By now most of us have seen commercial grade outdoor video displays in a wide variety of venues, from Times Square and Giants Stadium to airport and train terminals. But have you ever experienced watching a Yankees game or a favorite movie on a purpose built outdoor video display on your own patio or deck? It’s now possible, thanks to weatherproof flat screen HD TVs, available in many sizes and with a wide variety of mounting schemes. The most popular sizes are 32 to 65 inches, with available mounts that are fixed, articulating, and even quick release.
An outdoor home theater video solution perfect for longer distance viewing is the latest generation of glass rear-projection screens. Here is how they work: Simply pick an exterior wall of your house or pool house. Any existing large windows in the wall will be replaced by a special glass video screen. The glass screen can be as small as 70 inches – just under six feet – diagonally or super-sized, up to 12 feet. A projector that beams the image onto the screen can be ceiling or floor mounted, and would typically be placed between 4 and 8 feet back from the glass video wall. Here at PAC-NJ, northern New Jersey’s source for high-end home entertainment equipment, our clients have been very pleased with these installations. These super-sized outdoor home theater screens work best on overcast days and at night. No matter what size or type of outdoor TV you choose, the sound system included in the TV will tend to be underwhelming, at best. I suggest an external upgraded sound system to enhance your outdoor home theater set up or HD TV system. That’s a topic I’ll cover in my next blog!
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For quite awhile we’ve embraced and advocated for the new age of digital music delivery technologies, home theater surround sound systems, and quality audio components. But frankly, sometimes these devices are not even delivering the performance and quality levels that we enjoyed when listening to vinyl and CDs on vintage home stereos. The internal generic DAC – or Digital to Analog Converter – in all digital music devices – iPod, iPhone, iPad – is the culprit. If you’re using ear buds you may be satisfied with the mediocre fidelity of iPods and other portable digital audio video devices. But when listening through a quality home stereo system, we need to elevate the level of sonic performance from our iPods, computers, and digital audio streamers. The solution we often recommend here at PAC-NJ, northern New Jersey’s source for home theater and audio video equipment and installation, is the Peachtree Audio Dac-it. Simply put, the Dac-it is a high performance Digital to Analog converter designed to bypass the generic DAC in your digital music device. The Peachtree Dac-it will supercharge your music experience when listening to digital sources including Apple TV, Sonos and ITunes. Digital inputs include coaxial, optical, and 42/96 USB.
For any music lover who already owns a great home audio video or home stereo system, the Peachtree iDac is an ideal solution. The iDac plugs into any aux or standard analog stereo input on your existing home stereo amplifier or pre amp. Then just drop your IPod into the built in dock. The magic that takes place is attributable to the pure digital connection between your IPod and the iDac. The results will astound you. The same sonic improvement can be enjoyed from other digital audio video sources that you may also want to connect to your killer music system, just as with the Dac-it. The iDac also has digital audio inputs including coaxial, optical, and USB to accommodate all of the aforementioned digital music sources.
For those who are ready for a completely new home stereo and audio system, Peachtree also offers the same great iDac product, but with a built in audiophile grade integrated amp with optional speakers. So if you’ve been listening to portable music devices on your home stereo without bypassing the generic DACs, it’s time to listen up!
You were the first on the block with a home theater system, but now your neighbors have newer, better home entertainment rigs. Cheer up – you can significantly enhance the performance of your existing home theater set up with system upgrades. In my last blog I talked about ways to enhance the system’s sound, and to improve the acoustics in your home theater room. Here are a couple of additional ways we advise our clients at PAC-NJ, northern New Jersey’s source for home theater design and installation, on how to soup up the performance of a legacy home theater:
Upgrade your image: One simple way to ensure that you are really watching a true HD image on your home theater screen, be it flat panel display or projection system, is to upgrade the generic hdmi cables that either came with your system components or that your TV service provider included with your cable box or Fios receiver. The aftermarket audio video cables that are readily available today represent a significant upgrade. These HD TV cables will pass the speed and bandwidth that your HD display requires, so you can enjoy a true 1080P image.
Another surefire way to get the most out of your HD TV is having a professional calibration performed by a trained audio video technician. This process requires video test equipment, and 1 to 2 hours of an experienced and well-trained technician’s time. The results will be quite easy to appreciate. Home theater video displays that have not been properly calibrated will typically only deliver about 70% of their obtainable performance level. And as a side benefit, the calibrated HD TV will last up to twice as long as one that was never properly calibrated.
And finally, if your original home theater budget didn’t include money for a first rate, custom-programmed, universal remote control, now is the time to treat yourself to the joy of a single remote that you won’t need to aim. Yes, it’s time to clear your coffee table of the four or five remotes that your system now requires. Picture the beauty of pushing one button on one remote and the lights dim, the curtains open, and your home theater system comes alive! It’s high tech Shangri-La!
Extreme Makeover: Home Theater Edition.” You’ve invested in a home theater system a while ago and now have the urge to enhance the system without incurring the expense of replacing any of the existing components. Impossible? Not at all! Here are two things you can do to significantly upgrade the performance of your legacy system to make it the best home theater possible:
Upgrade the sound: Add a second home theater subwoofer to your system. Many of the home theater systems we designed in years past here at PAC-NJ, northern New Jersey’s source for home theater equipment and home theater installations, had only one subwoofer. Almost all home theaters can benefit from the addition of a second matching, or similar subwoofer. This will provide much more uniform low bass audible from every seat in the room, and a more powerful and robust overall sonic performance.
Add acoustic treatment to the room. Most multi-purpose home theater rooms lack any elements that help tune the room for improved and more neutral acoustics. Rooms with hard wood or ceramic tile floors, rooms with large and numerous windows, and those with vaulted or cathedral ceilings all are prime candidates for acoustic treatments. PAC-NJ offers many home theater acoustic tuning options that will blend nicely into the existing room decor. One of many options that I particularly love is the acoustic art wall panel. Simply described, it’s a 1¼-inch thick acoustic wall hanging panel, available in many shapes and sizes. It can be covered by the fabric of your choice and then framed with any frame material that you prefer. The art aspect is great because our vendor can create a digital Giclee of any image we provide them with. Possible images include movie posters, family photos, fine art, or just about anything else you can imagine. So your favorite wall art can also function to dramatically improve the sound of your home theater set up, too!
That’s just the beginning. There are more steps you can take to rejuvenate your legacy home theater system, and I’ll cover more of them in my next blog.
