Integration Guides

Working in an industry where the future has always been now, custom integrators know what it is like to thrive in “on the brink”...

In April 2015 more than three million 4K LCD TV panels were shipped worldwide, exceeding past monthly shipment numbers and comprising 14 percent of...

The idea of the “smart home” is not new, but never have we as a society been closer to achieving the essential qualities inherent...

Recent developments in custom AV distribution have been nothing short of staggering.

The idea of having an outdoor entertainment system is not new, though the challenge has always been finding quality audio and video components that...

In a millennium, when students are studying our present as their past, much will be made of the role of the smart phone in...

Home theaters, even some that can be purchased right off the shelf, tend toward the sonically spectacular.

There was a time when interior designers—with their mood boards, color swatches, and barely disguised technophobia—induced near unbearable heartburn in the chests of custom...

Custom integration distribution firms are about to close out 2014 having witnessed and catered to an ever-changing market.

Projector-centered home theaters have always been about the bigger, better picture.

The beauty of curtains has always been their simple, yet multifaceted functionality: block out or filter light while adding aesthetically to a space.

There was a time when the ultimate in home audio was a shiny, stackable stereo system—each component acquired after much obsessive research—paired with well-sourced...

The past few years, with the proliferation of IP networking and the ever-growing dominance of mobile devices, home automation and by extension the role...

In the past, the bulky nature of essential home entertainment components has guided the design of the mounts, lifts, racks, and enclosures that have...

Earlier this year, Dave Daniels, head of Aspen, CO-based custom integration firm Xssentials, in addressing a room full of his colleagues at the Azione...

TEASERS ESP/SurgeX Acquires Its International Brand  D-Tools Adopts SIA/IAPSCi Security Drawing Symbols  Control4 Introduces New Dealer Services and Tools for Lighting NOW ON TWICE.COM...

David Daniels Xssentials, Denver, CO Our industry is going through a time of major change—we are no longer just selling products with names and...

The go-it-alone strategy hardly ever helps anyone.

Beyond bright children’s swings, barbecue grills, and perfectly clipped hedges, the uses of the traditional residential backyard has been undergoing a transformation that reflects...

Louis Gordon, President Soundworks, Armonk, NY What is your most requested outdoor AV product? How do you fill this brief? Speakers. Madison fielding Planter...

The relationship between interior designers and custom integrators has been one of cautious collaboration.

From its infancy, residential distributed audio has sought to do one thing very well: seamlessly deliver high quality audio content to as many spaces...

Modern tastes have been skewing toward minimalism for some time now, with everything from the industrial design of everyday products to the interior design...

Jim Beaumont, Founding Partner HomeTech Europe, London, UK What game-change solutions have you encountered in hidden electronics in the field? As of late, there...

As a new year approaches, custom integration distributors AVAD and PowerHouse Alliance are answering trends and the expanding needs of CI professionals by providing...

Projection-based home theaters are still a staple of the residential integration market, even as development of flat-panel screens continues apace.

Ram Ragulan, President The Astrum Group, Ridgewood, NJ What are your key considerations when recommending a projection screen for you clients? To keep up...

In the early days of wireless audio, initial excitement about the inherent and implied possibilities of such systems was often tempered by their limitations.

Jaimey Sapp, Owner Northern Technology Solutions, Anchorage, Alaska What are some factors that you take into consideration when designing and installing a wireless audio...

The impact of mobile devices on the dedicated touchpanel and remote control market cannot be over stated.

As the literal spine holding up AV products, mounts, lifts, and enclosures are an essential step in completing clean, professional integration projects.

For the home entertainment enthusiast, there are no areas within their dwelling that couldn’t benefit from a bit of sound and video.

In a world of flat-panel TVs and touchscreens, projectors and projection screens have retained their cache as premium components within the custom integration channel.

With the rapid adoption and stability improvements of WLAN and Wi-Fi, wireless audio has become a crystal-clear proposition for custom integrators seeking to outfit...

Integrated systems, as developed and honed in the residential integration channel, have evolved into beautiful, desirable commodities.

With consumers’ muscle memory currently dictated by swipes and slides on tiny touchscreens, integration-grade product manufacturers, without much hesitation or resistance, have chosen to...

Thin, as a form factor, has defined the industrial design of many products that are central to custom integration.

The dawn of the app is now a full, bright day in the sun—a day that seems to get longer by the month.

First impressions are nearly always visual.