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LG Display has announced it’s going solar. And no, that doesn’t mean we’ll see solar-powered TVs—at least not right away. I had my hopes up, too, but it just means that LG is planning on making solar electric systems. Actually, LG will make thin-film solar cells that are being hailed as a solution to the high prices and lack of materials associated with the more widely adopted solar panels. So why is LG Display getting in the solar business? Because production on thin-film solar cells… View this story
Displays • LCD • Green Technology • Info and Answers

It’s not an upscale resort, but the way this outdoor space has been decked out the family members can feel like they’re on vacation every day. Dallas-based custom electronics pro Elliston Systems & Design outfitted the area with A/V akin to any indoor media room. A 50-inch Samsung LCD, mounted above the outdoor fireplace, provides high-definition pictures supplied by any of the family’s four sources of video distribution (Escient media server and three HD satellite receivers). “Whether relaxing around the fire, grilling at the barbeque,… View this story
Deck and Patio • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

Q. If money did not matter, what is the best TV on the planet that’s 50 inches or more? - Matt Ubel, Minn. A. The easy answer is the Pioneer Elite Kuro plasma, but Pioneer is phasing out of that product. So if you’re going to buy one, you should do it now. You should also look into products from Runco and Panasonic. Many people these days, however, are investing into projection systems (projector and screen). These have larger screen sizes and the ability to… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • Receivers • Cables, Wires and Tools • HDMI • Video Cables • Displays • HDTV • Plasma • Ask a Pro

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ (6/30/09)—Integra has introduced two mid-priced audio-video receivers designed to provide state-of-the-art home theater performance plus sophisticated integration with home automation systems. The new Integra DTR-30.1 and DTR-20.1 are, respectively, 7.2- and 5.2-channel, two-zone AV receivers designed for modern high-definition audio and video systems. In addition, the DTR-30.1 is the first Integra A/V receiver that incorporates the new Dolby ProLogic IIz which lets installers offer their clients engaging sonic ambience in three dimensions, not just two. Both receivers use the latest HDMI… View this story
Press Releases

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, JUNE 30, 2009 – Now you can take a piece of the action with you as Auralex announces that its SonicPrint artistic acoustical panels will feature two of the most successful box office action movie franchises ever.  Auralex has teamed up with StudioCanal, a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world, to offer select movie titles, including official Rambo and Terminator movie posters as well as a variety of action scenes from those films, as… View this story
Press Releases

What will a green home network of the future look like? The ZigBee Alliance would like it to look like wireless mesh-network of ZigBee products. It’s planning to introduce a ZigBee Green Power feature set that establishes a global standard for self-powered devices. That means small, networked devices that capture or harvest energy via solar, ambient temperature, or mechanical action (kinetic energy), such as power gained from pushing a switch, says Kevin A. Schader of Global Inventures, a standards development organization that is working with… View this story
Home Control • Networking and Communication • Green Technology • Info and Answers

Money is tight, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams of having a home control system. Just scale down your plans a bit. Instead of spending a fortune to trick out the entire house, you can economize by focusing on a single room. It’s a trend that’s really taking off, says Keith W. Harrison, owner of Total Home Technologies in Caldwell, N.J. “Not too many people are coming to us these days asking us to wire their whole house,” he… View this story
Home Control Systems • Lighting Control Systems • Info and Answers

These homeowners have catapulted a 50-year-old ranch-style home into the 21st century with modern, minimalist design, with the help of custom electronics pro London Audio. Blonde woods, glistening stone, premium leathers and polished chrome replaced the Cold-war design elements during this complete home makeover. And the basement bonus room has taken on new life as a dedicated screening room. “This young and stylish couple had little interest in an Art Deco or traditionally styled theater,” says London Audio’s Rick Ho. “They wanted their screening room… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Audio • Cool Homes

Almost everyone that’s visited a dealer in search of an audio system has experienced the boring audiophile music that’s used to highlight a system. Without stereotyping their musical preferences for equipment demos too much, that dedicated group of traditional audiophiles usually choose from classical and jazz, to vocal wares from artists like Diana Krall, Patricia Barber and Peggy Lee, to test high-performance systems. The problem with these choices however is that young people—Gen X and Gen Y— generally prefer the more energetic rock music genre.… View this story
Movies and Music • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows

July 1, 2009—Haier America, a leading manufacturer of home appliances and electronics, hits the open road this summer with its exciting Haier Home Tour. Launching July 4th weekend at Taste of Chicago in Chicago IL, the 53-foot tractor-trailer will fold down into a fully accessible front porch with a three-room walk-through for visitors. Each room will be furnished with Haier products, including Haier air conditioners that will cool the entire mobile home. “We have truly outdone ourselves and have taken our company to the next… View this story
Press Releases

French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal knows how to run the gamut when it comes to products, providing options from the low hundreds to the six-figure Grand Utopias. One thing that always signifies to me, when speaker companies carry such a wide range, is that you can trust their technology to be superb at just about any level, because those $180K whopper speakers don’t just come out of nowhere. So I kept that in mind when I recently had the opportunity to set up Focal’s chic Dome… View this story
Bookshelf Speakers • Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Product News

Q. I have a 14x16 ft room which I plan to set up as a media room. If I want to do a 7.1 system, what is the largest size TV/Screen that should be used? How many 30-inch chairs could you fit that would allow for reasonably good balance with two rows of seating? Dave, Fla. A. I’d start by getting a copy of Carlton Bale’s home theater calculator. This Excel spreadsheet is a great place to start when roughly planning out a media room.… View this story
Displays • HDTV • Video Screen • Location • Media Room • Ask a Pro