» Category: New Products
April 19, 2013
One of the most crucial components of modern home theater installations is the projector. Why? Well, apart from the fact that it will deliver the picture – the visual entertainment – that your eyes will be fixed on most of the time, the home entertainment projector represents an investment that must be very carefully made.
To help guide the purchase decisions of home theater owners, Projector Reviews recently released the 2013 Best Home Theater Projector report. Site editor Art Feierman said, “This year’s crop of home theater and home entertainment projectors raises the bar for quality. That’s true whether considering under $1000 projectors, those in the $2000-$3500 sweet spot, or the massively amazing $25,000 true 4K projector from Sony, which demonstrates what to expect in future, more affordable home theaters.”
Let’s check out some of the projectors that made the list. Meanwhile, if you need any help on installing projectors and video Read More »
March 20, 2013
Wireless speakers are a great addition to any home theater installation. It can deliver great sound without the price of having a snake pit of wires behind the TV or DVD rack.
Generally, though, when you’re talking about wireless speakers, you’re talking about speakers that work over Bluetooth. Which is pretty cool and all, since most entertainment and media devices that we have today – smartphones, tablets, iPods, gaming consoles, etc. – come equipped with Bluetooth connectivity anyway.
But you know what’s cooler? Wireless speakers that connect to our players and devices via Wi-Fi. Or via Apple AirPlay. That’s because Wi-Fi and AirPlay can carry much more information than Bluetooth – thus producing better, high-quality sound for your home audio system.
Recently, we here at Hooked Up Installs are seeing more and more Wi-Fi and AirPlay-enabled speakers installed in home theater systems. Let’s check out some of our favorites:
Bowers & Wilkins A7 AirPlay Read More »
February 4, 2013
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013 – perhaps the world’s biggest technology-related trade event – was held last month in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. Thanks to the innovation of today’s leading manufacturers, we came across some awesome new TVs at the show. Here we provide a list of the new models that caught our eye.
Panasonic ZT60 Series
Panasonic unveiled an enhanced 2013 Smart VIERA Plasma HDTV lineup at this year’s CES. The series that drew our attention the most is the stylish VIERA ZT60 Plasma Series, which includes models in two sizes: 65 inches and 60 inches.
One of the most notable features of the Panasonic ZT60 is the new Studio Master Panel, designed to maximize the natural properties of glass and metal as well as improve 3D performance, while also eliminating dim and double images. Offering what Panasonic calls “Beyond the Reference” level of picture quality, the Read More »
October 30, 2012
Like it did a few decades ago, Microsoft is trying to once again shake up personal computing and home entertainment, in a bid to catch up with Apple and Google. Recently it launched the Windows 8 era, headlined by a tablet-laptop hybrid called Surface.
Microsoft’s new device runs on both Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro operating systems. It features a 10.6-inch screen, a patented magnesium alloy casing, a sturdy Kickstand, a pressure-sensitive Touch Cover, and – on the software side of things – a set of touch-enhanced versions of Microsoft’s popular office suites, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
A potentially great addition to consumers’ home theater and home entertainment systems, Surface is also designed for easy integration with other Microsoft products like Xbox, Xbox Music, OneNote, and cloud-based SkyDrive. Recently Microsoft announced the availability of its new PC, Surface, in the US, Canada, Australia, China, France, Germany, and the Read More »
October 11, 2012
Home theater projectors represent one of the traditional ways of bringing the cinema experience to your home. Space-saving, easy-to-install, and cost-effective, projectors also happen to have the ability to generate the largest possible picture for your home theater.
If you’re in the market for a home theater projector, you may be interested in finding out about today’s latest and best products. Which ones meet your demand for 3D at home? Should you choose an LED, LCD, or DLP home cinema projector? What kind of proprietary digital projection technologies are being implemented these days? If these are some of the questions you’ve been asking yourself, good news: we here at Hooked Up Installs have come up with this list of great new projectors for your home theater.
Mitsubishi HC7900DW
Mitsubishi Electric Visual Solutions America, Inc. recently introduced the Mitsubishi HC7900DW DLP projector, which is designed to deliver refined 3D screening straight to your home. Read More »
September 29, 2012
One of the most pressing challenges faced by homeowners today is energy management: in an age when homes are equipped with so many consumer electronics, devices, home systems, theater and entertainment gadgets, and digital and electronic components, how does one minimize environmental impact and take steps to achieve greater energy efficiency?
If you’re serious about answering that question – and about addressing the energy management challenge – we here at Hooked Up Installs recommend that you start with lighting.
Energy-efficient lighting
Why? Because energy-efficient lighting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to improve your home’s energy and environmental performance. Every room in your house – including your home theater – likely relies on a form of lighting system (of fittings and fixtures) or another; lighting also probably accounts for a major percentage of your household bills.
By seeking more environment-friendly alternatives and rethinking the ways your home lighting is managed, Read More »
September 12, 2012
There may be times when you feel a bit awkward about seeing your newly installed, attention-drawing HDTV dominate your elegantly designed room. Sure, televisions look so much better today than they did decades ago – but the big screen in your kitchen, your living room, or your home theater room is still (likely) a framed black rectangle that can look completely out of place when it’s not on, that can seem to consume more space than it really does, that can thus prick any homeowner’s design sensibilities.
Worry not. Blending your HDTV into your home environment doesn’t have to hurt your – or anyone else’s – eyes and aesthetics. Check out these options for concealing – instead of revealing – your home screen.
Vutec ArtScreen R-Series
Vutec’s ArtScreen R-Series features a high-technology motorized flat-screen masking system designed to transform your flat panel installation into a work of art. At the touch of a Read More »
August 30, 2012
Here comes 4K resolution TVs. And they’re about to make a big, noisy splash, too – at least judging by the way manufacturer Sony sees it.
At the ongoing IFC conference in Berlin, Sony announced its plans to launch at the end of 2012 the massive 84-inch XBR 4K LED TV, which not only features a staggering resolution of 3840 x 2160, but also represents the company’s largest screen to date – and first-ever 4KTV.
Arriving in Sony stores and select retail locations in the US later this year, the new XBR 4KTV has 8 million individual pixels, 4 times the resolution of Full HD, a wide viewing angle of 60 degrees, and a new XCA8-4K chip that’s designed to upscale HD (or lower resolution) images by analyzing and refining images from all sources.
The TV also features 3D capability, a rich set of Smart TV, video-on-demand, and wireless connectivity features, SimulView™ gaming Read More »
August 16, 2012
You may already have an awesome audio setup for your home theater. (If not – well, Hooked Up Installs’ friendly team of installation professionals can help!) If, however, you want to go beyond the four walls of your room and extend the listening experience to the outdoors, you might want to check out these sweet new portable speakers, each designed for outdoor home theater and on-the-go use:
(And don’t forget to check out our list of speaker docks that aren’t (just) for iPhones, iPods, and iPads!)
Philips SHOQBOX (SB 7200 Series)
The new Philips SB7220 SHOQBOX Wireless Portable Speaker is a rugged little thing. Just take a look at its design: an army-green-colored aluminum body supported by some heavy-duty rubber casing. Philips SHOQBOX is powered by two neodymium speakers, includes a built-in lithium battery for all-day listening (up to 8 hours), and works over Bluetooth to wirelessly stream audio Read More »
July 21, 2012
Sonos, one of today’s leaders in multi-room wireless audio systems, recently introduced SUB, a subwoofer designed to work with all amplified Sonos components, including: CONNECT:AMP, PLAY:5, and PLAY:3.
The striking, modern-looking SUB is now available in a high-gloss black lacquer finish that should fit elegantly with the rest of your home theater setup and home audio system. (A black matte version will also be introduced in September.)
Sonos SUB Features
Built for seamless integration with your Sonos System, the subwoofer is packed with great features, including: two force-canceling speakers for powerful, clear, zero-vibration all-digital sound; a pair of Class-D digital amplifiers; and wireless one-button setup. Weighing 36 pounds, with dimensions of 15.8 x 6.2 x 15 in. and bass frequencies that are non-directional, the SUB can be installed virtually anywhere in your home, either standing up or lying down, and still produce high-quality, room-filling sound.
The SUB also gives users access to Read More »
