John Sciacca

When I started my career as a custom installer, getting a cinema-size image meant a front projection system in a light-controlled room. But technology has since developed to the point where you can now get a 100-inch flat-panel TV for well under twenty grand. Which solution is right for you?

When I started out as a custom installer back in 1998, a “big screen” was a 60-inch rear-projection TV, with high-end models available from the likes of Mitsubishi and Pioneer Elite. These were 4:3 aspect ratio, cathode ray tube-driven sets with 480i resolution, and they were physically hulking beasts weighing upwards of hundreds of pounds. Boy, have things changed over the past 20-plus years.

For years, most of the service calls my company received were cable TV-related. And it didn’t matter if the customer’s TV screen read “No Signal,” there was no sound, image quality was poor, or they couldn’t change channels or access the program guide, all issues were usually fixed with one simple action: rebooting the cable box. Nowadays, the service calls we get usually involve issues with a home’s network...

My previous column covered ways to control both a modern A/V system and a smart home using various manufacturer-supplied apps. With smartphone and tablet use now widespread, and smart devices capable of being controlled via free iOS and Android apps proliferating, app-based control has also surged. Whether you’re streaming music, controlling your A/V receiver, or managing your home’s energy or security systems, there’s now an app that can help you to do it smarter, better, and more easily. And since most people are now in the habit of carrying their phones 24/7, they basically have a full-blown system controller in their pocket at all times.