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The owner of a pizza place in Cincinnati was very sure about two things: he wanted to automate multiple systems within his restaurant, and he wanted an extremely easy-to-use system. He got both.

The solution was the installation of a Control4 automation system to manage the audio and video systems. There are 10 TVs that are on a set program coordinated with opening, closing, and shift changes. The TVs can be preset to tune to a specific source, such as one of the three DirecTV receivers. In addition to managing video, the Control4 system also handles the restaurant’s audio.

There are a total of 34 speakers throughout the interior and exterior of the restaurant that are run through the Control4 system and are connected to an iPod dock. Through these speakers, the restaurant can run audio of a big game, a terrestrial or satellite radio station, or even an iPod playlist. The owner can easily switch between audio options and choose the one that best matches the time of day and the dining crowd.

The main system management is handled through a series of seven-inch touchscreens, and the owner even has mobile access through his iPhone. For parties or business meetings, two touchscreens were installed in private rooms so guests can customize their audio and video during a private event. Automation has allowed this pizza place to step boldly into the future!

Do you own a business that could benefit from this type of automation? Contact the professionals at Certified Connection today and let us hook you up!

By: Certified Connection

Not surprisingly, the iPad has taken the world by storm. Apple just announced that they have sold two million iPads in two months. And, home automation companies have quickly jumped on the “i” bandwagon. A recent article in Residential Systems discusses how the iPad has quickly become a favorite of home automation systems companies. According to the article, “Crestron, AMX, Control4, and Savant Systems (whose products were established on Apple’s operating system from the very beginning) have all created applications (apps) specifically geared for integration with the iPad.”

Home automation professionals are now able to easily integrate multiple home automation systems with the iPad. “’Benefits are that the iPad is a multi-purpose device that can also be used to control your house,’ said Dick Rozic, president of Aveon Inc., an integration company in Houston, Texas. ‘Just like the Control4 remote can get rid of lots of traditional remote controls, the iPad can morph and fulfill many different functions in one convenient device.’”

Some of the main reasons that industry experts believe the iPad is a perfect match with home automation technologies are:

• Its very user-friendly interface is less intimidating than many remotes
• It has a larger screen, which is helpful for older users and makes it easier to monitor cameras
• It’s lightweight at around 1.5 pounds
• It’s relatively inexpensive, starting at around $499, which is less expensive than many touch screen remotes
• It’s capable of performing many different functions, tying together large numbers of systems
• It’s really cool

Now if only we could control our children via the iPad. It could happen. At the very least we can keep tabs on them with security cameras and iPad home automation integration.

By: Certified Connection

You might think that if you put a Blu-ray disc into a Blu-ray player hooked up to a 1080p HD TV, you’re getting the best of the best. But simply purchasing a 1080p television doesn’t guarantee you 1,080 lines’ worth of definition. Just about every Blu-ray player has output settings that have to be configured properly to display full 1080p resolution. And if your player is hooked to an A/V receiver, it may also have output settings that will have to be set. Some sophisticated home theaters will then send the signal to an outboard video processor, which needs the same type of fine-tuning.

But even if your Blu-ray player, your A/V receiver, and your video processor are all configured in the right way, you might still not get exactly what you want out of your system. For example, if the display mode on your television isn’t set up properly, you won’t enjoy all 1,080 lines of detail that you paid for. With all of the menus and all of the options available on HD TVs – or any piece of electronic equipment – there are countless permutations. Every customization is different, based on anything from the room you choose for your set-up to the distance between your couch and the TV, and you may not even know what you want until you see the type of customization available.

Face it: You need help. You may be a computer whiz or remember fondly your time spent as president of the A/V club, but technology moves fast and you might not know what you don’t know. Not only that, the industry focuses on customizability and the user experience, so there are tons of options on every piece of equipment, whether it be part of a security system, a home theater, a lighting system, or a home computer network. And I think your baby just re-set your system to factory settings while she was chewing on the remote. So c’mon – call a professional. It’ll be our little secret.

By: Certified Connection

I remember watching The Jetsons as a kid and being fascinated by how easy their lives looked. All George had to do was push a button and home appliances would automatically respond to his every whim. It’s funny to watch that show now and see that what it depicted was the 1960s version of today’s smart home technology.

Smart technology allows home appliances to communicate with each other through home networks to make a complicated series of tasks automated. The technology can distribute audio and video throughout your home, control lighting, and regulate temperature, all with the objective of conserving energy, and making your home safer and more enjoyable. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination. You could program your lighting to mimic your normal movements when you aren’t home and program a temperature increase when you are. Or by pushing a few buttons on a wall pad, you could program the lights to dim, the window shades to lower, and your favorite movie to play for a cozy Saturday night at home. The only problem I see is figuring out who would make the popcorn. I guess we’ll have to wait for the robot maid.

By: Certified Connection



Remember the “Blown Away Guy” from the classic 1978 Maxell commercial? The guy is sitting in an armchair in an almost empty room. His butler comes to him with a Maxell tape, which he proceeds to put into the Bang & Olufsen stereo that the man is facing. When the butler presses play, Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” comes blasting out of the speakers. The man’s hair and necktie, the lampshade, the chair, and the martini glass on the table are blown back by the force of sound coming from speakers. The man, who is wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses, looks boldly forward as he clings to the chair. He calmly catches his drink before it slides off the table.

The ad campaign, which is arguably one of the most creative to date, has been parodied by Family Guy and others. It was intended to imply the superiority of Maxell’s product, but it also demonstrates the beginning of the era of home entertainment systems for the masses. It shows the sensory experience that home entertainment was beginning to provide – the power of it, which in the case of the ad physically moves everything in its path, indicating its power to move body and soul.

Home entertainment has come a long way since then. However, its power has not changed. There are an ever increasing range of high-quality, technologically complex components and systems available that can provide that powerful sensory experience exhibited in the Maxell commercial. Let Certified Connection help you feel like the 2009 “Blown Away Guy.”

By: Certified Connection

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