The Connected Life

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The Connected Life
Big Screen Decisions
John Sciacca  |  Mar 08, 2022  | 
When I started out as a custom installer back in 1998, a “big screen” was a 60-inch rear-projection TV, with high-end models available from the likes of Mitsubishi and Pioneer Elite. These were 4:3 aspect ratio, cathode ray tube-driven sets with 480i resolution, and they were physically hulking beasts weighing upwards of hundreds of pounds. Boy, have things changed over the past 20-plus years.
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The Connected Life
Big Screen Dilemma: TV or Video Projector?
John Sciacca  |  Jul 12, 2022  | 
When I started my career as a custom installer, getting a cinema-size image meant a front projection system in a light-controlled room. But technology has since developed to the point where you can now get a 100-inch flat-panel TV for well under twenty grand. Which solution is right for you?
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The Connected Life
Big-Screen Duality: A 2-in-1 TV/Projection Solution
John Sciacca  |  Sep 15, 2022  | 
When I began this series of columns earlier this year, I had no idea it would turn into a four-part, treatise on the evolution and current state of choosing a big-screen TV for your media room or home theater. To conclude this tetralogy, I address two additional solutions that straddle the divide between wanting a fantastic, cinematic experience in a non-dedicated/light-controlled room — options that don’t require a wallet melting budget.
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The Connected Life
Buy Once, Cry Once: How to Plan Your AV Budget
John Sciacca  |  Nov 19, 2020  | 
Buy once, cry once. You might be familiar with that old adage, which is used to describe the purchase of a high-cost item that entails upfront financial “pain,” but with no need to buy again in the future due to the superior craftsmanship and build quality. It’s often associated with tools and watches but works quite well for A/V gear.
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The Connected Life
Can You Hear Me Now?
John Sciacca  |  Nov 12, 2014  | 
A fairly common complaint I hear in my custom showroom is the inability to hear dialog while watching TV or movies. The scenario plays out almost identically every single time. A couple will come in, usually older, and the husband will stand there sheepishly while his wife explains that her husband’s hearing has deteriorated and now it’s to the point where he can’t hear the TV unless he blasts the volume which is then too loud for her to tolerate. The husband will then usually chime in that his hearing is fine, and that he just has a hard time with the dialog. But do we have anything that would help so they could both enjoy TV together?

So, first off, guys! I’m not sure what it is that we’re doing in our younger years, but, dammit! It is causing us all to go slowly deaf as we get older! We need to pull it together!

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Accessory ReviewsThe Connected Life
Control Your Remote
John Sciacca  |  Jan 14, 2011  | 

There are so many Pow! Bang! Ka-chow! buzzwords thrown out by the consumer electronics industry's marketing war chariots that smaller, more important things often get lost or completely overwhelmed in the ground clutter.

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The Connected Life
Creating an Audio Oasis in Your Backyard
John Sciacca  |  Sep 04, 2023  | 
When you think of “entertaining” with your AV system, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is your home theater or media room. But what about your backyard? Is it setup for outdoor entertaining?
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The Connected Life
Day and Date: How Much Would You Pay?
John Sciacca  |  Oct 26, 2016  | 
For many, going out to the movies is the perfect excuse to escape from the house. Get away from the kids. Unwind from work. Enjoy a date night. Whatever. Many people love the shared, communal experience of the local Cineplex. And, for the longest time, that has been the only way for law abiding, non-Hollywood types to watch a first room movie without waiting months for it to release to the home market whether on disc, on demand rental, or streaming.

But what if there were a way to watch movies at home, day-and-date when they were released in the theater? Would this be worth something to you? And if so, how much…?

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The Connected Life
Did Streaming Finally Kill Serving?
John Sciacca  |  Nov 09, 2016  | 
I was stunned when in August I learned movie server pioneer, Kaleidescape, had closed its doors. The company remained closed for nearly three weeks—though it continued delivering movies via its movie store and systems in the field remained fully operational—before securing new funding and resuming operations.
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The Connected LifeAudio Video News
Dolby Atmos Continues to Impress
John Sciacca  |  Jul 21, 2015  | 
Custom Theater and Audio's Atmos-equipped demo room.

A lot has been written over the past few months about Dolby’s new home theater surround format, Atmos. Virtually every receiver manufacturer and many speaker companies have embraced Atmos-capable systems, both with in-ceiling and Atmos-enabled module speakers.

One of the perks of working at a custom installation firm with a showroom is having a playground to install and experience the latest technologies firsthand before installing them into someone’s home...

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The Connected Life
Easy Does It: Home Automation For All
John Sciacca  |  Nov 05, 2014  | 
The biggest annual event on a custom installer’s calendar is the CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) Expo, which took place September in Denver. This year’s Expo was brimming with new technology, namely the overwhelming rollout of Dolby Atmos, a new surround format that I discussed in my previous column, along with several other exciting introductions like a new laser-powered projector from Epson and several very cool new wireless music system such as Denon’s HEOS and DTS’s Play-Fi.
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The Connected Life
Evolution of the App
John Sciacca  |  May 11, 2021  | 
The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 — or, more specifically, Apple opening its App Store to third-party developers in 2008 — turned out to be one of the most consequential developments ever to hit the home automation market. It was mind-blowing to watch this small, handheld device being used as a full-blown system controller to operate all manner of equipment and it became clear that this was a game-changing technology. Fast forward to 2021: Here are some key categories where app-based control has made an impact.
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The Connected Life
Evolution of the App Part 2
John Sciacca  |  Jul 19, 2021  | 
My previous column covered ways to control both a modern A/V system and a smart home using various manufacturer-supplied apps. With smartphone and tablet use now widespread, and smart devices capable of being controlled via free iOS and Android apps proliferating, app-based control has also surged. Whether you’re streaming music, controlling your A/V receiver, or managing your home’s energy or security systems, there’s now an app that can help you to do it smarter, better, and more easily. And since most people are now in the habit of carrying their phones 24/7, they basically have a full-blown system controller in their pocket at all times.
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The Connected Life
Finding Audio Gateways for Millennials
John Sciacca  |  Feb 03, 2016  | 
Resident audio professor, Ken C. Pohlmann, recently wrote a blog entitled “Millenials: Your Soundbars are Killing Us” that generated quite a bit of ire among readers. The post generated over 30 comments both for, but mainly against, Ken’s assertion that millennials’ “insatiable love of soundbars” was going to ruin audio for the rest of us.
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The Connected Life
Firmware: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
John Sciacca  |  May 25, 2016  | 
One of the biggest benefits computing integration has brought to modern AV gear is the advent of flash memory that can be repeatedly and easily updated with new firmware. Firmware updates provide not only ongoing improvements and performance benefits, but can even add new features. Let us count the ways…
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