Recently Filed in Enhancements

Last week I promised we’d be covering 3D content available to home users today. Other than PC gaming through NVidia’s 3D Vision system and a handful of 3D Blu-ray spec demos trickling in, there isn’t any. So that covers that, at least for now. So let’s dive a little deeper in to 3D glasses and how they work. Just like any emerging AV technology there are a plethora of specifications and systems, few of which are directly compatible. The 3D Blu-Ray spec and HDMI 1.4… View this story
Home Theater Accessories • Enhancements • Info and Answers

You can have your home automation system perform and combine about any task you want, provided it is comprehensive enough and you have the right team of creative custom electronics pros to program it. You also need some creativity yourself, as well as some practicality and restraint—as in, what don’t you need the system to do? So ask yourself, what types of streamlined and quick-trigger tasks would you like to have done at the touch of a button or automatically each day to make your… View this story
Home Control Systems • Home Control • Enhancements • Info and Answers

Think about it: You spend a fortune building a massive slope-side vacation home in Utah, complete with a home control system, lighting control system and a snow melt system—only to have your electrical contractor come back two years later to rig about $60,000 worth of energy-saving improvements. “Everything about the project was big,” says Mark McGuinness of Chesley Electric in Park City, Utah, of this 16,500-square-foot home that recently won lighting company Lutron’s Excellence Award for Best Green Project. “The service at 1,200 amps [most… View this story
Lighting Control Systems • Green Technology • Enhancements • Cool Homes

“Play artist, Michael Bolton.” Remember the TV car commercial line, and the driver’s “Play artist, Korn” retort? How cool to know you could pick a song while driving and not have to fiddle with the controls. (Check out the video below for a refresher.) The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) thought it was pretty cool, too. But the trade organization thinks that’s only the beginning. It envisions the automobile as another connected component of your electronic house. “As Internet connectivity infuses the vehicle platform, the car… View this story
Miscellaneous • Automotive • WiFi • Enhancements • Info and Answers

We’ve been hearing a lot of about LED (light emitting diode) lighting lately, mainly because it’s such a green, energy-efficient mode of illumination. However, these tiny bulbs are also a great way to add visual impact to your home. Tiny and fairly easy to install, they can be tucked inconspicuously into all types of surfaces—walls, ceilings, even floors. They can be built into cabinetry, tables and other pieces of furniture. They can go into trim-work and stairwells. LEDs can also add a splash of color… View this story
Fixtures and Switches • Outdoor Lighting • Green Technology • Enhancements • Product News

Even if you live in a warm climate, a fireplace can be a worthwhile investment. It sets the mood and infuses a room with charm and elegance. And with so many gas-fueled options, you won’t need to strike a single match to get your fire started. Available with many gas fireplaces are handheld remotes. They’re much more convenient than the traditional switches that most builders tack to the wall, according to Harold Wagner, sales manager at fireplacesnow.com. A switch must be placed no more than… View this story
Climate Control • Furniture • Enhancements • Product News

You’ve probably seen them twinkling away on the ceilings of restaurants and amusement parks attractions, but fiber-optic starfields are gaining popularity as a decorative element in homes, too. “We seem them being used in nurseries, living rooms and dining rooms, but primarily in home theaters,” says Cyr Ryan, owner and president of Fiber Optic Systems Inc. (FOSI) Star Ceilings. Star ceilings can be installed onto almost any type of ceiling, but are usually more economical to install if there is open attic space above them.… View this story
Home Theater Accessories • Home Theater • Enhancements • Product News

When you think about it, there’s a ton of technology that can go onto the ceiling. Recessed lights, built-in speakers, video projectors and wiring are often mounted overhead. All of this can make your ceiling look like a block of Swiss cheese. And, depending on the room design—like if there’s no attic space above, or the ceiling height is lower than 8 feet—the ceiling may not even be able to accommodate some of the products. Here’s where a soffit can really help, and possibly even… View this story
Furniture • Home Theater Accessories • Home Theater • Enhancements • Info and Answers

We’re still looking for your ultimate home control wish list. Entries for the Electronic House and Control4 “What Do You Want to Control?” contest are ongoing, and you can register by entering your little essay of what you want for your own home. Each week we’ve been highlighting some of your entries to give you a good idea of what people are looking for, and to show off some of your creative thinking. Click here to enter the contest. Here are 10 more entries for… View this story
Home Control Systems • Enhancements • Info and Answers

The owners of this New Jersey home are downsizing their lifestyles and investing in green building techniques and clean energy sources like geothermal (heat and cooling from ground sources). But that doesn’t mean they’re not going to enjoy the conveniences of home electronics. In fact, home technology will help them be even greener. “We’re doing it for ourselves,” says this homeowner. “We want a healthy house to live in and raise our kids in. The second driving force is that energy is not going to… View this story
Miscellaneous • Green Technology • Enhancements • Info and Answers

Even the wealthiest homeowners want to save. In this case, a resident of New York’s Trump Towers was ready to overhaul his three-year-old automation and audio/video system. He hired local integration firm IVCi Home for the task. The condo, though elegant, is a typical cramped New York City space, measuring 1,100 square feet. The living room was devoured by two half-sized racks, hidden in a giant bureau beneath the flat-screen TV. IVCi replaced them with a single rack hidden in an office closet. “By doing… View this story
Enhancements • Cool Homes

There are myriad reasons to add a central vacuum system to your home. Benefits include cleaning convenience, improved indoor air quality, durability, reliability, not having to lug an upright vacuum up or down the stairs (for more benefits, also check out MD Manufacturing’s 7 Reasons Why). What you might not know is that many of the same people who work on your home theater projects are just as proficient at installing central vac systems in your home, as many custom electronics pros include the service… View this story
Central Vacuum • Central Vacuum Systems • Central Vacuum Accessories • Enhancements • Info and Answers