Custom Installation How-To

A cost-effective alternative to touch screen controllers are universal remotes. The Harmony Remote 900 by Logitech uses advanced RF technology to operate all your AV devices up to 100 feet away without the need for RF emitters attached to each device. Instead, the Harmony 900 uses a single IR blaster and one or two mini blasters on the cabinet shelves of your entertainment center.

<I>A home with historic heritage goes high tech.</I>

Themed theaters allow the homeowner to retreat into a sanctuary of sorts. This month's Nautilus Theater even transports you to another time, when hearty sea farthing men (and a woman on occasion) spent months on the ocean in small wooden ships. However, they were never as technologically decked out as this.

Walking into this penthouse condominium in an affluent area of Los Angeles Mark Schafer and Mark Stewart of CustomLA knew it would require just the right control system for this ambitious AV design to meet the homeowner's expectations. They wanted whole house audio and video, yet, they had little interest in learning a complex system that would require more technical savvy than they possessed or desired. It was also critical that the technology blend into the fashionable, yet comfortable, interior created by Threshold Design.

Known for their audio purity, Naim launches the all-in-one NaimUniti, which offers high performance audio in a single chassis design that includes an integrated amplifier, CD Player, FM tuner, internet radio, iPod dock, digital-to-analog converter, music file player and network audio streaming.

Engineered exclusively by Meridian Audio for Dunhill, the Alfred Dunhill AD88 Entertainment System exploits Meridian’s expertise in digital audio and loudspeaker design to deliver exceptional sound from a single tabletop component that is both stylish and unobtrusive.

Back in 2004 when we purchased our current house, we couldn’t have predicted what we were in for. Being previous renters, we had no real experience as to the ins and outs of home ownership. In New England, most houses are old. In our case, the particular house we bought was built in 1901. Granted, the house was well maintained and was, thankfully, structurally sound.