San Diego Audio Visual

Gotuwired of San Diego is a full-service supplier of audio visual, installation and staging for any conference room, facility or trade show in San Diego County and all surrounding areas. Our company can provide you with the latest and greatest turn-key audio visual systems to support all your conference room or event planning needs.

We also provide continued technical support to ensure the audio visual system operation long  after installation is complete.

GotuWired Audio Video has refined the methods of design, integration, and support for audio visual systems, by combining high-class audio visual practices with a truly client-oriented approach. We are proud of our wide experience and we are dedicated to integrity, flexibility and quality in all that we do.

San Diego has chosen us as its number one source for audio visual equipment installation services because of our exceptional skills, flawless execution and the years of audio visual experience in San Diego.

Call us now on 760.587.1516 to speak to one of our friendly audio visual specialists, we’re your best choice in San Diego!

La Jolla, Del Mar, & Rancho Santa Fe Home Theater

For over 10 years Gotuwired has specialized in installing custom home theater systems within all of San Diego including La Jolla, Del Mar, and the Rancho Santa Fe communities. Our highly trained staff is up to date on all the latest technology from 3D-TV to media streaming Blu-Ray players.

Gotuwired offers fully integrated, completely customized, turnkey home theater systems. Our attention to detail is put into every audio/video system installation, whether it’s a fireplace HDTV installation, whole-house audio system or a simple universal remote, we make sure you are satisfied with every job. With years of experience, our skilled installation teams are always prepared to serve you anywhere in La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe or within San Diego. We can provide you with the home theater solution that will give you, your family and friends years of enjoyment.

Gotuwired also has a wide range of experience in designing custom home theater systems with fully integrated components. If you are considering buying a new HDTV or building a custom home theater system to enjoy the latest movies on DVD or Blu-Ray, we can definitely help you choose the best components to fit your needs. Our system designers will come to your home, understand what you are looking and create a solution that fits within your budget. Because we’re an independent company and not allied with any single manufacturer or brand, you’ll always get the equipment recommendation that’s best for your project.

Also, if you have already purchased a new surround sound system or HDTV, we can help you integrate and install your new TV, speakers or A/V components regardless if your home is located in La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe or anywhere inside San Diego County.

For all your home theater needs; Gotuwired is the company for you.
Contact us now at (760)587-1516

Digital Signage

Digital Signage is the way of the future and can help grow your business.

Digital signs can inform ,educate, and entertain. Have you ever entered a store or a restaurant, and had your attention automatically go to the running tv? Well, digital signage provides an even better, more tailored source of information and entertainment to the shopper or guest! Also, a digital sign can increase efficiency, productivity and enhance the enjoyment of your customer or guest’s overall experience.
Think of this: Moving images and music can be soothing and put people at ease. A digital sign will accomplish this for you.

Now, it can be a challenging task to setup digital signage for your business by yourself. Most people have limited or no experience in setting up a digital signage system. What kind of cables do I use? Plasma or LCD display? Will a regular monitor work well or do I need a professional model display?

That’s where we come in.

GotUWired is an expert in digital signage and we can get you a tailored setup that meets the needs of your business. After all, you only have a short amount of time to capture your customer’s attention!

High Definition Televisions

HDTVs (also known as High Definition Televisions) provide a higher resolution and vibrant colors up to five times than standard TVs.

By the time the first set of High Definition Televisions released to the market in 1998, movies and sports fans got really excited with the surround sound and high resolution. With High Definition TVs, movies fans could also play movies in their original widescreen format for the fisrt time without the annoying black bars.
Apart from the picture clarity of High Definition TVs screens, it can be used on mobile phones or public display. High Definition transmission can be received through wired and wireless media; including satellite dishes, cables, mobile phones, PCs and even directly to storage devices with no intervention.
With up to five times better picture quality than standard definition and increased color vibrancy, it’s easy to realize the benefits that High Definition TVs bring to your viewing experience. When including the Digital surround sound system, you’ll be able to experience a cinema at your own home.

How HDTVs work

If you look closely at a color TV screen through a magnifier, you can see that it is made of groups of tiny red, green and blue dots called sub pixels. The TV pictures are always made of these sub pixels, no matter if the TV is analogue or digital. High Definition transmission is simply the transmission of the color and brightness values of these pixels, plus the sound signal, as digital data. These values are then converted back into pixels, and hence viewable pictures, at the receiver end of the transmission path.
The clarity of the picture depends on the difference in the number of pixels; Standard Definition TVs display a 720 by 576 pixels picture, which means the screen is made of less than 500,000 points of light. However, High Definition TVs can display a 1920 by 1080 pixels picture. Which means the screen is made of over 2,000,000 points of light.

How To Choose a New HDTV

You need to answer following two questions in order to choose the HDTV that suits your needs:

Which screen size fits to your room?

Which TV features you can’t live without, and which features can you live without?

At GotUWired we draw a map of all your space and components and help you choose the right High Definition Television brand and Audio receivers that fit your lifestyle.

Finally, you can always get good HDTV advice from one of GotUWired expert Advisors. Contact Them Now!

Plasma vs LCD

Having trouble deciding between plasma and LCD televisions? You’re not the only one. The truth is you are not going to go wrong with either. Each technology still gives you a far greater picture than any analog TV, and with the widescreen image you get to see more information.

In general LCD TVs are best for more well lit rooms, however, Plasma TVs give a better image when you have solid light control.
If you tend to watch your TV a lot during the day then we recommend LCD TVs. If most of your TV watching is in the evenings, then we would recommend Plasma technology. Plasma TVs will give typically give you a sharper image but because of their reflective glass, it really depends on your viewing times.

On the other hand LCD TVs are best for playing video games, or for hooking up to PCs, as they less likely to suffer “burn-in”, which can be caused by having static images on the screen for too long. Plasma TVs, however, are best for watching movies and sports.

The key thing is that you are living in high definition, but, to help you out we’ve got this handy chart to help you determine which technology is best for you.

	Plasma	LCD
General
Screen sizes	42-65+ inches	5-65+ inches
Cabinet depth	3+ inches	3+ inches
Power consumption	Slightly less-efficient per square inch	Slightly more-efficient per square inch
Off-angle viewing	Excellent from all angles	Image fades slightly when seen from extreme angles from sides or from above or below
Reflectivity of screen	Glass screens can reflect lots of light, so may be an issue in very bright rooms. Some models have glare-reducing screens that are more- or less-effective	Matte plastic screens usually reflect less light. Some models have screens that are actually more reflective than plasma
Features
PC connectivity	Less common but still included on many models	More common than with plasma
Other features	Varies per model	Varies per model
Picture quality
Motion blur caused by display	Negligible	Difficult to discern on most models, although subject to more blurring than plasma. 120Hz models less-subject to motion blur
Black-level performance (depth of “black” displayed)	Varies, although excellent on many models.	Varies, although generally worse than plasma on many models, and better than plasma on best models
Color saturation	Varies, although generally a bit better than LCD due to black level and off-angle advantages	Varies, although the best models can equal the best plasmas
Resolution	Typically 720p, up to 1080p on high-end models. The benefits of 1080p are not obvious at screen sizes below 50 inches to the majority of viewers.	Typically 720p, but 1080p is more common than plasma at more price and size points. The benefits of 1080p are not obvious at screen sizes below 50 inches to the majority of viewers
Durability
Burn-in (faint after-images left on-screen)	Possible with still images left on-screen with very bright settings for hours, although new models much less susceptible, and most burn-in is temporary and goes away after watching moving images	May occur in extreme situations (very bright still images left on-screen for days) but much less likely than with plasma or even standard tube TVs.
Lifespan (hours until fades to half-brightness)	Typically 60,000 hours, or about 20 years if used 8 hours per day.	Typically 60,000 hours, or about 20 years if used 8 hours per day.
Program type
HDTV	Excellent	Excellent for HDTV-compatible models.
Standard-definition TV	Dependent mostly on screen size. The smaller the screen, the better standard-def usually looks	Dependent mostly on screen size. The smaller the screen, the better standard-def usually looks
DVD Movies	Excellent given a model with good black-level performance	Very good, although models with worse black-level performance are less desirable
Games	Excellent for most users, although burn-in might deter gamers who leave screens paused for hours or overnight	Excellent, although motion blur might deter the most sensitive gamers

Product Review: Samsung 52″ LCD LN-52A650 (1080p, 120hz)

Samsung’s LN52A650 dares to be different. In a world of me-too, glossy black flat-panel HDTVs, no few of which may bear the company’s own logo, this 52-inch LCD is dressed in red. Like many radical design choices, you’ll either love it or hate it, and we didn’t love it. But before you write off this red TV, we recommend you check it out in person–the product shots here and elsewhere on the Web just don’t capture the red tint of the frame properly. Aside from design, we found plenty to like about the higher-end LN52A650, and it produces arguably the best picture of any LCD TV we’ve tested so far, although it doesn’t quite beat the quality of the best plasma.

Design
Samsung’s LNA650 series incorporates the company’s Touch of Color design scheme. Instead of the standard glossy black frame, the LN52A650 sports dark-red accents that suffuse the entire frame, but are most prominent along the top and bottom edge and either side. Other eye-catching elements include a layer of transparent plastic, which is visible along the extreme edges on all sides, and Samsung’s trademark shiny screen (more on that below). The Touch definitely creates a unique look, but call us traditionalists: we didn’t really like it. The photos above just can’t capture how red the Touch makes the frame appear, especially in bright rooms, and if red isn’t your favorite color, you’re out of luck–no other colors have been confirmed for this year, despite the company touting a veritable rainbow at CES. In its favor, the red frame didn’t really detract from the color fidelity of the picture.

Including the standard-issue pedestal swivel stand, the LN52A650 measures 50.2 inches wide by 34.1 inches tall by 12.8 inches deep and weighs 76.7 pounds. Without the stand, it comes in at 50.2 inches wide by 31.7 inches tall by 4.1 inches deep and 64.6 pounds.

The remote differs from the one included on the Samsung PN50A550 because it uses a rotating, clickable wheel, similar to an iPod scroll wheel, for menu navigation, as opposed to the standard, four-way directional keys. The wheel would be a cool idea if it was more responsive, but with the brief delay between moving the wheel and seeing the results on the screen, we found ourselves more than a bit annoyed by it. The rest of the remote’s buttons are nice and big and backlit (the backlighting engages automatically when the remote is picked up, something we’ve never seen on a remote included with a TV), and we liked the dedicated “Tools” button that offered quick access to picture and sound modes, the sleep timer, and the picture-in-picture controls. We didn’t like the clicker’s glossy black finish, however, which picked up more than its share of dulling fingerprints after a few minutes.

Samsung’s new menu system is sleeker than before and blessed with big, highly legible text set against transparent backgrounds that occupy almost the whole screen. Getting around is easy; there’s helpful explanatory text along the bottom, and we dug the context-sensitive menu that would pop up occasionally to provide more options. Overall, it’s one of the best-designed and most-attractive menu systems we’ve seen on any HDTV, and it really makes setup a breeze–except for the confusing picture mode arrangement (see below).

Features
The LN52A650 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which allows it to cut down on blur and to affect judder in motion with a video-processing mode Samsung calls “Auto Motion Plus.” Check out David Carnoy’s Fully Equipped column for an in-depth discussion of 120Hz, and the performance section of this review for details on how it’s implemented on the LN52A650. Like most other LCD and plasma TV models on sale in 2008, the LN52A650 also has a native resolution of 1,920×1,080 (aka 1080p).

New for 2008, the 650 series also includes an Ethernet port, which allows the TV to access the Internet to display news, stock ticker information, and local weather. We liked the easy-to-read font in normal and large sizes, as well as the intuitive controls. USA Today provides the newsfeed, which can sit in the corner of the screen like a ticker (turn Desperate Housewives into Fox News!), or be expanded to allow you to read numerous top stories in a variety of topics. One annoying quirk was that we couldn’t remove the Setup screen easily–hitting “return,” as the manual suggested, merely turned off the whole service. Also, we’d really appreciate if the port allowed the TV to access firmware updates, but according to Samsung that’s not in the cards. A USB-to-Wi-Fi dongle that allows the TV to connect to a wireless network (model WIS-08BGX, $34.99) is also available.

The LN52A650 has three adjustable picture modes that are each independent per input. That’s great, but in addition there are three more picture presets, called “Entertainment Modes,” that cannot be adjusted and are accessible via a separate key on the remote and the Setup menu. This arrangement is unnecessarily confusing on a TV with so many settings anyway; we’d prefer to have all of the picture modes, both adjustable and non-adjustable, be accessible together from a single key on the remote and one area of the Picture menu. Also, if you’re in Entertainment mode, you’re prevented from making picture adjustments, or even selecting one of the adjustable picture modes, until you actively cancel an Entertainment mode by navigating to the Setup menu (which the onscreen instructions suggest) or toggling the mode to “Off” using the remote. That’s an awkward hitch in an otherwise smooth menu design.

Others picture controls include five color temperature presets along with the ability to fine-tune color using the white balance menu; three varieties of noise reduction, including an automatic setting; a film mode to engage 2:3 pulldown (it also works with 1080i sources); a seven-position gamma control that affects the TV’s progression from dark to light; a dynamic contrast control that adjusts the picture on the fly; a “black adjust” control that affects shadow detail; and a new color space control that lets you tweak the Samsung’s color gamut.

You can choose from four aspect ratio modes for HD sources, two of which allow you to move the whole image across the screen horizontally and/or vertically. As we’d expect from a 1080p TV, one of those modes, called Just Scan, lets the LN52A650 scale 1080i and 1080p sources directly to the panel’s pixels with no overscan–the best option unless you see interference along the edge of the screen, as can be the case with some channels or programs. There are also four modes available with standard-def sources.

We appreciated the three power-saver modes and the singular fact that, unlike most other manufacturers, this year Samsung did not use the brightest picture mode as its default. Instead, the default picture mode for Home use is Standard, which saves a lot of energy compared with the much brighter Dynamic. Check out the Juice Box below for details on the set’s energy use. As far as other conveniences, Samsung throws in picture-in-picture along with a USB port that can connect to thumb drives to play back digital photos and MP3 music. The LN52A650 is also compatible with the company’s forthcoming digital media adapter.

The connectivity of the LN52A650 is excellent. There are three HDMI inputs available around back, while a fourth can be found in a recessed bay along the panel’s left side. There’s also a pair of component-video inputs; a single RF input for cable and antenna (the ’07 models had two); and a VGA-style RGB input for computers (1,920×1,080 maximum resolution). That recessed bay offers an additional AV input with S-Video and composite video, a headphone jack, and the aforementioned USB port.

Performance
The Samsung LN52A650 is one of the best-performing LCDs we’ve tested. Its picture quality, anchored by excellent black-level performance, and accurate color, surpasses that of the Sony KDL-46XBR4–and Samsung’s de-judder video processing has improved to the point where it’s basically equal to the Sony. We did notice a couple of minor issues, and as usual we’d avoid watching dark movies on this glossy-screened TV in rooms with lots of ambient light, but that’s about it.

Our standard calibration was aided by the numerous picture controls in the Samsung’s user menu. We were able to improve color temperature and dial in saturation without going overboard thanks to the blue-only mode (check this tip to see how it works). Although we attempted to tweak the color points a bit using the custom color palette controls, primary and secondary colors were already close enough to the standard that we simply settled on the default Auto in the end. Click here for a full list of our dark-room picture settings.

After setup, we placed the LN52A650 in a comparison that included our reference sets–the Pioneer PDP-5080HD, the Sony KDS-55A3000, and the 120Hz Sony KDL-46XBR4–along with the Panasonic TH-46PX85U. We checked out Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray at 1080p from the Sony PlayStation 3.

Black level: The Samsung LN52A650 reproduced one of the deepest shades of black we’ve seen from any LCD. It can’t quite match the champ, Samsung’s own LED-based LN-T4681F, but from what we remember, it’s pretty dang close. The Pioneer and Panasonic plasmas got darker by a couple of hairs, although the Samsung solidly beat the two Sonys. Of course, as with all LCDs, those deep blacks became brighter when seen from off angle (see below).

Details in shadows were quite good, although not perfect. During a shot when Flint stares into the camera after sneaking into his daughter’s room, for instance, we couldn’t quite make out the print on the wallpaper behind him, and the shaded half of his face looked indistinct compared with the reference Pioneer, although still more natural than any of the other displays. Cranking brightness brought back the details but destroyed black levels, and the Samsung wasn’t crushing black. Its gamma was just a bit shallow in dark areas, even at the most aggressive +3 (our preferred setting).

Color accuracy: The initial color temperature in Warm2 was still a tad blue (see the Geek Box), but other than that we had no complaints. After calibration it was quite accurate, lending a natural look to skin tones and other delicate areas, like Mary Jane’s pale face. Green grass in the plaza and red balloons during the parade all looked rich and punchy, and color balance was superb. One major advantage the LN52A50 demonstrated over the Sony KDL-46XBR4 LCD was its color fidelity in dark areas–where the Sony dipped into blue, like many LCDs, the Samsung remained close to true black. Overall saturation, thanks to deep blacks and fine color balance, was equal to the superb Pioneer.

Video processing: Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus (AMP) processing is designed to smooth out motion–specifically the judder or faint stuttering inherent in 24-frame material such as most films. Judder can be perceived most easily in pans and camera movement, but once you notice it, it seems to pop up everywhere there’s any movement onscreen. Some viewers find the smoothing effect desireable, while some think it looks too video-like and even cartoonish in some instances, particularly Hollywood films. We’re of the latter camp, but we feel de-judder processing can be effective in some scenes.

AMP has been improved this year, and it suffers fewer artifacts than the version we tested on the LN-T4671F from 2007. The infamous “triple ball effect” seems greatly toned down, for one thing. We looked at one example we cited in the 71F review, a deep pass during a college football game between West Virginia and Louisville, and this time there was very little blurring and elongation of the ball. We also turned to the same hockey match between the Ducks and the Kings and noticed blurring of the puck much less frequently. It was still there in some instances, such as a flip pass into the air that spanned half of the rink before landing, but it was much less noticeable. Of course, the level of AMP made a big difference–we saw more blurring and artifacts around the puck in High mode, fewer in Medium, about the same in Low, and none in Off. For that reason, we still recommend watching hockey, and indeed all sports, in Off mode.

Comparing the Samsung against the Sony 120Hz LCD, the Samsung seemed a bit less prone to artifacts, but the Sony appeared less unnaturally smooth. During the opening of Spider-Man, for example, the camera quickly pans over a newsstand and a headline in USA Today (double-plug!) that reads “What a catch!” showed stutter and artifacts in the Sony (in Standard mode) and none on the Samsung (in any of its modes). The camera then moved to follow Peter Parker on his scooter, and the Samsung looked like the camera was on rails, while the Sony allowed a little bit of unsteadiness that made for a much more natural look in that scene. Later, the camera orbits Parker’s face at the beginning of the parade, and we saw a sort of halo effect around his head. The buildings in the background bent slightly near his head as they moved by, even in the Samsung’s Low mode, although these artifacts were worse in Medium and High. In this case, the Samsung’s Low and the Sony’s Standard were pretty much indistinguishable.

Both sets looked much better in pans over natural landscapes from the Planet Earth Blu-ray and in some other non-Hollywood movie material, especially compared with the non-de-judder-equipped sets in the comparison.

We also turned AMP off, along with the Sony’s de-judder processing, and switched our PS3 to 1080p/24 mode. We really couldn’t tell the difference between 1080p/24 and 1080p/60 on either of the sets, so we suspect they don’t perform the perfect 5x conversion from 24 frames to 120. Samsung’s engineers (along with Sony’s) claim the 52LN650 can perform this conversion, but if so, it doesn’t make much difference.

A refresh rate 120Hz should also cut down on blur in motion, increasing motion resolution. We compared the 52LN650 to the Samsung LN32A450, a standard 60Hz display, and with AMP in Low mode the LN650 exhibited less blur in test footage designed to expose it. The blur returned when we turned Off AMP, so you can’t get the blur-reduction on this set without de-judder. The Sony performed at about the same level for this test, and neither was as sharp as either of the plasma displays or the Sony SXRD. As usual we didn’t notice blurring in program material, however, including during Spider-Man.

As we expect from any 1080p LCD, the Samsung resolved every line of 1080i and 1080p sources, and unlike most sets it properly de-interlaces 1080i film-based sources as long as you leave the film mode engaged.

Uniformity: LCD will always be at a disadvantage compared with plasma in this department, and the LN52A650 is no exception. Its screen was relatively uniform for an LCD, but there was still a brighter spot visible in the upper-left corner in dark scenes or letterbox bars, and in mid-dark fields we saw that the left and right edges of the screen appeared brighter than the middle. Meanwhile, as we mentioned above, viewing the image from off angle lightened the black areas somewhat, robbing some punch from colors. The Sony LCD lost a bit less depth of black from off angle, although we still preferred the Samsung from non-sweet-spot seats because it didn’t become discolored. We’ve seen reports on AVS forum showing purplish discoloration from off angle on some 650 series models, but we didn’t see it on our review sample.

Bright lighting: The LN52A650 has a similar type of shiny screen as last year’s Samsung LCDs, and compared with a more matte LCD screen, such as the one on the Sony KDL-46XBR4, it reflects quite a bit of room lighting. With the windows open during the day and shining on the screen, we could clearly make out our reflection in the screen, especially during dark scenes, and it was a good deal more distracting than on the Sony or the Pioneer. Samsung claims the screen does increase contrast ratio and produce deeper black levels, which might be true given the LN52A650′s black level performance, but we still found ourselves distracted by the shine in bright environments while watching dark scenes.

(Article Source:cnet.com)

Cnet Video Review of the LN-52A650

What Audio/Video Improvements Can Do For Your Organization

Audiovisual isn’t just slide shows on rickety projectors anymore.  The audio video industry, like everything else, has taken a gigantic leap into the technological future.  Audiovisual systems enable a business to get their message across more effectively, because in many cases, visual presentations of information are much more memorable

Your company likely doesn’t have anyone with expertise in audio video.  It’s not uncommon to see IT specialists called in to try to set up a firm’s audio video system just because they have a basic techie background.  But real audio video specialists are engineers who can design to your company’s exacting specifications.  They do everything from hanging a projector from the ceiling of your meeting room to installing a motorized screen that comes out of the wall to programming the software that facilitates it all.  Your conference room can be transformed into a state-of-the art think tank, with all the equipment controlled by a single remote.

Seventy-five percent of all projection systems sold are for PowerPoint presentations, but audio video services range from LCD projectors to interactive whiteboards to audio and video conferencing systems that enable your staff to exchange ideas from as far away as separate continents.  Technological advances have kept pace with those in consumer electronics, with wall-hanging plasma displays that can handle inputs from different sources, including DVD and computer sources.  With all these technologies, your meetings can include interactive video, striking graphical representations of any kind of data, and information that viewers can engage with in powerful ways, whether the context is an employee in-service training, consultations with business partners or proposals to prospective customers.

The key variables in selecting audio video services are centered around what your company is going to use them for. The initial meeting with is called a “needs assessment,” and based on the information you provide, services will be designed around that.  Are the majority of your presentations based on PowerPoint, videoconferencing or computer-based training?  The number of meetings you conduct, the size of the group, and what type of presentation you are conducting should all be taken into account.

The Right Projection Screen for Home or Office

Projection Screens are an essential part of a display system. It is the screen that delivers the message.  A good screen will compliment and enhance the quality of any projected image. Nothing’s more important in getting your message across to all in the audience.

Developments in software and electronics have made a large contribution to the enormous steps forward in projectors.  Because projectors provide increasingly enhanced light output, contrast and resolution, the quality of the projected image is constantly improving.  However, a good projector on its own is not enough. Optimal image quality can only be achieved if the projector and projection screen are matched to each other and to the application.  For that reason, selection of the right screen and screen fabric is an essential step for ensuring the best projection result.

The most important selection criteria are explained below.  Given that every situation is unique, this information should be regarded only as a guideline.

Step 1. Screen type
Determination of the type of screen is the first step.  Selection of a portable, wall or ceiling mounted screen – electrically driven or manual – depends on the situation and your personal preference.  Generally speaking, if the projection location is permanent, a wall or ceiling screen is to be preferred.  A portable screen is a better choice if you want to be able to project at various locations.

Step 2. Screen size
An important aspect of a projection screen is the screen size.  Since presentations now increasingly involve projection of data, the screen should not only be big enough for everything to be seen but, more importantly, for the texts and figures to be read clearly.  The correct screen size can be determined using the following three rules of thumb:
- The height of the screen should be at least one sixth of the distance from the screen to the back row of seats.
- The distance from the bottom of the screen to the floor should be at least 125 cm.
- The front row of seats should be around twice the screen height away from the screen.

Step 3. Screen format
Depending on the projector type, the projected image has a given ratio of width to height, also known as the aspect ratio. For a good-looking result, it is recommended to use a projection screen with the same aspect ratio as the projected image.  All screens in standard format have two borders on each side, while video or HDTV formats are finished with black borders all around.  These black borders increase the perceived contrast and set the projected image off in an attractive manner. You’ll usually find projection screens in the following screen formats:

Format	width/height	aspect ratio
Standard format	1:1	1
Video format	4:3	1,33
Slide projection format	3:2	1,50
HDTV format	16:9	1,78

Step 4. The correct screen fabric
However good the projector might be, the audience will only be properly served if they can clearly see and read the projected image which reaches them.  And that is exactly the added value of the projection screen.  A projection screen does more than just reflect.  It is capable of reflecting and distributing the projected image in a given direction.  Why should the image be distributed over the entire room if the audience is seated in a particular area?

The ability of the screen to distribute light in a given direction has direct consequences for the viewing angle and the brightness of the image.  This perceived brightness is often referred to as the reflection value or gain.  A screen with a wide viewing angle distributes light evenly over a wide viewing area and offers limited gain. Screens with a smaller viewing angle offer a higher gain factor.

Thus, the right choice of screen fabric depends directly on the application.  A number of ambient factors also play a role. The most important of these factors are:

• Projector
  Each projector has its own specific light output (ANSI Lumen). Depending on the light output, a higher or lower reflection value may be desirable.  If different projection methods are used, the screen fabric should be matched to the projection method with the lowest light output.
• Ambient light
  All the light that does not come from the projector can have a negative influence on the image quality. In applications where the ambient light can not be controlled, a screen fabric with a higher gain is recommended.
• Position of the projector
  Depending on whether the projector is mounted to the ceiling or placed on a projector stand, a ‘reflective’ or ‘retro-reflective’ screen fabric needs to be selected.
• Projection room
  The arrangement of the seats determines the angle at which the viewers look at the image. The wider this arrangement, the greater the viewing angle of the recommended fabric type needs to be.

Understanding Universal Remotes

A universal remote is a smart way to consolidate the operation and management of your home entertainment system into a single, convenient controller. Virtually every modern home audio and video component comes with its own remote, so if you are suffering from an overabundance of remotes on your coffee table, a properly equipped and configured universal model may be the perfect cure. A universal remote is also a quick solution if you lose or damage one of your other remotes, unless you don’t mind shuttling between your couch and TV every time you want to change the channel.

Universal remote controls range from basic, inexpensive units that control a TV and a small handful of associated components, to big, LCD touchscreen-equipped models costing $400 or more. There is no reason to purchase an expensive, top-end unit if you only need to control your TV, DVD player and VCR, but if you are thinking of expanding your home entertainment system in the near future, make sure your universal remote is up to the task.

A budget universal remote operates your TV and several associated components, such as a DVD player, VCR, cable box and satellite receiver. It handles basic tasks like power on/off, volume adjustments, channel changes and simple tape or disc playback. More sophisticated remotes can control additional components such as home theater receivers and DVRs. Other components may include dedicated buttons for Blu-ray disc players or DVD recorder controls, as well as illuminated buttons. Some have small LCD screens that show menu options and other information. High-end models control as many as 20 devices, and some have large color LCD touchscreens with simple-to-use icon-based user interfaces.

A common feature on more advanced universal remotes, and appearing more and more in less expensive models as well, are user-programmable macro controls. Say you want to watch a DVD. Instead of individually turning on each component and setting it to the proper input or mode, simply press the button you have configured with your “play DVD” macro. The remote then sends the necessary commands to turn on your TV and switch it to the DVD input, power up your home theater receiver and set it to the correct surround sound mode and turn on your DVD player and start playing the disc. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

There are a number of ways to configure your new universal remote control to work with your TV and other components. Just about every universal remote includes preprogrammed codes for a broad range of manufacturers. To set the remote to operate your DVD player, for example, just find your player’s manufacturer (and in some cases, the model number or family) on the supplied list and enter that code into the remote. This may present a problem if you have obscure or old components, however. In addition to preprogrammed codes, remotes with learning capabilities are able to copy the signals of your old remotes, thus “learning” the proper signal to send to your A/V gear. This is great if you have an old component or one that isn’t commonly included in preprogrammed code lists, but it obviously won’t help if you are trying to replace a damaged or lost remote.

How to Shop

When choosing a universal remote, you first need to identify the number and type of components you wish to control. This can include obvious items like a TV, DVD player and VCR, as well as a home theater receiver, cable box or satellite receiver, DVR, HD DVD or Blu-ray disc player, DVD recorder, tape deck and even some home network controls. Once you know your requirements, think about your budget. It is nice to have expansion possibilities, but there’s no need to spend extra money when a less-advanced (but still very capable) controller will do.

Another consideration is a remote’s shape and weight. This may not seem important at first, but since the remote will be your primary user interface with your home entertainment system, you should make sure a potential purchase’s chassis and button layout are comfortable to you. If possible, try out a remote at an electronics store before making your final decision.

Most universal remotes operate on standard batteries, but a few (especially those with power-hungry LCD screens) come with internal rechargeable batteries, as well as chargers that double as stands. Some units include motion sensors and light up their screens when they are moved or touched, so you don’t need to fumble in the dark for the “illuminate” button.

A majority of remotes, universal or otherwise, rely on IR (infrared) light signals to communicate with their associated components. This requires a direct line of sight between the remote and the receiving hardware. However, a few utilize RF (radio frequency) signals, which have the handy ability to transmit through walls or home theater cabinets. If your A/V setup is in a closable cabinet, or if you often listen from a different room, an RF remote is a wise choice.

There are many options available, but if you know your needs and keep your budget in mind, you should have an easy time selecting the right universal remote control for you.

What is Whole House Audio/Video?

Imagine having hi-fi music in every room of your home with nothing more than an elegant Wall Mounted Keypad and virtually invisible in-wall or in-ceiling Speakers showing. This is the dream system of interior decorators and is typically only found in multi-million dollar homes. We can show you how this can be done in your home with your existing equipment and at a reasonable cost. Whole house audio/video refers to a centralized audio/video system that pipes music and video/cable signals throughout the home. Because the system is centralized, the only components present in each room are speakers and TV screens. Control of the system is made through a handheld remote or wall mounted control panels. The centralized components can either be hidden away in a closet, or if you prefer, mounted in an impressive Rack System array in your living room. (Some systems may have additional VCRs and CD players located locally in various rooms for convenience. If correctly configured, these VCRs and CD players can be viewed or listened to in the room they are located as well as any other room.)

There are many ways of configuring a whole house audio video system. We will describe the basic methods below. Choose the method that best suits your requirements and budget.

Single Amplifier/Receiver Driving Speakers in Multiple Rooms

This is the simplest and lowest cost method. The output from a single amplifier or receiver is split amongst several rooms. All rooms will receive the same music. Volume Controls can be located in each room to adjust listening levels (or a centralized volume controller can be used if preferred). Whenever the output from a single amp/receiver is split between 2 or more speakers, an impedance matching system must be used. To control the master volume and source (CD, tuner, tape, etc.) from each room an Infrared (IR) Distribution system can be added.

Multiple Amplifiers/Receivers Sharing Sources

If different rooms need to listen to different sources at the same time, multiple amps/receivers are required. Use one amp/receiver for each listening (a zone refers to one or more rooms that listen to the same source simultaneously). The amp – receivers can be stacked together and the source inputs can be shared (ie. 1 CD, 1 tape, 1 DSS shared amongst 2 or more amp/receivers). To control the volume and source from each zone a zoned Infrared (IR) Distribution system can be added.

Purpose Made Multiple Zone Amplifier Systems

Many higher end amp/receivers now come with a built-in second discrete amplifier for a second zone. If your needs do not require more than 2 zones, this may be a cost effective solution. For a larger number of zones consider the NUVO or Russound 6-Source/6-Zone System which have six discrete amplifiers and a volume/source distribution system built-in.

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