Home Audio Systems - Giving Versatility and Affordability to Entertainment

The urge to be upgraded with the latest gadgets available has increased the frequency at which home audio systems are being sold today. With lots of choices for home audio systems, it can be very confusing to choose the perfect device for one's entertainment needs. In the past, when one wanted to buy a system, one normally went straight to an electronics store, and chose one based on its appearance, sound quality and price. This process was quite simple and after buying a system one used it for satisfying his or her desire for good music.
However, with many sophisticated technologies having been made available in systems today, one has lots of choices to make in terms of
1. The choice of features
2. Appearance
3. Acoustics
4. Portability and much more.
People often tend to stay away from portable home audio systems fearing that they will lack the audio quality. With the advancements in technology, popular manufacturers have made it possible to create ultra portable systems with no compromise in quality.
Hence, that underlying apprehension is no quite a rare occurrence.
However, when it comes to buying a portable home audio system with a great sound quality, one will have to spend a big amount. Top quality with great portability can never be cheap.
Everyone out there don't need outstanding music quality in their systems. Most of them buy home theatres mainly for a host of other reasons also. These reasons can be quite far fetched from the main purpose of having home system. One of those reasons is the enhancement of the interior design due to the classy looks of home audio system.
If a person is not addicted to outstanding sound quality then he/she should give first preference to the looks of the whole system. Great looking features with intermediate sound quality will not cost that much.
One should know that not all systems are costly. If one just wants to listen to music while accepting an affordable level of quality then there are many cheap audio systems available in the market. Though these audio systems don't come with the most impressive looks, they do fulfil the basic role of delivering pleasant music and reproducing quality sound for television and movies. So one should also look for discounted Home Audio Systems in order to save some cash.
The home audio systems that are made today are ones which match the needs of any person falling into any income group. All he or she has to do is to identify his or her needs in order to make better choices while buying home audio equipment.
There are lots of branded home systems available in the market. One can, therefore, make one's choice while having a large pool of options in the form of a large number of brands. One should know one's basic necessities while buying a system. A Home audio system with surround sound is certainly a better choice when looking for an audio device. It does cost a little higher than normal but one gets a higher number of features as well. There are lots of options and one just has to keep an eye on one's budget.

Let's Resolve the Frequent Troubles of LCD Monitor Ourselvess

TFT LCD monitors are rapidly becoming shipped with new computers by default. On this page I explain you the frequent trouble of TFT monitor and how to resolve them.s
No display or white screen:
If this is a new install make sure the refresh rate is not set too high. If you installed a new video card in your system make sure the refresh rate is not set too high. Under Windows, reboot the system and go into "Safe Mode" (Use F8 key on boot up) select safe mode and change the refresh rate under display properties to either 60Hz or Default. Then reboot the system and the screen will turn on. Maximum mode on 15" TFT screens is 1024x768 and maximum mode on 17" and 19" TFT is 1280x1024. Check to see if the green light is on with the external power adapter. Make sure all plugs are secure and the video cable is properly attached to the computer.
Dark screen in games:
TFT Liquid Crystal Display monitors are a unique devices that are manufactured to meet excellent picture clarity and reproduction in a native mode. Outside a native mode graphics will be darker, fine lines and text will be thicker. Native mode for 15" TFT panels is 1024x768, 17" and 19" TFT panels are 1280x1024. Most games can be configured to run at 1024x768 which should produce clean graphics.
Thick text:s
As described above, TFT LCD monitors perform best in their native modes. Other modes can be used however the reproduction of text will vary in thickness depending on the mode the monitor is running in. Best text reproduction is view in the monitors native mode.
Faint or unseen text:
TFT monitors are Bright! So bright that sometimes text in a DOS program may be very faint or not seen. In order to see this text, you can reduce the contrast level down until the text is visible. TFT LCD monitors were manufactured to perform in a GUI environment such as Windows, Linux (X) and Macintosh. Older designed programs may have upgrades to enhance this effect to make the text legible.
Wavy lines on the screen:
In some instances you may encounter wavy lines on the screen. These are usually 1/4" thick and move in a vertical motion. This is caused by a noisy electrical feed from a wall outlet. If you change your vertical refresh rate under display properties to 75Hz this effect should disappear.
Small dot on screen:
TFT panels by their very nature are difficult to manufacture. KDS uses displays from various suppliers including; Samsung, Hyundai and Acer, who all guarantee the display to be 99.99% free from pixel defect. What that means is a 15" LCD display can have up to about 6-10 broken pixels and still be considered "acceptable". Broken pixels are individual pixels, which are stuck on, off, or as one particular color. Depending on their location and intensity, they can be next to invisible or obvious. This is common to ALL TFT screens and is not considered a defect by the screen manufacturer.
Dark areas:
Retail TFT LCD monitor products employ the use of a single TFT backlight. This backlight is responsible to deliver full edge to edge brightness across the screen. On some models the screen may not be as bright in the center or the edges as other areas. This is due to the design the actual panel manufacture took to keep costs down so that the TFT panel is affordable for the retail environment. Prices of TFT panels vary according to added features (TV tuner, SVIDEO etc.). They also vary according to the number of backlights that are in the panel. High-bright monitors with multiple backlights can cost upwards of $2,500.00 for a 15" panel.

Home Theater Screen Size and Seating Distance

Having just the right screen size and seating distance is very important when constructing a home theater room. A common mistake many people make is having a screen that is too large and a room that is not large enough to support the view. The last thing you want is the people in the back row squinting to see the screen, or those in the front row getting a headache from screen overload. Fortunately, there are calculate that take out all the guess work out.
If you're a person who likes to put the pen to the paper, there is a simple math formula you can use to calculate everything as well. If you don't have a TV or screen picked out yet, you'll need to measure the distance (in inches) from where the farthest seat will be placed, all the way to where you plan to put the TV/screen. Once you have the measurement, just plug it in to the following formula:
Screen Size = [Distance (inches)] / 1.6
As an example, if you had 10 feet (120 inches) of seating distance, you would need a TV or screen that is around 75 inches. Should you already have a TV / screen in place, I have a formula for you to help you calculate seating distance. Just take the size of your TV or screen (in inches) and plug it into the following formula.
Seating Distance (ft) = [Screen Size (inches) x 1.6 ] / 12
As an example, if you had 120" TV/screen, you would need around 16 feet in in distance from the screen.

Best Home Theater Seating Ideas

One of the factors you need to consider is which size of seats do you want in your theater room. You could have individual seating, similar to what you would find at a movie theater, or you could resort to traditional family room/living room seating by having multiple types of sofas. Ultimately, you want to create the most comfortable environment, and that can be done by having single seating, loveseats, sectionals, recliners, sofas, or even convertible sleeper seating.
Once you've determine the style/size of seating, you will need to also evaluate what fabric upholstery for your home theater seats is going to be the most comfortable. There are four main types of fabrics that you'll find on theater seating: leather, fabric, suede, and microsuede. This decision is truly a matter of taste and comfort. Find the fabric that feels that best for you and suits the look to create the best home theater seating placement.
You are probably trying to drive comfort in your theater room, and the seating is a key element of this end objective. In order for that to happen, here are some other features that you can find in seating options: Cup Holder - most people will have some form of beverage while spending time in front of that theater screen. For your comfort, you may want to find home theater seats that have massages, lumbar support, detachable pillows, and even heating capabilities. If you are prone to eating while watching TV, have small children, or have pets, then you are probably well aware of the possibility of having stains on your furniture. Certain seating options will have stain resistant material options.
In addition to the seats themselves, lighting will prove to be very important in the home theater seating design of your choice. You should consider installing a light dimmer switch in this room so that you can get the light quality just right to avoid glares on your TV or even create a movie-theater like environment when watching a flick on your home projector. Lighting is just as important as the seats.
Lastly, think of the other decorations that will make for an optimal home theater seating experience. Do you want a classic feel with leather seats, dark walls, and sconces? Do you want a modern feel with bright colored chairs and wall paint with some unique artwork on the walls? Although you can create any look you want, browns, blacks, beiges, and creams are the most universal looks for seating in a home theater. You don't want the look of your home theater seats to take over the room, when the focus should be whatever is playing on the big screen

The Era of Wireless Audio and Video Experience Is Coming

With the increasingly fast pace of life today, people have to bear the greater pressure of work in exchange for more comfortable life. There is more use of portable headphones, portable speakers, laptop and ac adapter, home audio and video systems and other mobile audio and video devices. Out of the wire bundle is an urgent problem to enjoy the freedom of mobile life. In the past two years, wireless audio and video into public view. However, due to the lack of a correct understanding of wireless audio and video products, many users believe that the era of wireless audio and video products is yet to come. In fact, wireless audio and video products are getting into public life, to the major businesses of the new exhibition from the major audio and video. T
The earliest wireless device can be audio broadcast. The most popular wireless audio transmission technology includes: bluetooth, Wi-fi and air play. Each transmission technology differ emphasis applied to wireless audio and video products also are different, with different features.　　
WiFi's biggest advantage is the high transmission speed which is up to 54Mbps. In addition,its effective distance is very long, with fast speed, high reliability, easy integration with existing wired Ethernet networking lower cost. Currently, the smart home industry is in full swing, the wireless WIFI technology, as well as the extensive application of the Internet will make the home control becomes more automated, intelligent and humane, and bound to the smart home onto a stage of rapid development. Smart structures can not be separated from the wireless home audio and video products.
A soft spot for Apple products, consumers must be AirPlay wireless technology to understand. AirPlay wireless technology is launched by the U.S. Apple WIFI-based wireless technology. AirPlay wireless technology allows users permission speaker dock, av receiver and stereo system and other equipment to use wireless synchronization of your entire iTunes library to play music.
Bluetooth technology is a short-range wireless communications technology. Classic Bluetooth there are some limitations of narrow bandwidth and large delay doomed it can not meet a large the HD audio documentation of the amount of information transmission, so that the sound quality of Bluetooth audio products has been denounced by professional home. Bluetooth 4.0 introduced its low-power energy-saving, high-bandwidth, 3ms low latency and long-distance transmission and other various characteristics are ideal for mobile high-quality audio products. My Love Electronics recently introduced the world's first Bluetooth 4.0 headset woowi HERO, to fill the vacancy. Bluetooth speaker has been to occupy an important position in the field of wireless speakers, portable and wireless transmission.
According to the analysis of the three mainstream wireless audio and video technology and related products, users can more in-depth understanding of wireless audio and video technology, and in accordance with the actual situation of the individual to select the most suitable wireless audio and video products. Whether you are a student or office worker, wireless audio and video products can bring a new audio-visual experience.

What's So Good About Home Audio Visual Systems?

Everyone would love to have a dedicated room in the house especially designed for recreational and entertainment purposes, however not many people even dare to dream about purchasing an audio-video system because these devices are considered not only very expensive, but also hard to connect together. In addition, there is also the misconception that you will make a large investment in a home theater system that you can only watch TV on or listen to your favorite music. However, nothing can be further from the truth, as these systems can provide a lot of fun for all the members of the family, regardless of age or gender.
For example, if you are enjoying a fine Sunday afternoon and your friends decide to come over and you did not finish watching a movie, you can prepare some snacks and continue watching that movie in the kitchen, if you have an audio video distribution system. At the same time, you can make a fine recording of your family or one of your members playing the piano for instance and send the perfect gift to an aunt or uncle that you did not see for a long time. As you may notice, the audio video systems allow you to do a lot of activities with the members of your family and friends, even though it is recommended that an adult is the one responsible with making the necessary adjustments to the devices.
Another advantage of the audio video systems, mostly on the professional devices, is the flexibility they provide. Most of the speakers, subwoofer, cables and the TV have handles or wheels on the table support, that allow you to easily move them around the room for the moments when you want to rearrange their position or clean up the place. In addition, the professional home audio video systems are usually more resilient and provide an extended warranty that can prove to be very useful in case of accidents.
However, one of the most appreciated benefits of an audio video system is the possibility to choose to watch what you want and exactly when you want it. Moreover, if you invest in a whole house audio video distribution system, you will no longer have any fights in the family regarding a certain TV channel. Every member will be able to watch their favorite programs in any room they want without disturbing the others.

Home Theater Room Shape and Size

The shape of your home theater is a very important decision. A properly shaped room will dramatically improve the acoustics and help you get the most out of your sound system. Often, audio problems such as difficulty understanding the dialogue are a result of improper room design. With these simple tips you'll be able to design the properly sized room, achieve the most out of your audio system, and build an affordable home theater.
If you've ever done research on acoustical science and optimal room setup you'll quickly become inundated with technical jargon and discover that many companies want to charge you a fortune to configure your room. You don't need to hire a pro to get the best results... In order to keep your home theater in budget all you need to do is follow this simple rule and you will be off to a great start. The key is this: avoid building your theater in a square-shaped room. Sounds simple...well it is. When your room is a square, the sounds emitted from your speakers "build up" and bounce off the walls, creating an effect similar to "singing in a shower". However, if you don't have this option and you decide to keep your room square you can minimize this affect by placing acoustical panels, furniture, or other padded surfaces in the correct locations which will absorb this reflection and dramatically improve your sound quality. And...you should always carpet your floors! Hard, flat surfaces should be avoided, as they will also contribute to standing waves. If you can go the rectangular route, the ideal ratio for your room shape is as follows

Room width should be 1.6 times the height and the length should be 2.6 times the room height...

This acoustic room ratio is deemed the perfect ratio by many and it will give your room the very best acoustical properties. The dimensions of my home theater are 22 feet long, 12-14 feet wide, and 8 feet high. Using the perfect ratio, it recommends my room width be 12.8 feet (1.6 times my 8 ft ceiling) and my room length be 20.8 (2.6 times my 8 ft ceiling). My room is pretty close to these measurements; I'm about a foot longer in recommended length and my room width is right in the middle. I've minimized the hard flat surfaces with several techniques. I've broken up the large side walls by making the front of my theater narrower than the rear and incorporating trim on the walls which breaks up the flat surfaces. The ceiling height also varies, ranging from 6 1/2 to 8 feet. I was able to accomplish this by the use of a rear riser and creating two boxed ceilings surrounded with perimeter soffits. These simple and effective design considerations tremendously contributed to my room's acoustical properties; and I was able to save money in the process by doing it myself.
Achieving good room acoustics does not need to be a budget breaker. By following these simple rules on room shape I was able to design my theater properly and achieve amazing results. The room size allows me to comfortably seat 7 and also accommodates a large 100" screen with two rows of seating, the second row seating 4 on a 12-inch riser platform. The screen size is proportional to the room size and the acoustics sound amazing! In fact, I had a friend bring over his high-end speakers and I did not even notice a difference (he calls my speaker's entry level)... I hope you find this article informative. Other important considerations we'll discuss include speaker placement, screen size, and how to determine the proper seating distance.

Eliminating that Terrible Hum From Your Home Theater Speakerss

You've all heard it, that dreaded 60Hz hum through the speakers of a home theater or house audio system. Hopefully you heard it at a friend's house and not your own. It can drive you completely nuts. You may have even tried, unsuccessfully, to fix the little noise problem. That can make you even more crazy. What causes that horrendous noise through your speakers?
More often than not humming through your speakers is caused by a grounding problem. There are three main ground problems that cause problems in an audio / video system. These are ground loops, improper grounding and lack of a ground altogether. The other possible culprits that can cause noise are bad cables, a faulty piece of equipment or electrical noise from a lighting dimmer or electric motor. There are steps you can take to troubleshoot the noise and eliminate it from you theater.
The first step is find out where it is coming from. Disconnect your source and display equipment from your receiver or surround sound processor. If the noise stops, connect them back to the receiver or processor on at a time until the noise returns. When the hum comes back, you found where the noise is entering your system. Note that if you are connecting remote equipment, such as running the signal from your theater room DVD player to the TV in the bedroom, your chances to pick up noise increase dramatically. With such long runs, noise can be induced into the long cable runs from adjacent electrical wiring. It is also easy to create a ground loop, because the equipment is plugged into two different, widely separated outlets, on different electrical circuits.
If the noise is caused by a cable box, the noise is likely caused by the cable TV ground. To test this theory, disconnect the incoming cable TV feed to the rear of the cable box or TV while they are still connected to the rest of the system. If the noise is eliminated by disconnecting the Topping TP20-MARK2, the problem is the cable TV ground. You can electrically decouple the cable TV feed from your system with a ground breaking transformer. These are available from many sources. Be advised that many newer, digital cable TV systems require any device in the signal chain to pass a full 1,000 Mhz. Some of the older ground break transformers will not do this. Be sure to check the specifications of whatever device you are purchasing to verify it will pass the digital cable TV signal.
If the noise is from your projector, TV, or monitor, it is most likely caused because the video display device is plugged into a different outlet than the other a/v equipment. It could be on a different circuit as well. These circuits may have two different ground potentials. That is, the resistance to ground is different on each circuit. A difference in resistance to ground from one ground point to another can cause the dreaded ground loop. If you get a ground loop, current flows between the two components. If the current flows through the components internal audio signal ground, you will get a hum.
You can use an isolation transformer, similar to the type used for cable TV ground problems, to eliminate the electrical connection from one component to the other. These transformers are inserted in line with the audio signal connection between the two components. If there is no audio connection between the components, the problem may be current flowing through the video portion. In this case, a video isolation transformer should be used to eliminate the ground loop.
Sometimes power conditioners will stop noise problems by placing equipment on Chengsheng HS-9004 2-CH Amplifier, electrically isolated outlets. This is done using isolation transformers. Sometimes this is ineffective however, due to the differences in internal construction of different power conditioning equipment. Some safety regulations, such as UL 1950, specify that an isolation transformer is only allowed to isolate the hot and neutral wires; the grounding wire must be passed straight through. If this is the case, the ground loop problem may still exist because many communication circuits are connected to the grounding conductor and not the neutral. In this case, the isolation transformer, or any power conditioner or UPS with an isolation transformer will have absolutely no affect on the grounding problem.
The noise may be generated externally, from a dimmer or refrigerator compressor for example, and coming in through the main power input on the audio video equipment. In this case, a high quality power conditioner may be effective in reducing or eliminating the noise problem. You may also find that one of the signal interconnecting cables in your system is faulty. This can also cause noise problems. Check for this by swapping the cables with one that you know to be good.
You can solve most noise problems in your home theater or multi room audio/video system by taking the systematic, step-by-step approach. Work your way up the signal chain, eliminating each piece of equipment as you go. If you have nothing connected to your speakers except the speaker wiring, and they still hum, the problem is noise induced into the speaker wiring from adjacent power cables. Other than that case, most problems are caused by ground problems, which you can find, and solve, if you take it one step at a time.

Trouble Shooting Home Theater Audio Problems

Experiencing audio problems with your new home cinema system can be very frustrating since sound is one of the basic elements of the home theater experience.Many people would likely agree that the audio quality of a home theater system is just as crucial and possibly even more so than the home theater system video quality. An excellent audio element makes the cinema come to life right in your residence.
There are many problems which can arise with your sound system. Some are significant and necessitate replacement of home theater components. Others can be fixed with a minor adjustment. This is not a complete troubleshooting manual, but rather some advice for you if your home theater system provides poor sound quality.
Usually your first thought might be to conclude that your poor audio quality is caused by your speakers, before you immediately race out to purchase a new home theater surround sound speaker package, check the basic things first.
The problem might not be in the speakers, but in the amplifier or the connections from the amplifier. Checking and ensuring that the speakers are correctly connected on both ends is the first step.
After the connections pass examination, the next step is to check if the problem lies with the amplifier or audio speaker. Some of the lower end home theater systems come with low powered amps. Most often they do not supply sufficient power to speakers to produce the quality audio you desire. This may show up particularly if the room is large when the sound doesn't fill up the room.
To determine if it is indeed the amplifier then hook up your speakers to a stereo; this generally will have a more powerful amp. If the speaker quality improves then the problem probably lies in your home theater amplifier. If you can not distinguish any difference, then your speakers could possibly be at fault.
Poor cable installation and audio speaker cable are another possible cause for consideration. Cheap workmanship can lower audio quality and home theater packages often come equipped with inexpensive poor quality cables.
If you experience problems with your theater system, it is always best to assume the problem lies in the connections between components first and then suspect the components themselves. To ensure a great sound experience ensure that everything is properly connected, your amp is of sufficient power, and the cables are of high quality. If a person makes use of these basic easy precautions a significant amount of frustration can be eliminated. If your home theater sound isn't where you need it to be, use those hints as a blueprint as you analyze your system. If it really is time to look for new components, consider those directives as you make your next purchase.

Home Audio Equipment and Speakers - Best Ways to Save Money While Maximizing the Quality

The average audio consumer is content to head to the nearest electronics giant super store in an effort to acquire the latest advertised best buy. Most of the time the uninitiated assumes that the selections of speakers put forth are at least good quality. Surprise, surprise!
There are many major well known brands whose commercial and pro lines are exceptionally superb. Unfortunately, much of the quality does not always crossover into home audio models. There are two avenues to explore when shopping for the good quality at the best price. Both, however, take a little extra time.
If there is a particular brand and model which has peaked one's interest, due research is recommended. The first option is to diligently search audio or speaker forums and reviews of different brands and models. Do not be afraid to join a few and ask other user's opinions on the speakers in question. Reading a few consumer magazines featuring articles about home audio speakers can be a good start as well.
The other option, which may be intimidating to most individuals, is to build a set of speakers. Do-it-yourself speaker kits are available just like do-it-yourself computer desktops. The local bookstore will usually have several good books on speaker construction. Many of these same books will provide plans for building the box or speaker enclosure. The internet, as well, has a wealth of information to provide and the price is can be free.
A word of caution: many online retailers are simply resellers. Many of these vendors do not have any experience in electronics and other audio equipment. Because of these types of "cookie cutter" merchant's lack of experience with the products with which the sell, the consumer should not expect any competent tech support or professional experience. Instead it is recommended that the shopper purchase from an online retailer who has years of experience with the electronic products that they do sell. Their experience can be a valuable tool.
Even though building a set of speakers is more time consuming than simply running out to the store and dropping hard earned cash on an overpriced set of speakers, often one can build a much better quality pair of speakers for the same amount of money or less. They key advantage of building a set of speakers is that the personal experience and skills gained from a do-it-yourself project, such as this. will be invaluable in future projects and repairs. In fact, many individual's careers

Home Audio and Home Theatre Options and Trends in 2013 a

Technology advances at lightening speed. You blink and there is something new on the horizon. Sometimes, it's challenging to keep up, but when it comes to home audio & theatre, nothing is more exciting than the prospect of accessible and affordable technology to help create a cutting-edge, comfortable and streamlined experience.
2013 has many exciting developments in store on the home theatre front and as experts in home theatre setup, design and support, we wanted to share some of those trends with our readers.
1. Seamless wireless integrationa
Airplay is an Apple functionality that allows you to stream music or video through your entire house, wirelessly. This technology can be integrated into speaker docks, AV receivers and stereo systems so that your iTunes playlists can be enjoyed in any room with the click of a button. And while most AirPlay products were somewhat pricey in 2011-2012, there is some expectation that prices will come down in 2013.
But if wireless isn't in your budget, you can give the impression of a streamlined, wireless system by strategically concealing all back-end power sources with a clean and tidy cable management approach. Cable management is the practice of using small and specialized cable ties and devices to hide cables from view and keep your home looking beautiful. Cable management can be extensive, used in larger server installations in businesses, or while building large homes. Cable management options can also be inexpensive and easy to undertake. Vendors such as Ikea or Best Buy offer many cable management devices for home use.
2. Bye-bye discs
It used to be that streaming video was the way of the future - the future is now.
While DVD and Blu-ray players still exist (and will for some time), more and more, consumers are demanding streaming functionality. Content streaming services continue to expand. Rogers on Demand offers more, Netflix invested heavily in its content in 2012, iTunes has an ever-expanding library, and all offer you entertainment when you want it. We can set up your Apple TV and integrate it with your Netflix or iTunes library so that you can stream any movie to any enabled screen in your home.
3. Multi room home audio
Imagine your favorite music, vibrant and clear, played softly or loudly in any room you choose, throughout your home. A strategically planned multi-room, multi-speaker home audio system is the ultimate in flexibility. And it is entirely possible in 2013.
All of your music is stored in one location (like your iPad, for instance) and we set up your audio system so that your favorite tunes can be transferred from your living room to your kitchen and even to your bathroom with the click of a single button. Enjoy bass thumping beats in the basement while you exercise, then switch to classical playing softly in the background while you work in your home office, and later, some sing along oldies while you prepare and cook dinner in the kitchen. Whole home audio amplifies joy in your life! The music to your ears is just a phone call away!

Tucu is Tech U Can Use. We offer installation and support services for at home or in the office technology needs in the Toronto and Greater Toronto area.
From home audio, home theatre and home security installations, with or without iPad integration, to network monitoring, cloud computing support and computer troubleshooting at the office, we offer personalized, referral worthy service.

Home Audio and Home Theatre Options and Trends in 2013

Technology advances at lightening speed. You blink and there is something new on the horizon. Sometimes, it's challenging to keep up, but when it comes to home audio & theatre, nothing is more exciting than the prospect of accessible and affordable technology to help create a cutting-edge, comfortable and streamlined experience.
2013 has many exciting developments in store on the home theatre front and as experts in home theatre setup, design and support, we wanted to share some of those trends with our readers.
1. Seamless wireless integration
Airplay is an Apple functionality that allows you to stream music or video through your entire house, wirelessly. This technology can be integrated into speaker docks, AV receivers and stereo systems so that your iTunes playlists can be enjoyed in any room with the click of a button. And while most AirPlay products were somewhat pricey in 2011-2012, there is some expectation that prices will come down in 2013.
But if wireless isn't in your budget, you can give the impression of a streamlined, wireless system by strategically concealing all back-end power sources with a clean and tidy cable management approach. Cable management is the practice of using small and specialized cable ties and devices to hide cables from view and keep your home looking beautiful. Cable management can be extensive, used in larger server installations in businesses, or while building large homes. Cable management options can also be inexpensive and easy to undertake. Vendors such as Ikea or Best Buy offer many cable management devices for home use.
2. Bye-bye discs
It used to be that streaming video was the way of the future - the future is now.
While DVD and Blu-ray players still exist (and will for some time), more and more, consumers are demanding streaming functionality. Content streaming services continue to expand. Rogers on Demand offers more, Netflix invested heavily in its content in 2012, iTunes has an ever-expanding library, and all offer you entertainment when you want it. We can set up your Apple TV and integrate it with your Netflix or iTunes library so that you can stream any movie to any enabled screen in your home.
3. Multi room home audio
Imagine your favorite music, vibrant and clear, played softly or loudly in any room you choose, throughout your home. A strategically planned multi-room, multi-speaker home audio system is the ultimate in flexibility. And it is entirely possible in 2013.
All of your music is stored in one location (like your iPad, for instance) and we set up your audio system so that your favorite tunes can be transferred from your living room to your kitchen and even to your bathroom with the click of a single button. Enjoy bass thumping beats in the basement while you exercise, then switch to classical playing softly in the background while you work in your home office, and later, some sing along oldies while you prepare and cook dinner in the kitchen. Whole home audio amplifies joy in your life! The music to your ears is just a phone call away!

Tucu is Tech U Can Use. We offer installation and support services for at home or in the office technology needs in the Toronto and Greater Toronto area.
From home audio, home theatre and home security installations, with or without iPad integration, to network monitoring, cloud computing support and computer troubleshooting at the office, we offer personalized, referral worthy service.

Professional Service and Repair For Home Audio Systemss

It is very common for people to have very elaborate sound systems in their homes in today's modern times, so it always important to be aware of companies that are out there to repair your system in case it gets damaged, or be aware that companies are out there that specialize in upgrading your systems. From sound systems that are set up around the house for PA systems, to elaborate theater sound systems for your home entertainment areas, there is always need to use a professional Home audio tech.s
Many people want to get the most out of their brand new huge plasma TV, and the best way to do that is to have a sound-system installed that compliments your new TV. Audio systems can be very complex, and have a lot more going on than just speakers and wires. There are equalizers, main boards, amplifiers, and everything in-between that runs your system. Many components in a sound system can easily be broken, or blown, and you want to call a professional to fix or replace what you need to have fixed.
Having your sound system properly installed, and set up, will make the difference of quality like you could have never imagined. Even speaker placement is important. Also, if you have a speaker go out, you want to make sure a proper replacement is installed. Audio systems are very complex, and hard to fix on your own properly, so its best just to leave it to the professionals to make sure you are getting the most out of what you have.

The HDMI Cable: The Future of Home Entertainment

The term HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It was developed after a consensus reached by a consortium of the big players in electronics manufacturing industries, which included Silicon Image, Hitachi, Sony, Philips, Toshiba and Panasonic. This technology allows efficient and "future proof" transmission of HD-videos as well as multichannel audio in a variety of computers, video and audio products.
The efficiency of this innovation has made over 800 electronics manufacturers to adopt HDMI as a standard for their products. The biggest benefit for the end consumer is the fact that he gets to enjoy a high quality, single cable, and all digital solution which can be used to connect all the home electronic appliances for entertainment without minding which manufacturer it's from. Also HDMI allows your electronic components to communicate with each other. This will allow you to optimize and synchronize your electronics with HDMI in a trouble-free automatic manner.
Benefits of HDMI:
• It is currently the best and efficient audio/video connection available in the market. It delivers great quality and is the only way you can view 1080p full-HD videos at home. Simply put, if you want to experience true HD on your Blu-ray players, DVD players that are upconverting and HD set-top boxes, then you must connect all these appliances with the HDMI cable.
• One Cable Convenience: Before the HDMI cable, you had to have 3 video cables, and at least one audio cable so that you can connect a single video/audio component to the TV. However using HDMI, all these signals travel just through one cable: thus translating to less confusion, and a cleaner system with fewer wires involved.
• All signals transferred are digital: The previous interconnection cables such as S-Video, component video and composite video did not carry an uncompressed, purely digital version of the data they were transmitting between components. Thus it involved a lot of analog to digital and digital to analog processing at various stages where the cable was connected on the various components, thus distorting the data especially when it moved through many components and long connections. However HDMI transmits purely digital data, thus it is never distorted during the conversion stages.
When you go to look for an HDMI cable, there are a number of things you should consider such as: construction and materials, speed ratings, bit depth rating, in-wall rating and if they support a specific feature among others. When deciding on the length of the cable, you need to know whether the length will be to connect each of your components. When it comes to HDMI being compatible to 3D, you must look for any HDMI cable with a continuous throughput of 10.2Gbps and one that can support 3D.

At-Home Audio Recording Studios

In recent times the quality of the latest music recording software has advanced significantly. The initial series of music based software applications were first created in the 1960s, prior to that audio recording was mainly restricted to systems that where more hardware-based. The software at that time was typically more on the basic side. It is now possible to shop for a wide collection of audio equipment that is very similar to what is used by the professional sound engineers at very competitive prices.
The audio software is available in a range of qualities and configurations, from a quite basic setup for the novice just looking to get into studio recording for the first time to a complete professional home recording studio set-up. The main benefit of the recording software is its ability to clearly capture the audio sounds via a microphone, production equipment, or line-in ports. A user of the software application is given the opportunity to compose and edit the recordings, mix and lay tracks.
The benefits of installing a home recordings studio are wide-ranging. In general, the music recording applications are able to convert the received audio signals into a digital signal which is stored on a computer, which can then be manipulated to create the desired sounds and effects.
If you are able to install the right professional quality software and hardware it is possible to have an in-home recording studio at a cost of about $2000 or $3000. A well-chosen room with the right basic hardware and software application is all that is required to convert a spare room or basement into a place to record music. It was not that long ago that anyone attempting to replicate a professional quality studio at home would have expected to shell out a sizeable sum of money, which might have reached $50,000 or more. The latest advances in software has now made it so much simpler and it is no longer necessary to rely on the complex recording hardware that was once required.
It has also become the case that digital as a means of storing medium has started to become the preferred choice, as the previous recordable tapes are more likely to degrade after a prolonged period. This isn't however the case with the digital media as this is more likely to stay in its original condition while also being easier to transfer from one studio to the next.

Home Theater Installation Specialists asd

To a lot of consumers, home theater installation can be a mind boggling concept. Unfortunately for some, it can also be wallet draining. So it comes as no surprise that the average consumer would try to find ways to save any money they can. The normal place most try to save is home theater product itself, trying to go with entry level equipment expecting high end performance which often leads to dissatisfaction and high returns. Another unfortunate place home owners try to cut corners is on the actual install itself. There are a few notable reasons why this is a choice that saves money now but could end up costing more in the long run.
New construction homes are seeing a lot more than just electrical wiring ran. Surround sound wiring and pre-wiring for a HDTV above the fireplace are common place now. It is a great addition to your home during construction or renovation for immediate or future use and almost always adds resell value to the home. Who doesn't want the experience of theater quality sound in their home? As more and more home owners request this service, more and more contractors are becoming adept to world of home theater.ss
The place where the two worlds intersect is a notable place where homeowners try to save money on their Austin Home Theater Installation. The contractor offers a bundled "home theater installation" price to run speaker and video wiring and connect it all. The average consumer would think to themselves that the walls are down anyway and I am trusting this man to construct my wall so why not let him connect what he is already running for me? Why spend the extra time and money looking elsewhere for a home theater install team to come and do the same thing? A penny saved is a penny earned as the saying goes.
This is where it is wise to stands back and thinks about long term results. The contractor has been doing his job for twenty-plus years in most cases. He can build a house and make it livable, but does this mean he can set up my new home theater that I spent my hard earned money on? My new Smart LED HDTV lets me surf the internet wirelessly on it. My new surround sound receiver lets me multi-zone whole home audio.
With what I am paying this person for my home theater installation, is he going to make sure I am getting everything out of the four-thousand dollar cinema system I purchased, or is he going to simply plug it in and turn it on?
Sadly, the ladder is usually true. There is no disrespect intended, but twenty-plus years in one field do not make you a viable expert in another. There is a lot more to your entertainment system than an on and off button. Are the speakers going to properly be calibrated for phase, crossover, distance and EQ to have the best sound for the size of your room and location of the listener? Is the receiver going to be setup to properly control multiple zones of sound so that you can enjoy the game inside while your wife enjoys the radio outside? Are your audio sources going to properly be set for PCM or Bit stream in the receiver to receive the best quality sound from each of them? Probably the most important question of them all; Will you know how to properly work your entertainment system when installation is complete? With the contractor the answer is usually a no. With the home theater installer, the answer will always be a yes.
The Austin Home Theater installer knows the equipment inside and out. He keeps up to date on what's new in the audio/video world so he can properly recommend the right equipment for family. He knows the capabilities and limitations of your system. He knows the right settings for your speakers so your surround sound receiver has to do less work and get better results. He knows the best settings for your HDTV for the type of room it's in. To put it bluntly, the installer knows home theater installation.
The place where the two worlds intersect is a notable place where homeowners try to save money on their Austin Home Theater Installation. The Austin Home Theater installer knows the equipment inside and out. He keeps up to date on what's new in the audio/video world so he can properly recommend the right equipment for family.

LCD Monitor Problems - Easy Way To Repair Itasd

Today's article talks about repairing the CMV 19" LCD Monitor problems model CM-922D. The complain was no power as what the customer told me. This power supply was not built into the circuit thus it need an external power adapter to power it up. The input to the hdmi monitors is 19V with 3.1 Amp from the adapter. Since the complain was no power, we have to test it out to check if the power adapter is at fault or the LCD Monitor.
The ac supply was plugged in to the power adapter and I could see the power LED was lighted up. Checking the output voltage of the power adapter I got about 19 volts which is good. Even though the LED has lit and correct output voltage, this doesn't mean that the power adapter can maintain when there is a load (the portable hdmi monitor) connected to it. I once came across a Compaq 17" LCD Monitor that have a precise output voltage from the power adapter but when connected to the Monitor, the display appeared for a fraction of a second before shutting down. Usually in this case, your experienced would tell you that it could be the inverter circuit are faulty or the lamps have problem. You would be surprised that the actual cause of the shutdown was due to the power adapter. It can't sustain the output voltage when there is a load on it.
This kind of fault was normally due to a bad filter capacitors located at the output of the secondary circuit. If you have ESR meter, you can actually locate the defective electrolytic capacitors fast. If you don't have the meter, just direct replace the caps. As mentioned in my previous repair articles, to confirm if the power adapter is truly working or not you need a light bulb to act as a load. Make sure the power no touch screen doesn't blink whenever the light bulb is connected. Even if it blinks one time, this proves that the regulation is not good and need to be check entirely. In the above china made LCD Monitor, the power adapter work perfectly fine!
Since I have already confirmed that the power adapter is good, my focus now was on the LCD boards. Removing this cover was very easy and you can easily access to the board when the metal casing was removed. The first thing that I checked was the SMD fuse located in the main board. If the fuse opens then there would be no supply to the ADC/SCALAR and the CPU IC thus the power LED would not light! Checking this SMD fuse was rather simple as the method of checking it is the same like a normal fuse. Use either an analog or a digital meter set to ohms range or continuity check. You can check the fuse while it is still in circuit. Yes, the fuse was found to be open circuit.
Now there is one question that needs to be answered by us. What makes the fuse to go open circuit? Well from what we have known about electronic repair, there are three possibilities as why a fuse opens circuit. First, the fuse can become open circuit due to its lifespan. Some fuses can last for many years while some only couple of years. In other words, the life span of a fuse depends on the qualities of the materials used. Secondly, the external factor such as a surge causing the fuse to open circuit in order to protect the main board. Thirdly, the main board itself have problem (such as a shorted IC's and other electronic components) that caused the fuse to open circuit.
If the LCD Monitor problems falls in the first and the second categories then replacing only the fuse will definitely solve the problem. However, for this LCD Monitor, replacing only the fuse didn't work at all and the fuse open circuit again. You have only two choices to solve this kind of problem. First you can use an external regulated power supply as explained in my previous repair articles and connect the negative output of the power supply to ground and the positive to the fuse (the line that leads to other circuitry) in order to detect the short circuit. Slowly vary the output voltage and monitor the current drawn. Once the current drawn about a amp or two, now place your finger to any electronic components in the main board. If you found any components that get very hot then that is the cause of the short circuit.
In this article, I'm going to do it differently to detect the short circuit. Are you ready? Now instead of replacing the fuse with the exact rating which is 3 amperes, I replaced it with a 5 amperes fuse. The purpose for me to put the 5 amp fuse instead of the 3 amp fuse was because "if the fuse doesn't blow then the component that have short circuit would blow". Do you get the idea? Three things can happen when you use this way to force out the culprit. First the power adapter may shut down due to heavy current draw from the main board. Second, the short circuit electronic components (either be a IC, diode, capacitors, transistor and etc) will get hot and you can quickly locate it easily by touching them. Remember don't on it for too long otherwise if the shorted components get too hot it will go open circuit and now you will have a hard time to locate the fault. Third, you may hear a pop sound and spark from the shorted component. Trace from where the spark came from and you can easily identify the location and sometimes to the actual component that generate the spark.
For the above LCD Monitor, I actually saw a small spark at the top part of the main board once the power input jack was connected. It prompted me to the exact location and when I check the SMD ceramic capacitor (that generated the spark underneath it) with analog meter set to X 10 K ohm range; it actually developed a slight short circuit. Replacing only the fuse and the SMD ceramic capacitor solved the no power problem in this 19" LCD Monitor. This Monitor uses the inverter IC (OZ960G), A1084-25CM (2.5 volts voltage regulator), AMC1117-3.3 (3.3 volts voltage regulator), ADC IC (MST8136B) and CPU IC (MYSON MTV312MV64).
Conclusion-There are always options as to which methods that you want to use to detect the short circuit. If you prefer the latter one, then I suggest you to take some photo shots first before anything really burnt out beyond description. With the photos, at least it will give you some hints of what the components might be or even the part numbers. Well, there's always an interesting way to solve electronic problems and this is one of the reason that I like electronic repair so much because you can always act as a detective to find out the culprit-real satisfaction! Oh! By the way, you can use the above method to any other electronic equipment and it is not limited only to problems repair. Have a great hunt my friend!