Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
10 Popular Audio Demos
 
 
 

Polk Audio Speakers - Available at Custom Installation Services in Charlotte, NC

Custom Installation Services is Charlotte, NC's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer

Polk Audio shares some of its favorite audio demo tracks.

During a recent visit to Polk Audio, the Baltimore, Md.-based manufacturer gave us a sneak peek at some of its upcoming products.

The speakers were great, and some of the audio tracks were fantastic. As you know, playing the correct tracks during audio demos is essential. It can sometimes make or break a client’s decision.

We recently shared the favorite audio demos and video demos of some CE pros. Now, Polk has shared with us some of its favorite demo tracks and why each works so well.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolinas!Yello | Fat Cry

The opening to this cut is very recessed and almost muffled with a good bass line then not quite 20 seconds in is like someone pulls a veil away and not only does the music become clear & detailed it also expands in size with bass that just says bet you didn’t know I could go this low.

The voices that come in after this are good and catchy but you just want to go back to the beginning to see if you really heard that.

I find this cut to be a very good test of a loudspeakers ability to show off what everyone is always looking for big, powerful, deep bass along with being accurate.  After the first time one has heard this cut, every time thereafter you are waiting, timing the moment that the veil is pulled away and the power of that bass note that arrives with, oh yeah.

CIS - #1 Martin Logan Authorized Dealer in the Carolina'sCantate Domino | Christmas Song

This cut has so much going on and, like Fat Cry, surprises you with its power and emotion as almost every person I have demoed this for over the last 23 years have experienced everything from a chills to tears. In the beginning it appears that the symphony is being played in a small hall or maybe a church along with a soloist as it builds you begin to realize this symphony is in a very large concert hall as the music begins to wrap around you revealing the immense size and height of the hall. This happens with increased volume and now a choir of voices along with a pipe organ.

Custom Installation Services - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The CarolinasCantus | She Moved Through the Fair

Excellent recording of acapella. Listen for the air around the voices, staging, and sense of life-like dynamics even (especially) in soft passages.

CIS is Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Audio Speaker Dealer in The Carolina'sMahotella Queens | Nomshloshazana

This joyful, upbeat track features layered instruments that are added in the first minute, demonstrating clarity and the ability to separate instruments effectively. Bass is strong and punchy when played on a high quality speaker.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolina'sLyle Lovett | Church

Lyle’s voice is front and center with the expanse of a choir across a broad soundstage behind him. Distinct hand claps and voices as they chime in now and then. Piano intro is early on, then the bass comes in with a full bottom end.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolina'sJohnny Clegg | Akanaki Nokunaka

This is just a great fun, traveling down the road cut with a great beat and Johnny’s amazing voice.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolina'sJohn Butler Trio | Bound to Ramble

There is tremendous separation of instruments. There is enough air that each instrument stars. You hear the attack on the Banjo. The rumbling resonance of the body of the upright and the overtones of the strings.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolina'sKevin Gilbert | Goodness Gracious

This track features an up front vocal that is good for testing lateral balance of system. The solid, driving bass line should be even across frequencies. The shaker in the introduction should be placed properly in space and have a natural sound to it.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Audio Dealer in The Carolina'sMighty Sam McClain | Too Proud

Impact and dynamic range of blues-man Might Sam McClain. Listen to the detail of instruments in the background such as organ and percussion. Better speakers resolve these impressively.

CIS - Charlotte's #1 Authorized Polk Dealer in The Carolina'sShawn Mullins | Ballad of Billie Jo McKay

There’s something enjoyable about listening to the basics of a vocalist and his guitar painting a lyrical work of art. This track allow you to listen to the natural sound of an acoustic guitar and feel the emotion of vocalist. Listening to music should invoke passion, or at the least, some type of personal reaction.

by Steve Crowe

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/10_popular_audio_demos/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – ”We may be a few dollars more than the competition, but we are a million times better”.

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Where Are All the 3D Blu-rays?

CIS - Charlotte & Boone NC's #1 Samsung 3d HDTV Dealer!

C.I.S. - Call Us For A Free In-home Consultation On Your Next A/V Project!

With 3D displays garnering more and more customer interest, where are all the 3D Blu-ray movie titles?

Full HD 3D displays and 3D capable Blu-ray disc players started hitting store shelves back in March. Displays are currently available from Samsung and Panasonic, with models from Sony, LG and others coming later this year. 3D is by far the biggest buzz-word in the industry right now and consumer electronics manufacturers are hoping to ride it to increased sales as economic recovery slowly comes our way. Unfortunately, there’s one major part of this equation missing: CONTENT!

Going on two months into the 3D revolution there is exactly one theatrical release available on digital native 3D Blu-ray disc. And that release, Monsters vs. Aliens, isn’t even available in wide release. The only way to get it is in Samsung’s 3D Starter Kit. Sadly, there have been more announcements of popular 3D theatrical releases that will not receive 3D Blu-ray releases than those that will. No Avatar. No Alice in Wonderland. My fingers are crossed for no Clash of the Titans.

So, how can manufacturers, retailers and installers expect to sell 3D displays and players when there so little actual content available? On the flip side, why would studios go to the effort of producing digital 3D content when there’s no installed equipment base? It’s hard to sell 3D discs when no one has the equipment to use it. 

The reasons for buying a 3D display are a bit easier to rationalize. If you’re buying a display anyway, why not be ready for what’s next? Comparing similar displays with and without 3D capabilities (like the 2D Samsung UN46C6500 and 3D Samsung UN46C7000), you’re looking at paying around a 20% premium for the 3D capabilities.  Beyond viewing native 3D Blu-ray content, you’re also able to convert 2D-to-3D on the fly which can provide a surprisingly impressive effect. If you’re buying just for future-proofing yourself, you don’t even have to buy a 3D Blu-ray player and/or glasses until you feel there’s enough content to justify.

These types of arguments won’t, however, push early-adopters to upgrade. To get people to upgrade specifically for 3D, not just pay a premium when buying a display anyway, you’re going to need content.  Without it, there’s no way to justify the upgrade. This is the market that is going mainly untapped. To push people to upgrade, the content is the reason and right now it’s just not there.

So why is the content missing? It’s not because 3D content doesn’t exist. The rising popularity of 3D theatrical releases should be all the proof you need of that. The sad truth is the James Camerons of the world don’t want a 3D Blu-ray release to languish on shelves because no one has the equipment to view it. 3D Blu-Ray content is backwards-compatible with 2D Blu-ray players, but the studios will surely want to charge a premium for 3D content. Content providers aren’t going to release discs no one will buy because they haven’t upgraded to a 3D display, player and glasses.

Egg, meet chicken. Chicken, meet egg.

So how can the 3D industry as a whole break out of this impasse? There looks to be two courses of action currently being taken by the equipment manufacturers and studios. The first is the exclusive pack-in. Samsung has Monsters vs. Aliens and, in the second half of the year, should be offering the first three Shrek movies as exclusive pack-ins with their 3D gear. In the U.S., Panasonic is including a generic nature and travel demo disc with their 3D display packages, but European buyers will be treated to Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Coraline. 

Pack-ins will become more varied and prevalent as more manufacturers bring new models to market. While not content you can walk in Best Buy and pick off the shelf, it’s a start and gives potential buyers something to view out of the box as soon as they get their shiny new thing home.

The second strategy seems to be a ramp-up in the quality of available content. While not Avatar or Star Wars, there have been Q3 and Q4 announcements for several 3D Blu-ray titles including Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, A Christmas Carol, Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D, and two Magic series travel logs. These aren’t the kinds of titles that will make a format successful or directly sell displays. 

What these kinds of titles do offer, however, is shelf space and customer awareness of 3D. As awareness and interest grow, so will display sales. As display sales grow, so will content catalogs. It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s one we might just have to churn through for the next year before we start seeing high-profile theatrical releases getting the 3D Blu-ray treatment.

As much as I love 3D for the fun and immersion it brings to movie viewing, I can’t jump up on a soap box and tell you that you’ll see your favorite film on 3D Blu-ray any time soon. It’s going to be a slow ramp up, just like Blu-ray, HDTV and even DVD. You’ll need to make your judgment on when it’s the right time to jump in the content/equipment meat grinder, but sooner or later we’ll get a really tasty 3D meatball.

by Stephen Hopkins

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/where_are_all_the_3d_blu-rays/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte and Boone NC’s Source For Samsung, Panasonic & Sharp 3D HDTV Sales, Support & Installation!

Posted in 3d movies, 3D TV, Blu-ray, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, Media Rooms, Music and Movies, News, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Auton Under-Bed TV Lift a Dreamy Solution

CIS - Charlotte, NC's Source For Auton Automation Solutions!

CIS - Charlotte, NC's Source For Auton Automation Solutions!

When you’re not watching TV, the Dream Machine can hide it under your bed at the press of a button.

Sometimes you just don’t have the right wall for mounting a TV. And sometimes you just want to keep the views out of your bedroom window intact, whether they’re looking out on a beach, a city skyline or mountainside.

Auton may have the designer-friendly solution for your viewing needs. Keep your vistas pristine, and keep your TV out of the way when you don’t want to watch it—the company’s Dream Machine under-bed TV lift does the manual labor for you.

We see plenty of TV hide-away solutions that stow a set within the ceiling or bed footboard. The Dream Machine utilizes today’s super-thin TVs to fold them up and tuck them under the bed (or other place you’re looking to save space).

With the press of its wireless remote, the lift will quietly raise your TV out and up from under the bed and into a favored preset viewing height. From there it’s not only viewable from the bed, but anywhere else in the room because it can swivel 180 degrees in either direction. Then it’ll fold back up and under again to its original position with another click.

The Dream Machine can hold up to 120 pounds, more than enough for today’s light-weight flat panels, and it slides on polyurethane wheels under the bed so no worries about installation hassles or floor scratching.

Check with your local Auton dealer or custom electronics pro for more.

CIS - Charlotte, NC's Source For Auton Dream Machine Bed Lift

by Arlen Schweiger

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/auton_under-bed_tv_lift_a_dreamy_solution/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte and Asheville NC’s Source For Auton Automation Products!

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Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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