StreamLife Blog

Recovering from the Trust Deficit

Kurt Yeager — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:36:28 GMT

Many prospective clients and trade partners we talk with these days are voicing a consistent theme: keep it basic. This trend is not surprising, but it is important to understand the underlying causes. One big reason is that in these uncertain economic times, people are spending their hard-earned money more cautiously. Rare are the days when a client would turn the systems designer loose with an unlimited budget. But I think it goes deeper than that. The residential systems industry has run up a trust deficit. Many people who have purchased expensive AV and automation systems have had bad experiences, having paid a premium for complex, over-hyped technology that can be difficult to use and often unreliable. And system changes can be very costly--sometimes even painful--when something as simple as replacing a DVD player can take hours of re-programming. Beyond that some installers have made it difficult for their clients to gain access to their system software files, further restricting their ability to replace equipment or hire a different installation company.

So we installers have to offer systems that are simpler, deliver more value and are backed with superior service and support. We have to design more basic systems for our clients and we need to spend the extra time necessary to get them working reliably. This can be a bit challenging for us. For one thing, we're techies and we like to install systems that have all the latest features. We may assume--incorrectly--that our customers have the same level of tolerance for glitches and the ability to figure it out on their own. Secondly, our business models have historically relied on maximizing equipment sales to make a profit. And traditional sales training taught us to lead with bigger project scopes, then remove features if the cost is too high for the client's budget. These old approaches are proving to be ineffective in today's environment and they can further add to the trust deficit. So when a prospective client comes to us and says, "I just want basic and simple," we need to listen really carefully. What they tell us may not be our idea of the best system but it's really important to hear their input and be thoughtful in our response to it.

We're learning that the new winning formula for installing home audio/video and automation is to start with basic systems, simple controls, modest budgets, and design for future possibilities. Then we can lay out some options for equipment upgrades or greater functionality. When the installation is done we need to test it thoroughly, provide documentation and make access to the software easier. This gives more control to the homeowner and it fosters a greater level of trust going forward. As with any business, trust is earned, and we have some work to do to recover from the deficit that some of the players in our industry have created. At StreamLife we are striving to be the best by offering our clients honest, competent and reliable home systems design and installation services.

Want More Control in Your Life?

Kurt Yeager — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:28:01 GMT

One of the most important aspects of a good home entertainment system is the universal remote. A universal remote allows you to control all the different components of your system--TV, surround sound receiver, satellite or cable box, DVR, DVD player and more--with one control device. With the touch of a button, the remote should turn on all the required components, switch them to their correct settings, and then control them all as needed. Then you can put away all the original factory remotes in a box and store them in your closet. A high quality, well-programmed remote can be the difference between a system that is easy to use for the whole family and one that is a source of frustration.

There are different styles and types of universal remotes, with professional models starting at under $500. With optional equipment, you can operate your systems through cabinet doors or even walls, so your hardware can be concealed or in another room. When installed with more sophisticated back-end control systems these devices can operate your lighting, window shades, thermostat, pool, spa and more, all from a single application. And now some control systems can be programmed to use the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone from Apple, giving you even more powerful, versatile and elegant control over your entertainment world.

Most pro remotes have custom programmed buttons with bright, easy-to-read icons to perform your most frequent activities, like "Watch Cable TV" or "Listen to iTunes" and some have touch screens. Models that have rechargeable batteries with charging cradles or power plugs are very convenient and more environmentally friendly. There are "wand" style remotes that can be held with one hand and "tablet" styles that require two-handed operation.

While some consumer "do it yourself" models can work pretty well, they often require a lot of tinkering to get them to perform consistently. The best option for most people is to buy a remote from an AV professional and have the installer program it for your particular home system. An experienced programmer knows how to deal with the unique characteristics of your AV equipment and home environment to give you a device that performs to your expectations. Even then it may take some follow up to "fine tune" the remote to your liking and achieve consistent, reliable performance.

So if you want to clean up your coffee table, make your home entertainment system easy to use for the whole family, or just want a little more control in your life, consider investing in a good universal remote. For more information, call us at StreamLife and we'll be to happy to assist you.

3D or Not to 3D, That is the Question

Kurt Yeager — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:03:48 GMT

3D movies are making a comeback, as evidenced by the amazing box office success of James Cameron's 20th Century Fox release, Avatar. Now manufacturers of consumer electronics, like Samsung, are starting to introduce new products that are "3D ready."

To watch a 3D movie at home, you need a new 3D-capable TV, a 3D Blu-ray player, a 3D Blu-ray disc and a pair of new 3D glasses. The new 3D glasses are different from the old ones you may remember. Instead of using polaroid lenses with two different colored filters, the new technology employs electronic "shutters" that rapidly open and close at a high frequency (240 Hz) to dynamically reveal specially produced images projected from the TV screen. The effect is literally "eye popping" and it can really add to the experience for those who want more stimulation from their home movie watching.

For others it may be a little overstimulating. Some viewers have reported minor headaches after watching a full-length feature film in 3D, likely due to the extra work required by the eyes and the brain to process all the extra data. Some people may not really enjoy the higher degree of stimulation, opting instead for a more relaxed viewing experience. Not quite as bad as Max Headroom's "blipverts", but for some it may feel like a head explosion.

Yahoo recently released a pretty good summary of 3D TV written by Consumer Reports (7 Things You Need to Know about 3D TV). Aside from the obvious benefits of 3D, you may want to consider other factors. One potential problem is that if you are showing a movie in 3D, everyone in the room needs to watch it in 3D with glasses on. Without the glasses the picture will appear as a blur. And one should not expect visitors to have their own glasses, so you'll need to keep a few extra pairs on hand for group gatherings.

As of now, the only content available in 3D comes on Blu-ray discs (not yet Avatar). But the cable and satellite service providers can't be too far away from broadcasting 3D shows, especially sports and movies. As of this posting, there are two Samsung LED models shipping with 3D, a 55" and a 46" that sell for $3,299 and $2,599 respectively, or about $500-800 more than the closest non-3D models. So if you're planning to buy a new TV anytime soon, and you think you may want to have the option of watching 3D over the next couple years, it may be worth laying out the extra bucks now to buy a 3D TV.

Save Bucks with Home Electrical Power Management

Kurt Yeager — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:41:00 GMT

If you're looking for a way to learn where all of your electrical power is going and then do something about it, we have a great solution for you!

The eMonitor brings, for the first time, an affordable system that allows you to monitor the energy use on each individual circuit in the home – to better understand power consumption and take action to reduce it. Circuit-level monitoring, combined with a real-time, easy-to-use web interface puts you in total control of electricity use in your home. Now it is possible to track where energy dollars are going, learn how much it costs to use different appliances, and identify the kinds of savings that are achievable by making changes in the way energy is used.

Only the eMonitor enables you to: know how much has been spent so far this month on electricity – before getting a bill; find out where electricity has been “leaking” so the leaks can be plugged; discover the top electricity hogs in the house; be warned about overloaded circuits – before being left in the dark; learn what steps can be taken to reduce electric bills by 20% or more; and receive alerts of potential dangers, such as a stove being left on.

Your eMonitor can be viewed from any Mac or PC with a web browser. The soon-to-be-released iPhone application will let you check your power usage when you're away from your computer. And new features coming later in the year will include the ability to switch individual electrical outlets on and off and change your thermostat settings.

The eMonitor is only available through authorized resellers and StreamLife is one of the first in California to be able to offer this great new energy management solution. It was featured on "Ask This Old House" and has attracted a lot of interest all around the country. For more information visit our web site at www.streamlifehome.com.

Beyond iPod…Taking Digital Music to the Next Level

Kurt Yeager — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:58:00 GMT

The rapid rise of MP3 music players and Internet music services has transformed the industry and given people a great way of re-connecting with their favorite albums and artists. The problem often is that these music sources are only accessible on the laptop or mobile device. So how can we make our favorite tunes available on the home audio system so the whole family can enjoy it? Fortunately, there are some cool solutions that are fun, easy to use and don’t cost a fortune.

One of our favorites is SONOS^®, a digital network music system that packages a lot of great features for an affordable price (starting at $349). Sonos provides access to Internet music services including Napster, Pandora, Rhapsody and SIRIUS, plus it streams your local AM/FM radio stations with crystal clear reception. Sonos also lets you play MP3 music files directly from your networked computer or storage drive. It works on a proprietary wireless “mesh” network that makes it easy to install a multi-room audio system without running any new wires. The optional wireless controller has a really nice color touch-screen display that enables you to choose the music source, pick playlists, skip tracks, adjust volume and view cover art. With a free application download, your iPhone or iPod Touch becomes a wireless Sonos controller.

Now comes the integration part. The Sonos Zone Player can run standalone as a room system with its own speakers or it can be connected to your entertainment system and played through your existing speakers, bringing new life to your home audio. Pandora Radio makes a great party music source and you can control it from anywhere within your wireless network.

You can buy Sonos directly from the manufacturer at www.sonos.com. If you need installation help or want to integrate Sonos with other systems, consider buying it from an authorized Sonos dealer (we happen to be one!).

It's Not Easy Being Green

Kurt Yeager — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:15:00 GMT

It's Not Easy Being Green

You might think that it would be difficult or impossible to enjoy music and video entertainment through state-of-the art A/V equipment and be "green" at the same time. After all, these new plasma TVs, home theater and audio systems use a lot of power, right? And don't they continue to use power even when they're turned "off"? What about the materials used to produce the stuff?

Well, there's good news for environmentally conscious movie and music buffs (or those who just want to save a few bucks)! First, electronic equipment manufacturers are designing their products to reduce energy consumption and manufacturing them with earth-friendlier materials. A number of products that are available today, including flat panel displays, AV Receivers and DVD players, etc., are ENERGY STAR qualified. The average home has two TVs, three telephones, and a DVD player. If these items were replaced with ENERGY STAR qualified models, it would save over 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to that of more than 2 million cars.[1] And the pro models you can buy from custom installers often have longer life expectancies so they don't have to be disposed as frequently. When they finally do wear out, electronic components can be recycled for glass, plastics, and metals for use in new equipment manufacturing.

Wanna be even greener? You can achieve additional savings on your energy bill by managing the power consumption of your in-home systems. Audio/video equipment can be plugged into "intelligent" power management systems that allow you to cut the power to certain devices when not in use (like TVs and audio components) while leaving others on all the time (like your TiVo, DVR or satellite receiver). Installing dimmers on your interior lights will instantly reduce energy consumption by 15% and extends the life of incandescent light bulbs by 2-3 times, even when used at full brightness. So there's less going into the land fill.[2] And with a lighting control system you'll be able to monitor and control lights all over the house from one location.

If you really want to "dial in" on your energy consumption, you can purchase a home automation system that gives you a dash board for monitoring energy use, sets the schedules for thermostat, lighting and irrigation, raises and lowers window shades to conserve heating and cooling energy and even gives you the ability to remotely control your systems when you're away from home.

Want help? Call us to schedule a consultation about how to make your home electronics greener from "cradle to grave." Whether you're into green or not, you'll save energy costs and enjoy the latest and greatest technology in home entertainment, comfort and security!

[1] Source: ENERGY STAR

[2] Source: Lutron Electronics, Inc.

Return on Entertainment Investment

Kurt Yeager — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Think a good home theater system is too expensive? Think again. If you compare the cost of staying at home for pizza and a DVD to the cost of taking out a family of four for dinner and a movie, you may be pleasantly surprised. And with a good home theater system, you can enjoy the latest movies in HD and full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound in the comfort and security of your own living room. Spend more family time at home, get some quality time with the kids, or make it a romantic date night with your favorite person. When you entertain at home you can pause the movie anytime to take a rest break, talk to Auntie on the phone or refill the popcorn bowl!

At StreamLife, we offer high quality, custom installed 50'' 1080p home theater system packages starting at around $5,000. If you could save $150 for each night out, and you watch a movie twice a month, you could pay for your system in under eighteen months. And all of our systems are "family friendly"
and "future-proofed," designed with easy-to-use remote controls and the ability to expand down the road (for example, add a second zone of audio for some dining room or patio speakers, connect a game console, or start sharing digital media from your Mac or PC).

So here's a new ratio for the finance minded consumer. It's your Return On Entertainment Investment (ROEI). Give us a call for an appointment and let StreamLife show you how high your ROEI can go!

What's DownStream in Digital Media?

Kurt Yeager — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:18:00 GMT

Digital Media” (DM) has been hyped quite a bit, but many people are unclear about how to get the most out of it in their homes or businesses. We try to take the mystery out of digital media so more people can begin to enjoy their favorite music and videos at the touch of a button.

What is digital media?

In short, any music, videos or photos that are stored, transported or played in a format that resembles computer data (i.e., bits and bytes). The most common forms are CDs and DVDs, but we will soon likely see discs go the way of 8 Track tapes. The future for DM is downloading from the Internet and either streaming directly from the source or storing and playing from personal media servers or portable devices like iPods.

Music

On-line digital music services have been around a while.They include Apple iTunes Store, Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3 and others. Subscribers can purchase on-line and then store, organize and play their favorite music on a Mac, Windows PC or iPodThe music industry has moved almost completely to on-line downloading as a means of selling and distributing its content. If you are an audiophile and want higher music resolution, you can get "near CD" or CD quality players. The on-line download services are also expanding their offerings by making higher definition music files available to subscribers.

Movies

Blu-ray Disc is all the rage. Many people still favor the DVD as a medium and DVDs still offer the best selection. In addition to the eye-popping picture resolution there are improved sound tracks and other cool features. As an alternative to DVDs, video downloading is rapidly becoming "mainstream". Video On Demand (VOD) is available from the cable and satellite companies and there are new video download services from Netflix, Apple, Vudu, Hulu and Amazon. You can now rent or purchase videos and TV shows on-line over the Internet and play them on a media player or computer. Many titles are now available in HD (720por “HDX” (Blu-ray quality 1080p) if you have a fast Internet connection and the right AV equipment.

How can we help?

StreamLife offers trusted advice about how to start enjoying digital media in your home or business with a system that fits your lifestyle and budget.We sell and install systems that allow you to play your digital music or videos in one room or throughout the home over a network from a central source. So if you're looking to go “disc-less” and start streaming down the digital highway, give us a call!

Are You Ready for the Digital TV Conversion?

Kurt Yeager — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:16:00 GMT

Three years ago the FCC announced that on February 17, 2009 all television broadcasters would be required to switch from analog to digital transmissions, using a new frequency range in the available spectrum over the air. The old frequency ranges that were used for VHF and UHF television broadcasts are being reallocated for new commercial wireless and emergency services. A bill was passed this week in congress to delay the switchover by four months to give affected consumers more time to purchase new equipment. Many stations, however, are reportedly switching over as scheduled, so some viewers may find themselves without TV after all.

What does this all mean to television viewers here in the Monterey Area? If you are a cable or satellite TV customer, you don't have anything to worry about. Your old TVs will work just the same as they always have--no new equipment is necessary. The reason is that these companies have control over their own broadcast signals, most of which are already digital. In the case of cable TV, customers who currently subscribe to basic service without a "cable box" are getting that signal in analog. Comcast has said that they have no plans to drop this option.

So the only viewers who will be affected by the conversion to digital TV are those who have older TVs and still use the old "rabbit ears" or roof antennas to receive their television programs. Those consumers will have a few options to receive the new type of television broadcasts: 1) install a digital converter box"; 2) upgrade their televisions to new models with digital tuners; 3) subscribe to cable or satellite service. For those who choose to stay with an antenna for over-the-air digital broadcasts it should not be necessary to replace the old analog antenna with a digital or "HD" antenna.

One benefit of the digital conversion is that viewers in some areas may now be able to receive major network television broadcasts in High Definition without subscribing to cable or satellite. With a new model HDTV and the right type of antenna you may, depending on your location, be able to receive High Definition from the new Digital Television (DTV) broadcasts of the local network affiliates (KSBW/NBC, KION/CBS, KCBA/FOX, KQET/PBS). Comcast customers receiving the basic service may also be able to receive the local affiliates in HD without a cable set top box.

For more information on the DTV transition, go to the Federal Government's web site at www.dtv.gov. If you still have questions or need assistance upgrading your television equipment, call StreamLife and we'll be happy to help you.