDs and plasmas for the latest generation of front projectors like today’s deal, the Sanyo PLV-Z2000. This stylish “iMac-ian” projector gives you full 1920x1080 resolution with 1200 lumens (enough for a fairly dark room) and a healthy 15,000:1 contrast ratio. Reviews seem pretty good across the sites… View this story
Video Projectors • Deals • Home Theater • Product News