Record Stores, Video Stores And Dinosaurs - Music And Movies In The Digital Age

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


The internet has become one of the most revolutionary creations since the automobile.  In less than 10 years, it has changed the way the world works and how business is done. Over the past few years, there has become a shortage of local stores for us to rent movies or purchase music from.  Places that seemed too big to simply vanish. So what is killing off the giants?  That question can be answered in two words: digital media.

Digital media is basically any kind of content delivered in digital form.  For example, when you watch TV, you are looking at a type of digital media.  The TV program is being sent to you digitally, rather than on a physical disc or cassette.  Now that the stores you knew are gone or changing, what do you do?  Don’t be afraid to embrace the change.  There are many devices making it easier to access digital content and they are very simple to use.  Tower Records and Blockbuster Video may not be in your neighborhood anymore, but there are some really great alternatives.  In most cases, all you need is an internet connection and a device capable of delivering digital content, such as a network-ready blu-ray player or TV.

Movie, video and music services are finding their way into the mainstream in a big way.  There are a number of companies who are ready and able to give you exactly what you’re looking for right now.  In order to satisfy our insatiable hunger for digital media, many of these companies are serving their content on-demand, offering instant gratification.  If you’re looking for movies, Netflix is currently the king. They offer a subscription service, which allows you to select from a vast library of movies to watch on-demand, as well as rent physical DVDs or blu-ray discs.  The discs are sent to you by mail and returned in the same envelope when you are done with them – postage prepaid by Netflix.  When you return your movies, they can be exchanged for others.  Vudu and iTunes (Apple’s dominant online megastore) also offer movies for rent and purchase right over the internet.  Cable companies and subscription broadcast services have been offering pay-per-view programming for a very long time, but it has evolved quite a bit since the early days and now much of their pay-per-view programming is available on-demand.  Last (and very far from least) is the ever-popular YouTube, where people post their own videos and content for the world to see.

If music is your thing, there are even more options ready to serve up your favorite songs!  Sure, you can purchase your favorite music online.  That’s nothing new.  There are many new services and devices being made available to provide you with content for free or for a price, depending on the service.  You may even discover new, independent artists you’ve never heard of, since it’s easy and inexpensive for anyone to distribute their music digitally.  Internet radio and music services have become huge over the past few years, thanks to portable devices, such as smartphones (Android, Blackberry and iPhone).  Other devices like Sonos and Squeezebox make enjoying online music at home as easy as turning on your stereo.  Pandora is one such service, which is found on just about any device that will run their software app.  They are special because when you search for a specific song or artist, Pandora makes recommendations of other songs and artists, based on your original search.  From there, you can rate songs, which helps their service provide you with more songs and artists you will like.  Rhapsody is different for the fact that it offers a music-on-demand service.  If it’s in their library, you can listen to exactly what you want, when you want.  In order to keep the music going, they will also offer recommendations if you have no music queued up.  Other services like Slacker and Last.FM are great services you may enjoy.  They are all appearing on so many devices that you may have one of them in your home already!

Well, now you know what types of services are available and why the traditional disc-in-hand media is going away.  Aside from the huge amount of available content, instant gratification and the portability of digital media, there is another significant benefit which should be strongly noted – digital media is environmentally friendly!  Think of all the energy being saved by not producing the discs, the chemicals that aren’t being used to create plastic that the discs are made of and the production plants that have reduced their pollution into the environment.  Having less discs may mean less going to our landfills.  Digital media could be one step in breaking a cycle of pollution and cleaning that much more of our environment.

Digital media has officially etched its place in society.  Are you connected?

Blu-ray: What Can "Blu" Do For You?

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


You may have recently walked into one of your favorite stores, only to find that the DVD movie aisle shrunk and that some skinny blue boxes moved in on their turf.  If you haven’t been officially introduced, those are blu-ray discs. They’re the latest and greatest video format for the masses.  Before you get upset and think your DVD collection is obsolete, please read on.  You’re safe…for now.  Blu-ray discs are the same physical size as a DVD or CD, and blu-ray players are capable of playing DVDs and CDs, but that’s where the similarities end.

The blu-ray format brings many great features and new functionality to the table.  I’m not only talking about the discs themselves, but the players also have a major role in the experience.  So, what can “blu” do for you?  A lot!  Blu-ray is the first major format to take advantage of the maximum performance of current TVs and projectors and play in full high-definition.  Most high-definition cable TV programming is not actually shown in full high-definition, so the picture from a blu-ray will send you to cloud nine.  But what would a new format be if it didn’t take audio into consideration too?  They thought of it and can deliver uncompressed, high-definition sound, just as it was recorded.  There are two flavors (formats) for this high-definition sound on a blu-ray: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.  In order to hear this fantastic sound, you will need an audio/video receiver or TV capable of playing those formats.  If you don’t have a receiver capable of those formats, you’ll still hear it, but not in all its glory.

I hope you didn’t think that was it.  Oh no.  There’s a lot more where that came from and it only gets more exciting!  More recently, advancements have been made in two wildly popular areas and have been added to most new blu-ray players available today: digital media and 3D!  First, I’ll tell you a little about 3D.  It’s cool!  If you’ve been to a 3D movie in theaters lately, you have an idea of the experience.  It’s basically the same, but on a smaller screen.  If you haven’t, it really is fun.  3D doesn’t necessarily make things “jump out” at you.  Instead, it adds a significant amount of depth.  I recently watched a 3D blu-ray by IMAX about undersea life and it was just like being at the New England Aquarium.  Gone are the times of paper “glasses” with red and blue lenses.  You still need to wear glasses (at the moment), but they are slightly tinted, rather than two different colors.  A 3D-capable TV is also required to view 3D content from a blu-ray player.

Many new blu-ray players can also connect to the internet.  These players typically allow you to view various types of digital content.  If you aren’t familiar with digital content, it’s basically music, movies and other content you can enjoy over the internet without the need for a disc.  You can watch movies online from various providers like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Blockbuster and YouTube, listen to music on Pandora, stay current with the latest happenings on Twitter and stay in touch with family and friends on Facebook.  You don’t need to be a computer whiz, just do it all from your remote.  It’s that easy.


Ok, so why should blu-ray matter to you?  It all comes down to exceptional quality and incredible features at prices that most people can afford.

Understanding Home Automation (aka Smart Home)

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


You may remember a cartoon on TV from the early ‘60s, which was set in a future, where large flat panel TVs came down from the ceiling, people communicated by video conferencing and they used mobile communicators.  It was called The Jetsons.  Believe it or not, much of the amazing technology from the show already exists and many of us use it every day.  Those flat TVs that came down from the ceiling in the show - I get to install those!  My business is about integrating the latest technology to other people’s homes and businesses.  One of the technologies I’d like to talk about in this article is home automation, also known as a “smart home”.

The terms “home automation” and “smart home” have been used so much over the past several years, but many people don’t understand what they mean or why they’re useful.  That’s a shame, because there are many benefits home automation has to offer.  To put it simply, home automation is all about controlling things.  I’m not talking about control in the traditional sense, where you walk up to a light switch and turn it on, but other ways of controlling things.  Before I get into how you can control things, I’d like to talk about some of the things you can control.

You may be surprised to know how many things that are currently available and can be controlled by home automation systems.  Some of the more common items include: lights, thermostats, shades, and audio/video systems.  Then, there are some things you probably would have never guessed that you can control - like an oven!

Ok, so you can control any of those things now, by going up to them and pressing a button or turning a knob.  With home automation, there’s a big difference - you don’t always need to go up to each device to make them work.  The main idea is that “automation” makes things happen automatically.  That’s where part of the magic comes in.  This type of control is best described using lighting as an example.  Many lighting automation systems have a controller, which includes something called an “astronomical clock”.  What it does is pretty interesting.  You can think of it as a timer, but unlike traditional timers, an astronomical clock knows when the sun comes up and when it goes down, regardless of what season it is.  This type of intelligence eliminates the need to make seasonal adjustments for longer or shorter daylight hours.  This is a huge benefit.  Here’s one popular way lighting automation is used.  Let’s say you like to have outdoor lights turn on at night, so your pathway is lit when you get home from work, they can automatically be set to do so.  When the sun starts to go down, the lights come on.  When the sun starts to come up, the lights can automatically turn off.  Not only is it great for security, but also for the safety of having a well-lit pathway in the dark.  Of course, there are potential energy saving benefits to have lights turn on and off at the appropriate times as well, particularly if dimmers are used instead of regular switches.



Apple iPad and iPhone

with Crestron interfaces



Crestron in-wall touchpanel.

Besides timers, there are some other types of controls often used for home automation.  Possibly the most common are handheld remote controls.  These can range anywhere from a dedicated remote for controlling a single item,  to a universal remote, which can control a whole house worth of thermostats, lights, shades, TVs and more.  There are also in-wall controls, such as keypads and full-color touch screens.  The in-wall controllers are typically placed in various convenient locations, so you can control any part of your automation system from anywhere in the house and not worry about where the handheld remote is.  Last, but not least, are the third-party interfaces.  Some examples of these interfaces include: iPod, iPad, smartphones and web browsers.  These are extremely useful, particularly if you are out of the house, need to check on a second home or just can’t be there in person.  You simply go to a secure web page, which can look like the screen on the controllers you may already be used to, and check on the temperature, turn lights on or off, or even set the alarm while you’re away.  It’s all incredibly convenient and efficient.  Possibly the most important part is that it can be very, very easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy.



One of my favorite things about home automation is that it doesn’t need to be incredibly expensive and is often modular.  What that means is you can do a little at a time if you are on a budget and build it up over time.  Modern wireless technology has made installation much more convenient and hassle-free, compared to older systems.  When replacing thermostats or light dimmers with ones capable of being controlled by a home automation system, no new wiring is necessary with many systems.  This will save a lot of money on installation labor.

Here are a couple of situations our customers have had, where home automation helped them.

Situation 1 – Lights Out: One of my customers was driving home from a long day at work.  The sidewalk and driveway were covered in snow, but he forgot that no one would be home to turn the outside lights on, so he didn’t slip on the ice.

Lutron lighting

Solution: Automated lighting.  Many home automation systems know when the sun comes up and when it goes down. This is called an “astronomical clock”.  It can be set to turn the lights on at night and off in the day.  Some of them can even turn themselves on, based on how much light there is.  With these types of systems, there is no need to worry about it.  A small remote control, similar to a garage door opener, can even be programmed to turn certain lights on and off from the car.

Situation 2 – Freezing Pipes: A couple packed up their vacation home in the fall and would not be back until the spring.  Unfortunately, they forgot to turn the heat up and some of the pipes froze, causing a lot of water damage and expense for them.

Solution: Climate control.  There are thermostats available, which have been designed to work with home automation systems.  They can be set to be at certain temperatures at certain times of the day.  With internet access and a web browser, a homeowner can check the temperature in their house and change it if they’d like. Some systems can be programmed to send an e-mail, if the temperature drops too low or goes too high.  As long as the system is running, there’s no need to make a special trip or worry about a pipe bursting.

For those who prefer a slightly more “hands-on” approach, here are a couple of other common examples.  When you go to bed, you can press a button to set everything the way you want it.  Have all the lights turn off, except for a select few that you keep just bright enough to light your path if you happen to get up at night.  Motorized shades close.  The thermostats adjust, so you save energy while you sleep.  Finally, your alarm system activates, so you can rest easy.  When you get up, another button press deactivates the alarm, the shades open, lights adjust to your morning routine and thermostats set to the temperature you want when waking up.



Automation can simplify your life and help make your home more efficient.  The possibilities are endless.

There are several companies out there who strictly develop, produce and sell automation and control products.  Crestron, a 40-year-old US-based company, is noted for being the most highly respected brand and a leader in the industry.

The FamCave: Part 2 - Selecting a Space For Your Family's Entertainment

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY



Finding the perfect room for your FamCave is very important. Here are some things to ask yourself when thinking about which area of your house is most ideal:



FamCave in a smaller room, featuring
enhanced stereo sound and subwoofer.

Is there enough space?


FamCaves do not require much space.  If you can fit a TV in the room, chances are, you have enough space.  Things like in-wall and in-ceiling speakers offer more flexibility, since they each take up about as much space as a recessed light fixture.  We have worked in rooms as small as about 10’ x 10’ and the results were quite nice.

Is the room functional?

To check if the area you’d like to use will be functional, see if it has the necessary electrical outlets, and design flexibility. You want this room to have the appropriate design feel for your family, so having the ability to add certain design elements is very helpful.  The best thing to do is consult with an audio/video installer like me.  A good installer will know about which products to use, based on the size of the room, where to place things, and some can even offer ideas for the room layout.  You want everything to work and also be a comfortable, enjoyable place for your family to spend time.  Being comfortable in the room is an important factor for enjoying it.



Can the room perform its multiple functions?

  

FamCave in a living room
with surround sound.

Like most common rooms, FamCaves need to be able to perform multiple functions for the family. Areas for playing, video gaming, and reading are things to consider while thinking about your FamCaves functionality.  The idea is for the entire family to be able to enjoy the room in their own way.  It should be able to accommodate various activities.

Look for upcoming articles on ways we can help you improve your home and make your space more enjoyable.

Introducing the FamCave - Entertainment the Whole Family Can Enjoy

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


Most people have heard of the term “Mancave.” If you haven’t, a Mancave is a room a guy can turn into a personal hangout for him and his buddies.  Mancaves often include a big screen with surround sound, so he and the guys can watch the big game.  You are also likely to find gaming tables, a bar, sports memorabilia and other “manly” items he holds near and dear.  Wives love these spaces because it gives their husbands their own dedicated space and prevents them from turning the rest of the house into their own version of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Family Room "FamCave" by Premier Audio Video Designs
Interior by Cathy Schlechter Designs

Although we love the idea of a Mancave, a FamCave is a similar concept to the Mancave, except it is a common area the entire family can enjoy. Typically, this would be considered a den or family room – an area that serves multiple purposes, such as a playroom for the kids, the main spot for the entire family to watch TV, and a place to just relax and read a book when the day is nearly done. FamCaves, however, add more of the audio/video features from the Mancave. They often upgrade the technology in the room and add features like a big screen TV, surround sound, video game systems, high quality music systems and more –we call this multipurpose room a “FamCave!”

When adding a FamCave to your home, one of the most important features is the audio/video system. Many people call this a home theater, but it’s not quite a true home theater. What exactly is a home theater? Is it just a big screen TV with surround sound? No. Although these are important parts that make up a home theater, there are other things to take into account. For instance, a dedicated room with a projector with a very large (70” to over 200”) screen, high-performance surround sound, acoustical wall treatments, controlled lights or shades and luxury, theater-style seating is an honest representation of a true home theater, since it has been designed to perform more like a real movie theater does.  With a slightly more basic version of these features in your FamCave, your home will have the perfect spot for your family to spend time together and really enjoy being entertained.

Be sure to read The FamCave: Part 2 - Selecting a Space For Your Family's Entertainment: http://ow.ly/3UCUF

The Music Lover's Home - Integrating Music Into Your Home & Lifestyle

By Damon Della Greca
Owner of Premier Audio Video Designs, Westchester, NY


If you are a music lover, each time you hear music, it evokes emotions, gives you energy and helps you enjoy yourself after a long day.  What better way to enjoy your music than to equip your home with your very own integrated audio system?  Have a personal concert hall in your home.

If you have a family, everyone can enjoy their own music independently in different rooms with one system.  Mom can listen to jazz in the den, Dad can enjoy talk radio in the study – all while the kids listen to their favorite music in their bed rooms.  Everyone’s happy!

The sonos touchscreen controller displays
song title, artist, album & cover art.

Technology has come a long way in the past fifteen years, which allows us to make our music more available and more portable than ever.  We also have more options for music sources.  Thanks to internet radio stations and various online services that are now available, there is bound to be something to suit your personal tastes and provide flexibility you can enjoy.  If you have a larger CD collection than will fit on your iPod, a CD player can be used.  Many people enjoy the music channels that come with their cable or satellite TV service.  AM/FM/XM/Sirius radio tuners are very common in music systems.  The most compact way to make entire music collections available is with the use of iPod docks and music servers.  This way, all of your music can be made readily available at all times.  With most iPod docks and music servers, “metadata feedback” is provided.  With metadata feedback, you can see what you’re listening to and control the iPod or server as though it was right in your hand.  Select by song, artist, album, genre, playlist and more, right from your controller.  Most radio tuners offer the same feedback, so you know what station you are listening to.  Enjoy what you want, when you want.  It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Crestron offers docks to make control from an iPad simple.

Perhaps the most important part of an audio system is the way you use it.  Some systems have in-wall keypads, color touch screens, handheld or remote controls.  Others have the ability to be controlled from a computer, iPhone, iPad, laptop or smart phones.  Most controllers will have an LCD display (some in color, some not) to allow you to see what you are listening to and get metadata feedback. This also allows you to easily navigate your music library.  If a system is easy to use, you will enjoy it so much more and be happy with your purchase.

Since many of us like to entertain guests or have parties, another great feature of many audio systems is “party mode”.  This allows you to play background music in the rooms where you and your guests will be, while not disturbing others in different parts of the home.  It’s a very convenient way to truly bring a party to life and set the mood.

This planter conceals a
high-quality speaker.

A well designed audio system should fit into your home without taking away from your décor.  By hiding wires in the walls of new constructions or retrofit into existing homes and neatly storing equipment in unseen places of the home, you can achieve the look you want while obtaining an impressive sound system.  One of the main things to take into account is what will be the most visually obvious part of the system – the speakers.  There are many types of speakers which can be used to keep your home visually appealing.  Speakers range from in-ceiling and in-wall, which are almost flush against the surface, to make speakers less obvious.  There are also speakers that look like rocks or functional planters, adding a nice look to you outdoor listening areas.

With all of these options and features that home audio systems have to offer, the music lover is bound to enjoy this great addition to their home.