» Category: Ask the Expert
January 16, 2012
CES 2012, the world’s premier consumer electronics event, was held recently in Las Vegas. As expected there was a marvelous showcase of smartphones, mobile devices, computers (laptops and tablets), cameras, gaming consoles, media devices, software and apps, and all other kinds of cool new technological gadgets. The category that interests us most, of course, is home theater.
If you haven’t gotten the chance to follow some of the trends that were set this year, here’s a quick recap of what went down. On this post we’ll focus on TVs, the centerpiece of our home entertainment system.
LG wins CNET Best of CES
At CES 2012 there was great buzz surrounding LG’s booth – and for good reason. The company’s groundbreaking 55-inch OLED HDTV, the LG 55EM9600, caught the eye of everyone, with its (nearly) borderless frame, vibrant colors, astonishingly bright and sharp screen, a virtually infinite contrast ratio, and superb performance of Read More »
January 6, 2012
The premier electronics event in Las Vegas this year, CES 2012, is about to kick off this January 10 to 13. Android, it seems, is going to be the star of the show. The mobile revolution is still in full swing, so expect this event to have plenty of new smartphone blood on the performers list.
CES 2012 Will See a New Motorola Droid
Expect to see the Motorola Droid 4 come to light during the days of CES 2012. This is the same event that Motorola chose to reveal their first tablet, the Xoom, to the world. The Droid 4 is not a “Google phone” per se, but is likely to get the update to Android Ice Cream Sandwich since Google is now the owner of Motorola mobile. The Droid 4 has a large screen and something that many people still want: a slide-out keyboard. It is Read More »
December 26, 2011
Okay so you’ve got your home theater set up with your nice slick Blu-ray player and you’re ready to have some friends over so you can show off that sweet new home entertainment system of yours. What movie should you watch? Here are the top 5 (one man’s opinion, of course) Blu-ray movies you should consider. All five fall under the action / thriller / crime / suspense / fantasy / drama genres, but you can bet that each of them will do the job!
1. Inception
Aside from the fact that Inception might be the greatest cerebral thriller of all-time, it also has its fair share of digital visual and sound effects that will make your seat shake. The director Christopher Nolan created a masterpiece with this film and main actor Leo DiCaprio is great as always.
2. Avatar
If you’re solely looking for that “wow” factor but don’t really care about Read More »
December 13, 2011
You may have a shiny 60-inch LCD television as your new centerpiece, but an equally important component of your home theater system is its sound. Indeed, if you are to maximize the performance of your system, clear, vibrant, and rich audio blasting from your speakers is an absolute must. That’s why here at Hooked Up Installs we have come up with a guide that, hopefully, will help you discover a number of neat home theater sound tips and tricks, and enjoy not just cinematic viewing, but also a perfect listening experience.
Use the menu. Your 5.1 or 7.1 channel speaker system likely comes with some sort of calibration menu that you can access to improve the sound of your speakers. Options usually include: listening to test tones, balancing channel volume, enhancing the lower-frequency or bass effects of your subwoofer, and even measuring speaker sizes and distances. Make full use Read More »
November 28, 2011
TVs are getting flatter. Sound systems and speakers are getting sleeker. Syncing your media is becoming easier. All of this means that it’s now possible to turn your bedroom into a top-of-the-line entertainment suite with its own home theater system.
Yes, we perfectly understand that some homeowners don’t need to have separate rooms for sleeping and for movie-watching. Or that some – and we’re talking here of the bachelors and apartment city dwellers – may not have enough real estate to have separate rooms in the first place. Whatever the case may be, we do advise you to take a good look at your bedroom: a place, after all, that’s just perfect for creating an excellent home theater environment.
Need some ideas and inspirations? Check out this list of seven awesome bedroom home theaters.
Why get out of bed if you have a bedroom similar to that of this Houston home? Read More »
November 18, 2011
The holidays are coming up. That’s always a great excuse to refresh some of the components of your home theater system. Or to reward your kid in college for his or her hard work. But times are hard, and we’ll understand if you’re not willing to spend more than a thousand bucks – heck, $700! – on a new HDTV.
This is why we came up with this list of excellent HDTVs under $700. In case you do decide to buy any of them, you can thank Hooked Up Installs by having our professional installation team set up your (or your kid’s) home theater.
Panasonic Viera Class X3 Series (50” Plasma)
If you’re looking for a high-quality and affordable plasma, this Viera HDTV is a great choice. It features 600 Hz Sub Field Driving technology (for full-HD motion and stills), Panasonic’s own image analysis technology, IPTV (Internet Protocol television) capability, Read More »
November 8, 2011
An outdoor speaker system is a great way to extend and enhance your home theater experience. Just think about it: instead of being confined to a single room inside the house to listen to your favorite music or watch your favorite movies, you have the option of taking the experience outdoors: in the backyard, at the patio, by the pool.
Of course, buying, installing, and maintaining an outdoor speaker system will present challenges that are different from the ones you’re normally used to. It will also mean setting up a listening environment that can withstand natural elements (like water / moisture, dirt, heat, and background noise) and perform despite the lack of your usual sound-reinforcing walls.
To help you set up, install, and take care of your outdoor speaker system, we here at Hooked Up Installs have come up with this quick guide on outdoor speakers.
Buying Outdoor Speakers
Choose outdoor Read More »
October 28, 2011
It’ll be a few more months yet until 2011 turns to 2012, but if you knew what went down at this year’s International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), you’ll have a pretty good idea of what lies ahead in terms of home theater trends. What will the home theater look like? What technology, components, equipment, and accessories will soon be all the rage? What can you expect next from manufacturers and service providers? The show, held every year at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada, is meant to give answers to such questions.
Smarter Smartphones and Tablets for your Home Theater
Smartphones are only getting smarter, and their evolution isn’t just changing the way we communicate; it’s also changing the way we consume multimedia content – movies, music, Internet videos, etc. On this post, we’ll highlight the kind of impact that present (and future) smartphones – as well as Read More »
October 22, 2011
It’ll be a few more months yet until 2011 turns to 2012, but if you knew what went down at this year’s International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), you’ll have a pretty good idea of what lies ahead in terms of home theater trends. What will the home theater look like? What technology, components, equipment, and accessories will soon be all the rage? What can you expect next from manufacturers and service providers? The show, held every year at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada, is meant to give answers to such questions.
3D Everywhere
One of the trends that we noticed in the International CES was the abundance of products and technologies designed to bring 3D to your home theater. That’s right: very soon there will come a time when we won’t have to spend on gas, go to the theaters, wait in line, put on silly-looking 3D glasses, Read More »
October 12, 2011
The Internet has changed the way we find, receive, consume, and share content. Instead of consulting TV guides on the newspaper, we’re downloading the shows we want from the Web. Instead of going to the cinemas all the time, we’re getting our movies from online VOD services. And instead of buying physical albums and books from physical stores, we’re streaming music from Pandora, watching videos on YouTube, and buying books from Amazon.
It makes sense therefore to view the Internet as an essential component of any modern home theater. But how do you integrate it to your flat-panel TV, to your audio system, to your home storage and media playback devices, to the rest of your home theater system? Here are ways to do just that:
From PC, laptop, tablet, or phone to your HDTV’s VGA
No need to buy an extra device or gadget – just a VGA cable. Read More »
