Custom Installation How-To

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The S&V InterviewCustom Installation How-To
Designing Your Home Theater
Kim Wilson  |  Dec 01, 2009  | 
Creating a home theater, be it a dedicated room or part of an existing living space, requires more than a general knowledge of AV technology. In actuality, that is only a small part of the equation. To maximize the performance of your AV gear, the overall design of the room is crucial.
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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
It's a Fan. No it's an Audio System. Hey, it's Both!
Kim Wilson  |  Nov 13, 2009  | 

You can't have an audio system without speakers, however, it's the speakers that cause the most problems, especially with respect to interior design. Known for their wide selection of residential ceiling fans, Hunter has teamed up with Soundolier Integrated Wireless Technologies to create the Concert Breeze, a combination ceiling fan and powered audio system.

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Custom Installation How-To
Sunfire TGM-100 Page 2
John Sciacca  |  Nov 12, 2009  | 
Key Features
$6,500 ($8,950 as tested) SUNFIRE.COM
 
 
• TGM-100 server rips and streams music and movies • 1-terabyte hard drive stores up to 145 DVDs or 1,600 CDs in uncompressed WAV format and supports up to 7 simultaneous streams with optional TGM- 100
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Custom Installation How-To
Sunfire TGM-100
John Sciacca  |  Nov 12, 2009  | 
Key Features
$6,500 ($8,950 as tested) SUNFIRE.COM
 
 
• TGM-100 server rips and streams music and movies • 1-terabyte hard drive stores up to 145 DVDs or 1,600 CDs in uncompressed WAV format and supports up to 7 simultaneous streams with optional TGM- 100
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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Massive Storage Capacity with Envive Theater Master
Kim Wilson  |  Nov 10, 2009  | 

Delivering up to 14TB of centralized network storage, Envive's TheaterStation Multi-zone Digital Media Management System keeps all your media in one convenient location. A single TheaterStation Client can connect with a variety of 4TB, 6TB, 10TB and 14TB storage units that fit in standard rack mounts. As your video and audio library expands, so will your Envive system. Users can easily transfer, store and sort music and movies, whether they are created, purchased on hard media or downloaded from the Internet. The complete TheaterStation product line is ideal for either single-zone or multi-zone installations.

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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
HIgh-End All the Way
Marius Farkas  |  Oct 29, 2009  | 

I've been a subscriber to Home Theater since 1996, as well as, Stereophile Guide to HT, long before it became UltimateAV (which is now exclusively on the web). All these years of reading these specialty magazines has finally paid off with the design and construction of my dream home theater and home automation system.

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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Theater in the Air
Don Harmon  |  Oct 29, 2009  | 

A few years ago, my wife and I visited her brother’s home in Denver, Colorado. He had just finished constructing a home theater in his basement and we were completely captivated by the idea to build our own theater. Our only problem was that we were living in Southern California, where basements are rare.

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Custom Installation How-To
Kaleidescape Mini System Page 2
John Sciacca  |  Oct 20, 2009  | 
Key Features
$8,590 KALEIDESCAPE.COM
 
 
• Movie/music server with two additional music-only zones • Uncompressed storage for all movies and music • Sigma Designs VXP processing • System holds up to four 500-gigabyte hard drives for storage of 225 DVDs or 2,475 CD
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Custom Installation How-To
Kaleidescape Mini System
John Sciacca  |  Oct 20, 2009  | 
Key Features
$8,590 KALEIDESCAPE.COM
 
 
• Movie/music server with two additional music-only zones • Uncompressed storage for all movies and music • Sigma Designs VXP processing • System holds up to four 500-gigabyte hard drives for storage of 225 DVDs or 2,475 CD
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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Panasonic's Highly Affordable 1080p Projector
Kim Wilson  |  Oct 15, 2009  | 

if you thought you couldn't afford a high quality 1080p projector– think again. Panasonic's new PT-AE4000U just lowered the bar, on price, but not quality. This LCD projector retails for $2499, though some say it can be found for less, even from authorized dealers for hundreds less. Consciously designed for smaller home theaters, the PT-AE1000U can project a 120-inch image from as little as 11 to as much as 24 feet away. You sure can't get that in a flat panel display for a mere $2.5k.

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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Simple & Inexpensive Whole-house Music
Kim Wilson  |  Oct 14, 2009  | 

Whole-house music need not be expensive or require extensive integration. Moreover, it can be easily controlled with something you may already own. Enter the new Sonos Zone Player S5. This wireless, zone player with built-in speakers will stream music from your PC or Mac and is easily controlled with an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. The Sonos S5 will be available in late October for $399 each and the iPhone app that controls it is free.

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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Triple Duty Window Treatments
Kim Wilson  |  Oct 07, 2009  | 

Stewart Filmscreen is branching out, providing unique window treatments designed to improve the overall home cinema experience. While the Acoustishade is a beautiful addition to any decor, available in a variety of colors and any custom size, it also controls ambient light as well as exterior noise from interfering with the viewing experience. The Acoustishade is the most stylish and cost effective soundproofing solution available.

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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
My Movie Magic on Beale Street
Jay Nicols Photography: Kim Jay  |  Oct 01, 2009  | 

I’ve been an A/V nerd all my life. As a kid, I would take apart my parents’ stereo equipment and make a huge mess. It’s always been my dream to have the biggest and baddest A/V system on the block. Well, it took me 20 years, but I think my newest home theater takes the cake, at least on my block.

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Custom Installation Equipment ReviewsCustom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Budget-Conscious Runco Projector
Kim Wilson  |  Sep 22, 2009  | 

While the title of this entry may sound like an oxymoron, I assure you it's not. Runco has recently announced details about the LS-3 LightStyle projector that will ship in November, just in time for Christmas. Retailing for only $4995, this is the Runco projector many folks have been waiting for.

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Custom Installation How-ToHome Movie Theaters
Ultimate Install Contest
Kim Wilson  |  Sep 22, 2009  | 

This is one of those times when the pictures just don't do justice to the project. The winner of the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install is Vision Audio from Lubbock, Texas. The Media Center Integrator Alliance (MCIA), together with Microsoft, announced the winner of the 2009 Windows Media Center Ultimate Install Contest during CEDIA in Atlanta, Georgia on September 13. This impressive system uses Windows Media Center at the core of the home's entertainment experience in an extensive whole-home installation.

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