Spring and summer are great times to catch up on your favorite TV shows, sports games and movies. We have spring break to look forward to, as well as summer vacations and parties. A great way to entertain friends and family in your Charlotte, NC home as well as enjoy your outdoor spaces is to add a TV or home theater system to your backyard. Initially, outdoor audio video may sound more involved and complicated than it is, but you can trust us to install the right system that works for your family and lasts years into the future. Keep reading to learn more.

SEE ALSO: Light Up Your Porch, Pool, or Patio with Professional Landscape Lighting

Outdoor TVs

A typical TV would never survive outside. The sun, wind and rain would destroy the device. However, audio video installation companies have exclusive relationships with dealers that provide weather-resistant audio/video. Our partners Seura and Sunbrite have TVs that can withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures, moisture and an ultra-bright sun. Take for example Seura’s Storm Ultra Bright Television. Created for super sunny areas on your deck or by the pool, this TV plays crystal clear images in vivid color in the brightest sun. It has a triple lock seal to protect the device from all kinds of contaminants and rain, and can also operate in negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit. We know it never gets that cold in Charlotte, but it does show how these TVs can survive abnormal temperatures. Since it comes in a variety of sizes and can be mounted onto virtually any surface, you get to decide how big you want this incredible TV to be and where you want it to go. Imagine yourself catching a football game while you’re in the hot tub or enjoying a cocktail on your outdoor patio while watching a movie.

Outdoor Projectors and Screens

Stream A Collection of 4K Movies That You Actually Own

You’re in the mood to watch When Harry Met Sally. Or maybe it’s The Wolf of Wall Street. You check Netflix, Hulu—it’s not there to stream. Wasn’t it available before? You could rent the movie on Amazon, but really, it’s one of your favorite movies. Maybe you should just get it on Blu-ray…But you want to watch it tonight, and in the highest quality in your home theater.

Streaming, Blu-rays, and DVDs…There’s another option. A Kaleidescape movie player stores your digital collection of movies in 4K definition, with space for up to 360 films!

Unlike purchasing movies through on-demand, the media inside Kaleidescape’s home media systems are yours, no matter if you change service providers, TVs, or houses. Read on to see how it works and if it would be a fit for your Charlotte, NC home.

A Look at Sony, Samsung, and LG’s Latest Innovations

This year’s CEDIA Expo was held virtually, and while we would have loved to walk the floors to see the latest home technologies, we’re still excited about the new displays out this year. Sony, LG, and Samsung highlighted all-new TVs and projectors with innovative features to improve entertainment quality.

Read on to see what’s new from CEDIA and how an audio/video installer like The Integrated Home can bring that high-end magic to your Cornelius, NC home.

Maybe you are adept enough to hang a flat-screen TV on the wall, or set up some speakers in your living room for surround sound, but did you know there are a lot of perks to working with a local professional to install your AV (other than not having to do the work yourself)? Not only do we have exclusive technologies and luxury brands that you can’t find in a local store, but we also have decades of experience creating the very best media rooms and home theaters – suited for your exact needs and desires. From organizing all your content, simplifying controls, and streaming and controlling media to or from any location, The Integrated Home is your local audio video installer in Charlotte, NC who knows exactly how to create the best home entertainment setup. 

SEE ALSO: The Best Home Theater Systems for Your Charlotte Living Room

1. Boost the Quality of Your AV

Here is a common occurrence: you buy a brand new flat-screen TV, you bring it home and discover the sound is never loud enough. The picture looks really nice, but you have to turn up the volume to the maximum level just to hear the movie. The truth is that the thinner TVs become, the worse the speakers perform. The average flat-screen TV has two speakers that are just barely larger than the size of a quarter. With speakers that size, you can't expect to hear anything at a proper level, not to mention you won’t feel immersed in the action like you want.

While adding a surround sound system is a great option, if you don't have the budget or space for a full 5.1.2 or 7.1.2 system, a high-quality soundbar will do the trick in the meantime. Add a soundbar by a quality manufacturer like Sonos and you can turn up the volume as loud as you like and will notice the difference in clarity. Give us a call and we can mount this beautiful soundbar in your living room. When you’re ready, we can add on to your system at any time – like upgrading your TV to 4K or installing a full Dolby Atmos surround sound system.

2. Easily Control Content in Every Room

One of the great features of having a smart AV system is easily switching content from room to room. For example, you’ll be able to start a movie in the living room, pause it, and then pick up exactly where you left off upstairs. Play a different channel in every room of your home – inside or outside – or the same program on all the screens. Control4 has various audio and high definition video distribution switches and controllers to scale to the size of your house. So it doesn’t matter if you have 15 TVs or three, we have the right equipment to meet your needs.

The holidays are just around the corner, as we’ll enjoy a cozy stretch of get-togethers with mashed potatoes and homemade cookies. Whether you regularly host family at your house or will do so for the first time this year, you’ll want to be sure everyone has a time to remember. From Thanksgiving football games to Christmas music, we often incorporate audio and video into our celebrations. If you’ve meant to upgrade your home entertainment systems, consider this your year to shine.

Why? We’ll share the latest in display and audio options below. That way, you’ll spread holiday cheer through great music and video in your Charlotte, NC home.

SEE ALSO: Want Music Playing Throughout Your Whole Property?  

A Clear View at Any Angle

Whether the game is on after Thanksgiving dinner or you’re watching another rerun of A Christmas Story, it’s never looked better than on a Sony OLED screen. Your guests will marvel at the picture quality, viewing deeper blacks than ever for accurate color depiction. OLED screens are lit differently than other displays; rather than illuminating from a backlight, each individual pixel is self-illuminating. That adds up to over 8 million individually controlled pixels. Even during the daytime, you’ll view images clearly from a side angle, so guests gathered around the room can still see. Plus, the ultra-thin screen’s rapid response time makes for excellent motion handling when watching sports.  

Jolly Audio for Everyone

While folks mingle and sip cocoa, they’ll want to enjoy timeless tunes by Nat King Cole or newer classics like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But if your current audio setup only covers one room, that means friends and relatives across the house will be separated from the holiday cheer. With a multi-room audio system, high-quality tunes will play in synchronization in every room.

Whether you’re a big Charlotte Hornets fan or look forward to the Duke vs. Carolina basketball games all year, a professional whole house video system can enhance your experience watching sports at home. Instead of going to the local sports bar, create your own custom sports den for enjoying those big games. A custom home theater, media room, or even a bigger TV with a quality sound bar can serve as the perfect environment for cheering on your team. Keep reading to discover how you can tailor your home with the best video system for all your favorite sports events.

SEE MORE: Access More Content in Your Home with a Whole House Audio/Video System

Watch Multiple Games at Once

There are few places where you can watch baseball, football, and basketball at once. Most sports fans go to a local bar, but why go out all the time when you can catch multiple games at once in the comfort of your own home? A video wall would be the best setup for you--multiple TV screens installed next to each other to form one giant display. You can play six games at once or one on all of them to make a massive image. A professional can install exactly what you want and customize your home to your individual preferences. And, since you are in complete control, you don’t have to ask the bartender to change the station. A smart home system will make it easy for you to switch between games at any time.

Enjoy the Action on the Biggest Screen

The trajectory for 2017 is quite clear: voice control will become the new way to manage your home. Energy management systems will also become even more of a priority and 4K technology will continue to grow in popularity. Is you smart home ready for these updates? It’s possible that you need a professional to come in and replace some of the devices you’re currently using to support certain technologies. Keep reading this blog to discover the possibilities for 2017 smart home updates. 

SEE ALSO: 3 Signs Your Smart Home Needs an Update

Voice Control

Some people believe that the best feature of a media room or custom home theater is the picture quality, or the audio.  While those are certainly the standard, and some of the most fun aspects, we’d like to inform you about the additional perks of having a whole house video system in your Charlotte, North Carolina home.  From simplifying controls, organizing all of your content, and streaming media to any location, The Integrated Home, as your local residential AV installer, knows exactly how to create the best home entertainment system.  

SEE ALSO: 3 Benefits of Hiring a Professional Audio Video Installer

#1 Reduce clutter.

When you work with our team, you have the advantage of getting rid of clutter and organizing all of your different media devices. We’ll place streaming players, cable boxes, Blu-ray players and more in a storage area so that it’s out of sight and won’t disrupt your beautiful home decor. Our crew installs professional equipment racks, which are efficient and neatly organized so your wires are never a mess. Instead of purchasing five Blu-ray players for all your spaces with TVs, you can just use one and distribute the same movie throughout your home. For example, you can play the same movie on all the screens, or play the basketball game on one, a movie on a second, and a TV show on another. It’s up to you to choose which sources you like, and it’s up to us to make it simple and effective.

#2 Pick up where you left off in any room.

One of the great features of using Control4 products is easily switching content between rooms. For example, you’ll be able to start a movie in the bedroom, pause it, and then pick up exactly where you left off in the living room. Control4 has different high-definition video distribution switches and controllers to fit the size of your property. So it doesn’t matter if you have 15 TV’s or three, we have the perfect equipment to meet your needs.

#3 Simplify your controls.

Do you like pressing buttons or swiping screens? Whether you prefer to select a show on a tablet, or choose a channel with buttons, we have plenty of options suited for your personal style.  For example, Control4 has a universal remote that not only displays your favorite channels on an HD display, but also includes back-lit buttons you can press. It also allows you to control your shades, climate, lights, and security system. Control coffee table clutter, and get rid of those extra apps too with the SR-260 handheld remotes.  Extremely light weight, these remotes have an incredibly fast response time. You’ll be able to set the thermostat, turn on CNN, and lower the shades with the same intuitive device.

With so many new technologies on the market today, you may wonder if it's really worth it to upgrade your home theater system with the newest features in your Charlotte, North Carolina home. We are here to tell you that 4K TVs and the Kaleidescape Movie Server are some of the best products you can add to your family room right now that are well worth the effort. Read on to learn about why 4K is here to stay.

SEE ALSO: Enhance Your Home Theater with a Control4 System Installation

4K TVS

You may be wondering if upgrading to 4K is really worth it. After all, why do all the work of setting up a new home theater system if you like the one you have? The truth is that the newest models of 4K TVs have all of the latest enhancements, including high-contrast, brightness, depth of color, high frame rates, and of course – high resolution. TVs that are in UHD have four times the amount of pixels than HD. This means that you can sit just a few feet away from the screen and not see any of those 8 million pixels. UHD TVs are so detailed and clear that they almost look 3D, like the picture is popping out at you. Also, available 4K content is growing at a rapid pace. UHD Blu-rays were released at CES 2016, and Netflix, VUDU, and Amazon Prime have already started developing 4K content beyond what they already have available for viewing. You can also purchase many 4K movies through the new Kaleidescape Movie Server Strato.

Kaleidescape

The relationship between the projector and a screen in a home theater is important. You need just the right match up to get the best picture. Unlike a TV that you can simply hang on the wall, this home theater system setup requires more attention to detail, but the results will be well worth it. You can enjoy a large image and crystal clear picture quality in your Charlotte, NC home. Stick around to get the full scoop on our blog.

Dedicated Theaters

If your system is going to be installed in a closed room, like a basement or extra bedroom, then you don’t have to worry about where the projector is going to be positioned or light affecting the image on screen (unless there are tons of windows in the room). Dedicating a room to enjoying entertainment gives you more control over the environment so the setup is more straightforward. Our team will install the projector at the back of the room and position the screen across from it according to the size of the room and the technical specifications.

Recommendations:

Sony 4K Home Cinema Projector: Sony offers a number of great 4K projectors for the home that include native 4K quality, high lumens count for brightness, and detailed high-dynamic range.

Setting up a home theater system goes way beyond just installing a surround sound system and projector and screen. You need to consider how every aspect of the room will affect your movie-watching experience. After all, when you go to the local movie theater in Charlotte, North Carolina, you sit in a completely dark room on professional seats. The room has also been designed and tested to ensure the acoustics are perfect. The good news is that by working with a local professional like The Integrated Home, you can optimize your own home by the same standards of the big cinemas. Here are the three main aspects of your room that you need to consider to get the best experience in home entertainment.

SEE MORE: Transform Your Living Room into a Home Theater with Media Room Designs

Eliminate Glare in the Room

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed crowds of people rush to the nearest stores to purchase a 4K TV for their home theater or media room. Many people want to have the very best picture on the market for their Lake Norman, NC residence, and it’s no wonder why when they see such beautiful images on a UHD screen. Yet some homeowners are still not getting the best picture with their home theater system because their settings aren’t right, their cables aren’t compatible, or their system doesn’t match the content specifications. In this blog, we are going to cover exactly what you need to get the most out of your 4K TV or projector. 

SEE ALSO: Transform Your Living Room into a Home Theater with Media Room Designs

Cables

The most common issue we see in homes is not having the right cables in the home theater or media room. Ultra High Definition technology is four times the resolution of HD, or 1080 pixels, and that means your cables need to support four times the information. Add HDR into the equation and you could experience a downscaled signal or even no picture at all. You need to upgrade your cables to ensure you have the proper amount of bandwidth. Using the right cables is essential for all of the devices in your home theater, including the UHD Blu-ray player and cable box. For any devices contained within the theater, say a local UHD Blu-ray player, you can connect them with HDMI 2.0 cables. For any hardware racked neatly in the basement, you’ll want to fortify your signal with fiber optic cables which, unlike HDMI 2.0, can transmit 4K signals over long distances.

Many homeowners in North Carolina come into the world of smart automation because they want a top-of-the-line dedicated home theater. But while you might have the stunning new Sony 4K projector and the latest Dolby Atmos surround sound system from Integra and Monitor Audio, you still may not be getting the best entertainment experience. 

We highly recommend a Control4 system installation to make accessing your entertainment and controlling your space simple and convenient. With Control4, you have unprecedented access to all of the features that can make your home theater experience unforgettable. Read on to find out how The Integrated Home can enhance your entertainment space.

Set the Scene for Movie Night

Picture this: you settle down in your home theater ready to watch your favorite movie. Now all you need to do is dim the lights, lower the screen and projector, raise the volume on your surround sound system and start the movie. Now imagine that you can do all of this with the touch of a single button, so all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your favorite flick. A Control4 system installation makes this possible by giving you the ability to save specific settings for future use. For example, program the lights to dim to a low level, set the volume to level 10, and the shades to lower. Once you create the scene, you can use it again and again using a mobile device like a phone or tablet. In just one touch, you’re ready for the perfect movie night.

Go all the Way with 4K Ultra HD

Have you cut your cable cord yet? While many families still pay for a monthly cable service, many are opting out for video streaming subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and more. Each one has its own unique content and different options for streaming quality. So how do you choose which video streaming device you use to play all the content you love on your home theater system? Read this guide to get a sense of what each one has to offer. We have Kaleidescape, Roku and VUDU for you to choose from.

SEE ALSO: How to Get the Most out of Your Home Theater

 1. Kaleidescape

Kaleidescape is a movie server that houses 4K and HD content for you to rent or purchase. However, instead of streaming the movie (which involves playing content over an Internet connection) you download it first and then play it. Streaming content will never be as good as playing a digital file or disc because it relies on the stability of the Internet connection to perform well, and the truth is that isn’t always up to par. Plus, when you play content locally, your TV or projector already has all of the information it needs to produce the picture so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t show you everything it should. Another benefit of using Kaleidescape is that you can keep your movie collection on a digital platform instead of using up precious space in your house. That way you can browse through you most beloved films as well as new ones all on the same platform.

2. Roku

Some people like to shop on Black Friday so they can snatch up those amazing deals, while others avoid the stores like the plague because of the massive crowds. For the families who want to avoid the lines, there’s always Cyber Monday. But if you are a techie and want the best home theater products or smart home automation gadgets, you may be hard-pressed to find what you are looking for – even online. Sometimes retail stores make price cuts on those hot items, but most of the time they are trying to get rid of older TV models or less-than stellar tablets. But if you want only the highest-quality products and trustworthy brands, come to The Integrated Home in the Lake Norman, North Carolina area. You’ll never be disappointed with your purchase or wonder if there was a better item out there. We have exclusive partnerships with the best brands in the audio/video business—so you’ll never find them at the shop around the corner. Keep reading to see our list of the best products you won’t find on November 25th.

SEE ALSO: Enjoy Hands-free Automation with Amazon’s Alexa

Lutron Shades: Perhaps you want to spruce up your home with new décor accents, but you also want the convenience of living in a connected home. Instead of buying those discounted curtains, invest in motorized shades by Lutron. Why? Lutron is the number-one trusted brand for lighting and shading products. As a matter of fact, their founder invented the dimmer. With Lutron shades, you’ll be able to lift and lower your window coverings using a remote, mobile app, or keypad on the wall. You also won’t have to sacrifice style since they offer hundreds of styles and fabric selections.

Screen Innovations: Have you ever bought a flat-screen TV, brought it home and then were disappointed by the performance? Or maybe it just didn’t fit the room just right. Screen Innovations has beautiful screens for your living room that beat many TVs on the market. Their Black Diamond model displays vivid picture in broad daylight, without glare. You can leave your windows open on a sunny afternoon and watch a movie or football game in crystal clear picture. When you work with The Integrated Home, you also have the option of hiding your home theater system. We can add a motorized lift to conceal your screen so that it’s displayed only when you use it.

Control4 Remote: There are so many universal remotes at retail stores, but they can’t reliably control your entire smart home. You need a professional integrator to make this possible. Control4 has a smart hand-held remote that can change the temperature, lighting, shading, security, and of course the TV channel. Wouldn’t it be great if you could dim the lights in the living room and turn the channel at the same time? With this exclusive control device you can.