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Darryl Wilkinson  |  Feb 07, 2011
Price: $6,190 At A Glance: Fully enclosed in-ceiling speakers • 45-degree angled baffle • Pivoting tweeter with catenary-shaped dome

Hitting the Class Ceiling

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with the ability to watch any movie they want (even Avatar in 2D), and that they should never, ever use in-ceiling speakers for a home theater. After all, you want Sigourney Weaver’s gravelly, “Where’s my god damn cigarette?” to sound like it’s coming from the screen, not the light fixtures above your head, right?

Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 12, 2013
They could have done it. The folks in the Forum could have chosen, as Brutus did with his one-time friend, Julius, to dig the knife in deep after we’d already been stabbed 1.2, 1.3, even or 1.4 times. That’s why, when the HDMI Forum announced last week that they’d come up with Version 2.0 of the HDMI Specification, I prepared myself for the pain of deciphering new nomenclature and figuring out which HDMI cables were good for what features and which gear. And, despite the fact that I know better, I couldn’t help but feel that the IOGEAR Wireless 5x2 HDMI Matrix Switcher I’ve been playing with for the last month or two was already out of date.

Such is the heartache that always comes with the announcement of any new specification or technology...

Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 10, 2010
Summit Wireless is coming closer to bringing their super-easy, super-robust, super-sounding wireless technology to the market. In addition to being able to deliver uncompressed 24-bit 48 kHz audio wirelessly without interference or dropouts, the system can handle up to 7.1 channels of audio. Ease of setup is also part of Summit Wireless's technology. Pressing one button on the remote control allows the equipment to automatically determine the position of all the speakers in relation to the holder of the remote. The system uses that info to set delays and output levels. The demos I heard at CEDIA were extremely impressive, and the latest round of demonstrations Summit Wireless did for me here at CES were even more engaging. The chip that contains all the horsepower and the wireless antennae can built into AVRs, TVs, speakers, and subwoofers. Summit Wireless doesn't intend on bringing out branded products, but they will be announcing partners in the very near future. We could even begin seeing product by Christmas of this year. That's the most exciting part of all, because if the systems perform in the real world as well as they have in the demo suites this is going to make the dream of a high performing wireless home theater system a reality.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Dec 05, 2004  |  Published: Dec 06, 2004
Despite the fact that financial analysts remain nonplussed by VOOM, the HD-content leading satellite service (provided by Rainbow DBS, a subsidiary of Cablevision System Corp.), those of us on the receiving end of the small-dish system see big promise in such a large selection of HD channels from which to choose. That's why the recent announcement that Rainbow DBS has selected Lockheed Martin to build five more geostationary telecommunications satellites to provide direct broadcast services across the continental US (conus) should make all HDTV owners smile. The first of the five satellites is expected to be completed and launched before the end of 2007. VOOM anticipates an ultimate capacity of over 5,000 HD channels.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Jan 10, 2014  |  Published: Jan 11, 2014
ivee Sleek is a “hands-free, voice-activated, internet-connected assistant for the home that answers questions, obeys commands and controls other internet-connected devices.” ivee Sleek uses the AT&T Speech API powered by the AT&T Watson speech recognition engine to begin the process of turning voice commands or questions into system actions or answers. ivee Sleek has the smarts and the capabilities to understand and answer questions in 33 categories, including time and weather conditions and stock prices. The smart assistant is also able to integrate with Iris from Lowe’s and Staples Connect systems, giving it the ability to control internet-connected devices, such as smart thermostats, motorized locks, security cameras, and smart plugs. Oh, yeah, it’s also a digital clock, too. ivee Sleek is available for pre-order now for $229.99. No subscription fees are required.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 10, 2011
Who is Mr. Excellence, and how much does he pay? Is he a good boss to work for? What kind of benefits does he offer?
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 14, 2006
In a 2,000 square foot house filled with HP gear and PCs that was built specifically on the parking lot outside the convention center, Exceptional Innovation demonstrated the company's Life|ware 1.0.2 home control software that's designed to create a fully integrated electronic home based around Media Center PCs. The new Life|ware software builds on Media Center features and, based on direct connection with Life|link Devices-enabled devices, can control things like motorized shades, motorized mounts for plasma or front projection TVs, lighting, and even your oven. You can even schedule things by astronomical time.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 27, 2014
On Friday of last week (Oct 24 or “Devolve Friday” as it’s now known), visitors to the Revolv website were treated with the following headline: ”We want to share some exciting news with you. Revolv is now a Nest company.” Wow! Considering that Nest — the maker of the hugely popular Nest Learning Thermostat and the less-popular Nest Protect smoke/CO alarm — has one of the biggest corporate sugar daddies in the world (i.e., Google), that’s incredibly exciting news. As I stated in a recent review of the Revolv Hub Home Automation Controller: “The Revolv Hub is a powerhouse that looks to be relatively future-proof from a hardware standpoint. A great choice for a newbie.” With the crazy amount of money Google/Nest could throw at it, Revolv could evolve into the epitome of a smart home system hub.

Moving down the Revolv home page, however, readers soon discovered that the exciting news is actually...

Darryl Wilkinson  |  Oct 08, 2018
Last week Lutron opened the doors to a "newly reimagined Experience Center and training facility in the Decoration and Design Building in New York City." If you're in the area, it's definitely be worth a visit.
Darryl Wilkinson  |  Sep 08, 2012
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the end of the man-cave era. I’m not sure I could find a better example of anything that would be more proof of the existence of a trend away from the dedicated, tech-dominated home theater room in favor of a new emphasis on stylish integration of the home theater into people’s homes and lifestyles than this very interesting credenza from Adrian Lifestyles Furnishings. In most ways the Lila Pearl Credenza is a very traditional home entertainment cabinet with media drawers, adjustable shelves, and back panels that provide easy access to components and cables. But it’s also one of those pieces of furniture that you will either immediately hate or absolutely love. The company says the finish is “lacquer finish on Lila veneer”. I’m not quite sure what a “Lila veneer” is, but the color was an extremely interesting combination of purple and rose and mother of pearl. It’s not the sort of thing I’d have in my house, but I know several people who would gladly use it for their TV and associated gear. Adrian Lifestyles Furnishings offers a lot of other cabinet designs, including traditional wall unit style furniture, in a variety of domestic and exotic woods, finishes, sizes, and door types. Pricing was not available.

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