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 More Ways to Hide TVs

Pop up, slide out or drop down, there are hideaway options for every type of screen.

Are you looking for a way to hide your new flat-panel TV or projection screen?

If our first roundup of “8 Ways to Hide a TV” didn’t do the trick, we’ve compiled 10 more creative solutions for you to consider.

Hide the TV over the fireplace, slide a TV out from the wall, or have a projection screen roll down from the ceiling.

Pop up, slide out or drop down, there are hideaway options for every type of TV and projection screen.

Bubbling with A/V

CIS - Asheville NC's Choice for High End TV installation!
This homeowner can watch TV in the bathroom from a 30-inch Mitsubishi set that lowers and rotates on a ceiling lift. Because of the rotating lift, the TV can be watched from the shower (not pictured). In-ceiling speakers are installed above each side of the dual-sided vanity, allowing the homeowner to tap into FM, AM, XM and hard-drive-based music stored on a Kaleidescape system.

Great Room Secrets

CIS - Charlotte, NC's Source For High End TV Installation
A custom-crafted motorized lift allows a 55-inch plasma TV in the great room to be raised or lowered at the push of a button from the Crestron touchpanel. The room’s audio is well-concealed, too, with in-wall speakers and subwoofers installed behind the bookshelves.

Maximizing Kitchen Space

C.I.S. - Who Charlotte Calls For The Best High End TV Installations
To maximize every square inch of space in their kitchen, the homeowners stowed a 32-inch Sharp LCD TV inside the cabinet by the computer table. Pressing a button on a Crestron touchpanel engages a motorized platform which lifts the set out of its hiding place.

Concealed in the Bedroom

CIS : Custom Electronics Installations Tailored For Each Client.........
TVs play the now-you-see-them, now-you-don’t game in the master suite of this home. A 42-inch Runco plasma can lift and swivel out of the bed’s foot-board when the homeowners want to watch, but stays concealed otherwise.

Dual Screens Tucked Away

CIS - Serving The Greater Charlotte Area With Only The Best in Custom Installation Services
At first glance, it’s a cozy family room and there doesn’t appear to be TV. Then presto, there are actually two viewing options—a 110-inch drop-down screen, or a 50-inch plasma in the corner cabinet.

Hidden Music Stage

CIS in Charlotte, NC Rocks!!!
This 120-inch-wide CinemaScope Screen Research display accepts a picture from a JVC D-ILA RS2 projector. The screen and center channel speaker rise to show a fully-equipped band area for live music shows.

Over the Fireplace

CIS - Asheville, NC's First Choice For Samsung HDTV sales, Service and Installation
Rather than have their fireplace take a backseat to a 65-inch Runco plasma, the homeowners reveal the TV only when it is powered on. The rest of the time it hides behind a retractable panel that looks seamless within the rest of the fireplace’s facade. In-ceiling SpeakerCraft speakers also stay unobtrusive except when called upon to drop down and tilt toward the listening area for background music and movie surround sound.
On Track

C.I.S. - Charlotte's Source For High End Hi-fi Home Electronics!
On command from an AMX touchpanel, a motorized Trak-kit track in the ceiling slides a 50-inch Runco plasma display from a pocket in the wall into view. The TV can be electronically rotated to face different viewing areas.

Rolling Down From Ceiling

CIS - Ashville, NC's 1st Choice For High End Home Electronics And Audio Distribution
When it’s movie time or the kickoff of a big game, this 110-inch Da-Lite screen concealed in the ceiling slats rolls down at the press of a button on the Crestron touchpanel remote, and all is well.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

CIS is Charlotte, NC's 1st Choice For Distributed Audio and High End Home Electronics
The bedroom’s Samsung display is mounted behind a two-way mirror, so the TV can only be seen when it’s on.

by EH Staff

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

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Audio/Video Sales, Service and Installation in North Carolina and South Carolina

Posted in 3d movies, 3D TV, Audio Systems, Automation, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, Media Rooms, Music and Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


URC KP-4000 Touchscreen Taps into IP Network

CIS : Asheville, NC's Source For URC Controls!

CIS : Charlotte, NC's Source For URC Controls!

Control pretty much anything on your IP network, including distributed audio with metadata, and subsystems throughout the house.

Accessing and selecting media stored on your home network is almost a must these days if you want a full entertainment system experience. More receivers and Blu-ray players are handing you access to PC files, but for whole-home command over everything—including other potentially networkable systems like lighting and energy management—you’ll need something more robust.

That’s where URC (the artist formerly known as Universal Remote Control) is coming into play with its new Network Keypad System, which includes the KP-4000 touchscreen and MRX-1 base station designed to facilitate control of “virtually anything on an IP home network—including A/V components like multizone A/V receivers, energy management devices, PCs, iPods and whole-house lighting—via preprogrammed, drag-and-drop 2-way modules,” according to URC.

For connections and two-way control of iTunes (Mac- or PC-based), for example, the KP-4000 will be able to display iPod-like metadata such as cover art, song title, artist and album info.

Other RSS feeds will be able to keep homeowners in tune throughout the house with the latest news, sports, weather and stock info, while URC plans on adding modules for climate, energy management, IP cameras and security panels.

For installers who program the touchpanel, the KP-4000 is sure to make controls simple on homeowners as one-touch macros can employ up to 255 steps. Plus, it won’t matter exactly where media such as music files are stored—a My Music module combines iTunes files with Windows Media Player content (which also enables you to play FLAC lossless tunes) for robust distributed audio and playlists.

With the MRX-1 base station, the KP-4000 can deliver commands to IR, RS-232 and relay components to enable controls over motorized projector mounts, TV lifts, and drapes and shades, for example.

The KP-4000 runs for $599 MSRP, available in white now and later black or light almond; the MRX-1 has an MSRP of $399.

by Arlen Schweiger

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/urc_kp-4000_touchscreen_taps_into_ip_network/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Audio/Video Sales, Service and Installation in North Carolina and South Carolina

Posted in Automation, Home Theater, lighting control, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Smart House Keeps Owners Cool
 

CIS : Asheville, NC's Choice For Home Automation Needs!

CIS : Charlotte, NC's Choice For Home Automation Needs!

Full integration, including lots of motorized shade controls, make this home run smoothly.

These homeowners were building their “dream home” in Winter Park. So why not add some dream home electronics systems to really bring out the best in it?

They enlisted a local custom electronics pro to outfit the 6-bedroom, 6.5-bath residence, and the installers served up a suite of security, lighting, audio, video, window treatment control, outdoor screen control, entry gate control, network, telephone and video monitoring.

According to Smart House’s William Leaton, the mandate from the homeowners was pretty simple. “The integration of the systems must be intuitive. They did not want to have to refer to an owner’s manual of call us for instructions,” he says. “The need to control the systems from multiple locations was a key requirement. We provided the owners the ability to control their entire home from wall touchpanels, wireless touchpads, their laptop computers, as well as their PDA cell phones.”

The installation incorporated technologies and products from manufacturers such as HomeLogic, CentraLite, Elan, Mitsubishi, Vutec, KEF and Denon.

Also, not only did Smart House make operation of everything easy and convenient, they made sure the precious electronics were well protected from any potential power problems. “The entire central control center is powered through a UPS and the entire house has a backup power generator,” Leaton says. “The cable and telephone service feeds go through surge protection prior to distribution to the systems in the house. All the televisions and computer system in the house have surge protection devices to minimize damage from power fluctuation.”

Here’s a more in-depth explanation of each of the home’s systems, courtesy of Leaton:

Security System – The system has multiple communication ports that provide the required flexibility and control. It provides different looks and scenes when armed. The system is directly integrated with the lighting control, automated window dressing, front gate control and the security video monitoring system.

Front Gate Control – This system is integrated not only with the security system, but also with the garage roll up doors and the data network system. When the owners set the alarm, the security system checks to see if the garage doors were left open. If the doors are open, it will give a command to close the doors. The owner can monitor the security video cameras for the front gate from any of their control devices, even when they are away from their home. If the owner’s receive a telephone call on their cell phone from someone requesting to get access to the house they can view a camera from their cell phone and see the person at the gate. Then they can then open the gate for the visitor.

Lighting Control – This system is designed to supplement the way the house is used. The lights integrate with other systems to create scenes for special functions. This would include setting lights scenes for entertaining, pathway lighting, mood settings and burglar alarm.

Automatic Window Treatment – This system is integrated to enhance various scenes. In the morning all the automatic window treatments on the east side of the house close until the sun is overhead. Later in the afternoon when the sun is on the west side of house the window treatment will close until one hour before sunset. The shades and drapes randomly close and open when the house is set in the armed mode. When in arm mode the schedule changes constantly in order to appear that someone is in the house. There are drop down screens in front of each of the doors exits that go to the lanai area. The screens are integrated with the lighting system. There are dedicated control buttons on the light switches adjacent to each of the exits. There is no need to go to a touch pad in order to open the drapes; it is done right at the door.

Motorized Outdoor Screen – Each outdoor screen is individually controlled or used as part of an integrated scene.

Swimming Pool and Spa Controls – The swimming pool has some unique water features that are activated by the control scenes on the touch pad controllers, network computers or the owner cell phone. The owner has the ability to turn on the spa and set it to a desired temperature directly from his cell phone.

Security Video Monitoring – This system monitors critical areas of the house interior and exterior. The video cameras are networked. This allows the owners to view their home from anywhere in the world with a network connection or cell signal. The cameras are integrated with the security system. In the case of an alarm, all of the video is recorded on to a network storage system for later review.

Video and Music Entertainment and Distribution System – This system is integrated with the home televisions and the whole house audio system. All the audio and HD video are stored in a single location. This media can be distributed to individual rooms in the house. The audio system is also integrated with the phones for paging and answering the front door and gate intercoms.

Network – This is the key to the success of the integration of components in this project. This works because the subsystems are IP based. This allows for easy future expansion and changes as technology evolves.

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

CIS - Asheville, NC's #1 Choice For Motorized Shades!

by Arlen Schweiger

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/smart_house_keeps_florida_owners_cool/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Audio/Video Sales, Service and Installation in North Carolina and South Carolina

Posted in Automation, Home Theater, lighting control, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
Visit Our Partners: DV Wise Custom Homes | CleanX Corp

 


 

 

 

 

Website Hosting and Website Design by McBryde Web Site Design
For technical issues e-mail webmaster@mcbryde.com