John Sciacca

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CES 2020
Hogar Offers Smart Home Brains and Beauty
John Sciacca  |  Jan 08, 2020  |  0 comments
There have been lots of developments over the years in the category of smart lighting control, but most of these smart controls don’t really look much different or nicer than a classic paddle switch you can pick up for a couple of bucks at your local Home Depot. Hogar Controls feels that the modern smart home deserves something that looks better than just an ordinary light switch, and the company’s new Prima Touch Switch line offers a sleek designer finish that makes your modern home actually look modern!
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CES 2013
Home Theater Comes Home
John Sciacca  |  Mar 26, 2012  |  0 comments

At some point, CES ceased having much of anything to do with the home theater experience, and became primarily about TV makers launching the latest, biggest, and thinnest TVs. Oh, and there are also a couple of floors of stratospherically expensive high-end audio gear, and now headphones.

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The Connected Life
Home Theater Planning: Walk Back the Design, Part 1
John Sciacca  |  Mar 01, 2019  |  0 comments
When I first began my job as a custom installer back in 1998, I frequently had to explain to people exactly what our company did. “We install home theater systems; it’s like having a movie theater in your house,” I’d usually say.
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The Connected Life
Home Theater Planning: Walk Back the Design, Part 2
John Sciacca  |  Apr 26, 2019  |  0 comments
In my last blog, I discussed the many clients I meet with who have no idea how to begin the design process when planning a new home theater or media room installation. Instead of focusing on specific technologies and performance, I have found it best in these cases to work the design process back from how they would like the room to look after the installation is completed.
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The Connected Life
Home Theater Tips: Smart Shades, Smart Lights
John Sciacca  |  May 07, 2020  |  0 comments
Motorized window shades and smart lighting are a godsend for controlling light in an open, mixed-use media room. Here’s how.
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Ask S&V
How Can I Get Sonos to Randomize My 700-CD Collection?
John Sciacca  |  Oct 31, 2022  |  1 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have a Sonos system for playing music throughout the house. I've recorded my 700-CD collection and like to listen to the songs randomly but Sonos does not access the whole collection — only about 4,000 of the 6,000 available songs. Can you recommend a solution, or do you know of an app that can safely randomize files? —Clive Fox, Richmond, VA

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Ask S&V
How Do I Assess a Potential Home Theater Space?
John Sciacca  |  Jul 24, 2023  |  4 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q After several decades of renting and townhome ownership, I’m finally at a point where I’m looking to buy a single-family home. When I look at houses, I’m trying to find an area that will eventually become a dedicated home theater. What factors should I be looking at? What sizes and shapes of rooms are best? Should I be considering what materials the walls (and maybe the floor?) are made from? Are there modifications that are best done before we move in for sound isolation purposes or to improve the acoustics of a room? —Michael Brown

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Ask S&V
How Do I Play Music on My iMac Through a Vintage Stereo Receiver?
John Sciacca  |  Oct 16, 2023  |  4 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q Is there a way I can play music from my iMac’s music app through my [vintage] Pioneer SX-1250 stereo receiver? — Paul A.

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Ask S&V
How Do You Properly Integrate a Subwoofer In a Stereo Setup?
John Sciacca  |  Aug 07, 2023  |  2 comments
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I have a follow-up to a previous question from one of your readers about connecting a subwoofer. Once the sub is correctly connected, how do you make sure it is set up to be fully integrated in a stereo system? —Benoit Blond

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The Connected Life
How to Avoid AV Information Overload
John Sciacca  |  Jul 29, 2014  |  0 comments
One of the most disappointing things I face is spending time going over different options for someone’s new home’s entertainment and automation system and having them leave my showroom saying, “Wow! Now I’m even more confused than when I started!” (More disappointing is the, “Oh, I wish I’d come to you to do my system!” regret that comes when they can’t get the other guy/company to come back to finish or service the system.)
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