Custom Installation Equipment Reviews

The wholehouse story.

Home automation is just too cool. There’s no doubt about it. Sure, it’s great to turn on your home theater system and go to the correct input or channel with the press of one button. But there are a number of good universal remotes that’ll do that. I want to be able to use that same remote to turn the lights on and off, lock and unlock doors, raise and lower shades, and, well, anything else I can think of. (I’d like it to cook and clean, but I’m afraid domestic robots are still a bit further in the future.) In last month’s issue, I highlighted parts of the latest incarnation of Control4’s expandable home automation system, specifically how the company’s three controllers and new 2.0 software update give you the ability to control your entire home theater, the lights in your house, and even door locks. Control4’s 4Store marketplace will ideally let third-party apps expand the system in ways that Control4 hasn’t thought of—such as managing the energy usage in your home. But there’s plenty more to talk about that we couldn’t fit in that issue. This time, in addition to the seduction of motorized shades, I’ll cover some of the nuts and bolts of putting a Control4 system together, as well as what it takes to program and control it.

Which is easier to find: an honest politician, an easy-to-use wholehouse A/V system, or a woman who's so in to electronics that she has the A/V gear installed in her new home before the furniture has arrived?

Reinforcing the brand’s commitment to provide the utmost elegance and functionality to dcor-conscious home theater furniture, OmniMount launched its new Karim Collection line of lifestyle furniture with the Prism 50. The new collection is in partnership with industrial and interior designer Karim Rashid.

It’s the great debate of home theater enthusiasts: Should you compromise your room’s uncluttered design in order to accommodate a bigger speaker system? Whether you’re a minimalist with a taste for high-quality sound or a home theater fanatic who doesn’t have room for an ordinary speaker system, it’s time to consider in-walls. These nearly invisible speakers can give you outstanding sound without taking up space, and they show off your room’s design in an unobtrusive way. If you’ve never thought about in-walls, it may be time for a change of heart.

I'm the owner of a small cabinet shop and decided to built this attractive and highly functional entertainment center in my home. All the woodworking throughout the room is mine (except for the chairs). It's all made from Alder that is finished in honey stain with a sable glaze. While it may look like wall paper, the wall treatment is a faux finish.

With the latest crop of home theater seating, you may never want to leave home.
Usually, the first question that comes to mind when you walk into a home theater is, “Where do I sit?” No matter how clear the picture looks or how powerful the sound is, a bad chair or sofa can ruin your home theater experience. But new technology and innovative designs aren’t just for the latest consumer electronics. These fresh seating options offer style, comfort, and convenience. They provide a killer combination of looks and practicality that will make your home theater memorable—in a very good way.

<I>Bringing high-performance home theater to the masses.</I>