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Bargain Hunting Isn’t Always a Bargain – Shopping Online for Electronics 10/10/2011 | Leave a Comment
It’s no secret that people bargain hunt for expensive items online. They go into retail shops, test out the item, and then go online to find a sale. This is especially true in the home automation and home theater industries. It seems like smart shopping – after all, especially in this economy, you don’t want to pay more than you have to. But what I’ve seen more and more frequently is how often people run into problems when they use this method of buying home electronics.
It sounds logical that if you need a particular model to add to your already existing entertainment system you go online to find the lowest price you can. But I’ve seen online retailers ship a different model because they don’t have the one you need in stock. Then you’re stuck trying to clear up the issue on the phone – assuming the online retailer has a good return policy. Or maybe you get help designing a complex home entertainment system and go online to purchase the components. After you have all of the random boxes piled in your living room, you have to get the system working, and complex designs require seamless communication between the components. Assuming those random boxes contain the right component models, you still might need expert help putting it together.
I like to think of myself as a solution provider rather than just a problem solver. By working with an expert from designing your system to hitting the power button on your remote, these problems can be eliminated. Working with an expert ensures that you start with a good design that meets all of your needs, and you’ll never have to worry about getting stuck with the wrong part or having a bug in your system that you just can’t work out. Bargain shopping online is tempting, but sometimes the cost savings just aren’t worth the headaches.
Certified Connectionis the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
By Eytan Vestin of Certified Connection
Can’t We All Just Get Along? Integration and Home Automation Control and Home Theater Systems 09/30/2011 | Leave a Comment
As a provider of home automation control systems and home theater solutions for commercial and residential clients, one of the largest issues we come up against is making numerous components and systems work together – integration. Ultimately, it is our job as integrators to provide the best customized solutions for our clients, making complex components, software, and systems work together harmoniously in a simple way. Each client has different needs and requirements for their specific systems, and at Certified Connection, we aim to cater to each and every client to suit their exact needs.
Customized home automation and/or home theater systems often require that we pull from the top-of-line components available in the market in order to provide the best system for each client. This means making products from manufacturers x, y, and z work together event though they may have different operating systems or software.
For example, when we work with a customer to install a home automation solution with lighting control and environmental controls, that customer wants to and should be able to access all of these controls from one device, whether it’s a universal remote, an iPad, or a smartphone device.
Manufacturers often claim that certain components will work together seamlessly or provide software or modules that are intended to allow them to work together. But in reality, and unfortunately, this may not be the case – which makes our job even more difficult.
Of course, the companies that provide specific components have proprietary systems, which is what keeps them on the cutting edge and keeps them at the front of the market. But it seems that there could be and should be some common ground from which they can work together to provide more easily integratable components and systems to benefit integrators and ultimately their customers. If a source vendor claims to have patches or modules that integrate components with another company’s components, they should be tested and tested again to make sure they truly work.
As integrators, we want to be able to provide the best products and services to our customers, giving them the best seamless, high-end systems. It would benefit everyone if source vendors could figure out a way that we could all just get along.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading
Getting the Most Out of Your Audio/Video System
Lower Energy Costs and Increase the Value of Your Home by Making it More Energy Efficient
Home Entertainment Technology in Europe vs. the United States
Eytan Vestin Appointed to Jewish National Fund Board 09/14/2011 | Leave a Comment
Eytan Vestin of Certified Connection was recently appointed to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) New England Board of Directors. The JNF, founded in 1901, is an organization involved in supporting Israel through education, community activism, and ecology. Over the past century, the organization has worked to educate people about Israel and the environment. It also is proud that it has planted 250 million trees, built more than 200 reservoirs and dams, developed more than 250,000 acres of land, and created more than 1,000 parks. All of these projects have helped more than 1,000 different communities.
Eytan is proud to be part of this organization and is excited to further its cause as a member of the board.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Lower Energy Costs and Increase the Value of Your Home by Making it More Energy Efficient 09/06/2011 | Leave a Comment
Everyone knows making cosmetic improvements to your home can increase the value of your home, whether it’s fresh landscaping, granite counter tops, or stainless steel appliances. These days, savvy homebuyers are also looking for more energy efficient homes.
A recent article on ECNmag.com, “Building Value with Energy-Saving Upgrades in Homes and Businesses,” discusses how “improving the energy performance of your home can make it more comfortable and attractive, increase its value, and help you save money on your energy bills.”
These days adding energy-saving components in your home, such as:
- Appliances
- Windows and doors
- Insulation
- Heating and cooling equipment
- Automated thermostats
can increase the value of your home and help attract more potential buyers.
According to the article, the Department of Energy recently announced a partnership with The Appraisal Foundation that will provide information about energy-efficiency and building performance information for commercial buildings. Through this partnership, appraisers will have access to the information they need to evaluate energy performance for building appraisals. It will help improve the availability of tools and data for appraisers so that they can accurately incorporate the value of energy-efficiency upgrades into a building’s appraisal.
Other additions that can help you save money on energy bills and potentially increase the value of your home are:
- Installing home lighting control or other home control systems to manage when home electronics are switched on and off.
- Installing energy monitors to monitor total energy consumption throughout the day, week, month, or year.
Check out the Energy Savers website for additional information on ways to save energy in your home, vehicle, or workplace.
This post is written in collaboration with our friends at Present Value LLC, a worldwide international appraisal and advisory company that provides a range of professional services such as Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraisals, Inventory Appraisals, Asset Verification Services, Business Valuations, and Real Estate Appraisals.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading:
Easy Being Green: Get Out of Your Hybrid Car and Into Your Green Home
In Praise of Surge Protectors 08/31/2011 | Leave a Comment
You may have the most killer audio/video setup ever conceived by man. You may have the most cutting-edge tech for the sharpest picture, the clearest sound, and the most immersive video gaming experience of your life. If you do, congratulations.
But is it all protected?
Especially in light of the numerous power outages and problems that people are dealing with post Hurricane Irene, this is an important topic. Two of the most potentially catastrophic things that can happen to – and potentially destroy – your electronic entertainment components are an overload and a surge. An overload occurs when there are too many power-drawing components plugged into the same outlet and there isn’t enough juice. A surge is a spike in the electricity being sent to the components, and it can totally fry everything. Surges are often caused by lightning strikes or downed power lines. Please check out our previous post for more information on potential power disturbances.
Luckily, a power surge protector can help protect all your electronic equipment from these types of problems. A power surge protector is a block of electrical sockets that attaches to the end of a flexible cable and allows multiple electrical devices to be plugged in. It has a built-in circuit breaker to protect your devices from surges and overloads. Most also have a self-contained power switch; this is handy if you need to power off all your components at once and don’t want to spend your whole day trying to unplug things; this also can help with energy draining vampire appliances.
But it’s important to keep in mind that not all power strips are the same. A $7.99 power strip is not going to provide the protection you need. You really need a power surge protector and they’re not all created equal. Some are designed for specific components, like computer equipment or home appliances.
Certified Connection offers solutions for home and business owners to limit or eliminate power quality disturbances.
- Audio-Video Solutions from APC
- Audio-Video Solutions from Panamax
- Home-office and small business solutions from APC
Make sure you’re protecting your investment. Contact us at Certified Connection and we’ll help you choose the right power surge protector for all your needs.
Certified Connection is the premier provider of custom-designed home control systems and home theaters to residential and commercial customers. For more than 10 years, Certified Connection has served homeowners and businesses in and around Boston, throughout the South Shore, and the entire Cape.
Additional Reading
Afraid of Vampires? You Should Be. Energy Draining Appliances Could be Costing You a Fortune
