» Tag: Home Theater
August 15, 2011
You might have noticed the increasing number of Apple-, iPhone, or iPad-related posts here at Ask the Expert. Well, we can’t help it: the tech company makes excellent products – and apps – that we think are suitable for home use.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that our team of installation professionals doesn’t have love for Android. We love Google’s mobile platform, too. And it is the most popular mobile OS in the world, by sheer numbers. So that’s why we came up with this list of today’s most useful Android apps (for your Android smartphone or tablet) – Hooked Up Installs Edition.
Plex for Android
Plex for Android serves as a mobile media center – right in your hand. The app allows you to browse and play your videos, photos, and music either from your device or on your Mac or PC (via streaming from the Plex Media Server). Read More »
August 2, 2011
Movie rentals stores have become a thing of the past. Well, at least those physical ones. As the Web continues to evolve and expand over time, we see new trends in where we get and how we watch our favorite movies and TV shows. One such trend is the emergence of online video-on-demand (VOD) websites.
VOD works like the old video rental kiosk, except this one is all online instead of offline. You select a movie or show you want to watch, pay to watch the rented title, and return it on the due date. Some VOD sites let you stream instantly as a way of renting movies or shows (stream to rent); others might also give you the option of owning the content by way of a direct download (download to own).
Let’s check out some of the major VOD providers in the U.S. today. Before signing up with Read More »
July 25, 2011
If you own an iPad, we’re sure you’re going to get a kick out of the enhanced AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring technologies (if you aren’t already). But there will be times when all you want to do is free the tablet device from your hands, set it down, and get serious work done. Like resuming DIY at the garage or chopping onions at the kitchen or something.
Well, you might as well set it down on something nice and classy. And you might as well play awesome music from your iTunes playlist while you’re at it. That’s why we’ve come up with this list of excellent speaker docks for your iPad, which you can use for your listening pleasure in practically any room in your house. (These iPad speaker docks are also a great addition to your home theater setup.)
JBL OnBeat
JBL is one of the brands we here Read More »
July 18, 2011
Video games have evolved to now mean serious fun. Thanks to the increased sophistication and popularity of gaming consoles like the Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360, the gaming industry is bigger than ever. And video games have become as much a part of the home entertainment experience as the home theater, the digital music players and audio systems, and (perhaps) the popcorn machine.
It’s not unusual, therefore, that video gamers – the average age of which has now increased to include more mature audiences – are integrating their gaming systems to their home theaters. HD-ready TVs – plasma or LCD – are now considered essential for a more thrilling, realistic, and enjoyable gaming experience. An excellent speaker setup or surround sound system has also become a must-have – not just for music-playing or movie-watching, but also for video-gaming. Indeed, today’s most complete home theater setups have now extended Read More »
July 11, 2011
At a recent developer conference in San Francisco, Apple previewed the upcoming iOS 5, the next version of the company’s mobile operating system. There are loads of new features – all of which you’ll see here at the official iOS 5 page – but here at Hooked Up Installs, we’re particularly excited about the new AirPlay Mirroring technology, which we believe can potentially forever change the dynamic of your home theater or home entertainment system.
Now, this all sounds like typical Apple fanboy speak, but there really is something to be said about AirPlay Mirroring technology for iPad 2. Sure, there already exists something called AirPlay (formerly called AirTunes), which wirelessly streams multimedia content – like movies, music, photos, and videos – from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch onto your HDTV screen via Apple TV. The iOS 5 takes this big-screen treatment to another level by supporting video Read More »
