When you think about it, there’s a ton of technology that can go onto the ceiling. Recessed lights, built-in speakers, video projectors and wiring are often mounted overhead. All of this can make your ceiling look like a block of Swiss cheese. And, depending on the room design—like if there’s no attic space above, or the ceiling height is lower than 8 feet—the ceiling may not even be able to… View this story
Furniture • Home Theater Accessories • Home Theater • Enhancements • Info and Answers

Some guys love power tools. Some love cars. Some are happy with a comfy chair, a remote and something to nosh on. Then there are those who need to go above and beyond—to create a space that most men only dream about. Today, we call these spaces “man caves.” In these caves, though, the only things being fired up are amps, Blu-ray movies, video games and gigantic TVs (sometimes multiple… View this story
Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

I love reviewing flagship products. It’s a chance to play with some of the very best equipment this industry has to offer. Denon’s DVD-A1UDCI Universal Blu-ray Player is a dream machine that plays every existing disc format known to man, sans HD DVD. If you want a reference player that will handle all of your DVDs, Blu-rays, DVD-A and SACDs, you’ve come to the right place. But it’s not cheap… View this story
AV Components • Blu-ray • DVD Players • Reviews • Home Theater • Product News

Wal-Mart is now offering home installation services for TVs, home theaters and PCs. The big-box retailer, which expressed interest in the installation market in June 2008, has partnered with N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc., which has a network of 11,000 certified installers who will perform the in-home services. According to Reuters, the support service will be available in time for the holiday shopping season and is a direct challenge to… View this story
Retailers • Home Theater • Product News

Game on! The American League Championship Series gets under way tonight between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While the Angels may play a little closer to Hollywood, we’ve been fortunate enough over the last three years to see how Hollywood—and super technology—has influenced two of the Yankees. Maybe more in A.J. Burnett’s case than C.C. Sabathia’s, as you’ll see. The big lefty has a… View this story
Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home of the Year Awards 2007 • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

You’d never know it, but this room used to have a bay window and two standard windows. What was a home office became a dedicated cinema during a four-month collaboration between local Southern California electronics installation firm Sound Decision and New York–based theater designer Acoustic Smart. “Taking it from where it was to where it is now was a complete transformation,” says Sound Decision’s Scott Rousso. Because Sound Decision also… View this story
Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

This Pennsylvania home has music and video everywhere—23 rooms’ worth of distributed audio, plus eight zones featuring video. But the homeowners didn’t want a truly dedicated theater room focused on the best of both to be closed off from the rest of the home. Good thing there was plenty of space to work around. “Once the engineers at Elite Home Technologies saw the drawing of the basement, it was immediately… View this story
Basement • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Home Theater • Cool Homes

One of the most important decisions you can make when buying a whole-house music system, home control system, or home theater system is choosing the remote control. It’s the thing you use to communicate with all that equipment. And it better work. So what should you look for? After all, tons of universal remote controls are available. Some have a few simple features; others have a bevy of high-end amenities.… View this story
AV Components • Remote Controls • Home Theater • Info and Answers

After the owners’ two sump pumps failed, a heavy rainfall deposited several inches of standing water throughout their finished basement. Both the carpeting and the Sheetrock were ruined, according to One Sound Choice, a custom electronics design and installation firm in Pompton Plains, N.J. The owners had contacted One Sound Choice, originally, just to restore the room. It’s only one of the company’s specialties, which also includes the design and… View this story
Basement • Home Theater • Cool Homes

Want to experience one of the highest performance residential-type theaters around? Maybe just to drool, but maybe, if you’ve got the dough, to consider for the future? Audio High, a top Meridian dealer in the San Francisco Bay Area, is giving people a look into their extraordinary home theater system in conjunction with Meridian Audio. The showcase will feature Meridian’s ultimate 810 Reference Video System and its super-detailed 4K resolution… View this story
Dealers • Home Theater • Product News