Blogs
NuVo’s Renovia: The Homeowner’s Perspective
A couple months ago I received the type offer that you can’t refuse. Yet there I was actually trying several different ways to...
Finally Earn That THX Tattoo You Gave Yourself
I recently changed my cell phone’s incoming message alert to a sonar ping. (“Give me a ping, Vasili. One ping only, please…” And,...
The Reverse Psychology of Billing
We all have those clients that are That Guy. And you know who That Guy is. They’re the ones that think that they...
Polk Audio Offers Bright Spot for the Audio Biz
I’ve gotten used to filtering out positive spin from companies trying to position themselves in a down economy. That’s why I took what...
Is Wireless HD Closer to Primetime?
There’s been a lot of talk since the housing bubble burst a few years ago about the need to embrace retrofit technologies in...
Maybe HDMI ‘Acceptance’ was the Wrong Word
Sometimes you write or edit something that you know will set off a firestorm with readers. Other times, you think you’ve got it...
From Sharp Minds, Comes a Lame Problem
Oh, HDMI… just when you promise that all of your problems are fixed and that we shouldn't have any more bizarre handshaking or...
SurgeX Offers Big-Bang Theory
There’s a lot of entertaining stuff on youtube these days, especially when it comes to science experiments that end in an explosion. That’s...
MSN to Home Theaters: You’re a Stupid Waste
Last night I'm doing some last-minute computering as I prepare to settle in and watch the Season 4 premier of AMC's “Mad Men.”...
A Letter from Mike Detmer to Niles Dealers
Last week, Mark Terry, president of The AVC Group LLC. (formerly called the Linear Group) promoted several executives , including Mike “Sparky”...
Manufacturers: Help Me Help You!
You all know the drill: the manufacturer’s rep comes around to have The Talk (which is only slightly less awkward than “the talk”...
Do Your Vendors Want to ‘See Other People?’
The news last week that B&W was offering its loudspeaker lines to the big-box-ish Magnolia stores was the CEDIA dealer’s equivalent...
Making 3D Movies Less Sucky
Let’s get it out there: A lot of things about the 3D movie-watching experience just plain suck. First there is the...
Heiss Reports on E3 for the BBC
Earlier this month, Residential Systems contributing editor Michael Heiss provided his in-depth report about E3 , the annual technology convention...
ELAN Targets ‘G’ Spots
ELAN’s Eric Harper is convinced that doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result borders on insanity. That...
Tips for Standardizing Your Organization
The CEDIA channel is made up of approximately 3,000 electronic systems contracting companies, each with an average of fewer than seven employees. In...
Monster Vision: Sadly, Not What You Would Hope
You would think that it just wouldn’t be possible for something called “Monster Vision” to not be among the coolest inventions ever. I...
E3 Report: Immerse Yourself and Your Clients
Ask someone in the consumer electronics industry what they think the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, trade show is and you’re likely...
iPad: I Love You. Just Don’t Put Me Out of Business!
I’ll admit it: The iPad is one of the frickin’ coolest gadgets to come around in a while. And even though I know...
My Retrofit Home Network Install was a No Brainer
The Wi-Fi network in my home provides relatively thorough coverage throughout our 5,000 square feet, but lately I’ve been streaming Yankees baseball games...
What Do Crestron and the Kamasutra Have in Common?
While I’m not much of an apps guy, personally, I do appreciate the creativity of developers who come up with such clever designs...
Holiday Service Calls Pay Off for Illinois ESC
What do Memorial Day weekend, graduation week, and Chicago Black Hawks hockey all have in common? For Digital Home Technologies ( www.adigitalhome.com )...
Media Décor Says It Can Do More
Media Décor says that when it comes to choosing high quality art to hide your client’s TV, there is a difference. The Ft....
Micromega’s Airstream Wireless DAC: More Than An Apple Airport Express
In his June 2010 Residential Systems print edition review of Micromega’s WM-10 AirStream wireless DAC, Dennis Burger says there are more...
Part 3 of Dr. Toole’s Audio Class is Tomorrow
If you’ve participated for the last two online audio and acoustics classes led by widely respected audio acoustics expert, Dr. Floyd Toole, then...
Home Networks and the DVR Evolution
Keeping pace with the progress of consumer electronics often makes you feel like you’re running a marathon race at a sprinter's pace. Sometimes...
Quotes from Coppola
SIM2 Multimedia and SIM2 USA Inc. celebrated the launch of its worldwide ad campaign starring the five-time Academy Award-winning film director Francis Ford...
Francis Ford Coppola and SIM2: A Mutual Admiration Society
I love the smell of fermenting grapes in the morning… it’s the smell of a SIM2 press conference at Francis Ford Coppola’s Napa...
Learn About Acoustics from the Best
If you’re new to the industry or have ever felt that you just didn’t understand enough about home theater audio and acoustics, then...
Millson Offers Window Treatment Integration Document
Richard Millson says that most valuable piece of advice that he can offer for successfully adding automated window treatment integration to residential projects...
Kordz Says 3D No Problem for HDMI 1.4
In a new white paper, Kordz managing director David Meyers offers an entertaining and refreshing perspective on what ESCs and consumers need to know...
TRUFIG Reaches Out to Architects and Designers
I spoke with my friend Ari Supran this week about his newest brand, TRUFIG, the flush-mounting system designed to integrate every-day devices and...
A Review of 3D Video Integration Opportunities
If you’re like me, many of you are probably still making up your mind about 3D. It’s a technology that’s actually...
A First Look at Runco’s WindowWall Display
When it comes to video, bigger and more is almost always better. But traditional technologies can run into technological limitations when trying to...
Checking In on the Powerhouse Alliance
At the end of 2009, AV retailers, integrators, and manufacturers learned that they had another option in two-step distribution, when a national network...
Prepare for 3D Now with a Free CEDIA Webinar
With consumer-grade 3D displays hitting retail shelves, and national advertising finding its way to living rooms around the country, now is a good...
Audio Concepts Opens New Boston Showroom
Audio Concepts, New England’s resource for premier audio and video components for more than 30 years, hosted a grand opening reception at its...
Learning About Energy Audit Essentials
Shortly after we moved into our first house after leaving the rental world of New York City three years ago, my wife and I...
My Two CEDIA Management Conference Takeaways
It’s tough to summarize the content from a two-day CEDIA Management Conference that was good as the one I attended last week in New...