The Latest on Home Technology

2012 was so four years ago. Those London Games? Might as well have happened on a different planet. I guess the fact that Rio is half a world away basically means these 2016 Summer Olympics are happening on a different planet. But in all seriousness—technology has evolved so much in the last four years that those of us who will be watching the Games over the next few weeks will, in some instances, have completely different viewing experiences than our selves of four years ago.
Here’s a look at some of the technology that will be introduced to the watching world throughout the 2016 Summer Olympics down in Rio.

Olympics in Virtual Reality

In just the past few months, virtual reality has gone from a gamer’s paradise to a consumerized market thanks to the launch of products like Google Cardboard, Samsung’s Galaxy VR device, and the myriad other headgears available out there. As such, the Olympic Broadcasting Services—the IOC’s official body responsible for coordinating TV coverage of the Olympics—will have VR footage from different venues in Rio, enabling viewers to transport themselves from their living room to Rio. NBC and the BBC already said they will take advantage of the 360-degree footage being made available by the committee.

Drones Return to Rio

As big as the drone explosion has been in the consumer space, it’s been equally impressive among content providers. The spider cam at football games has essentially lost its tethering wires and can present all kinds of different angles—near and wide—for viewers to experience. In Rio, drones will be deployed to cover a lot of the open water events (rowing, for example), among other things. Drones were at the Sochi games in 2014, and made headlines when one nearly took out an alpine skier. Here’s hoping they avoid a similar fate in Rio.

Spring is officially here – warmer weather, longer days and plenty of great games to enjoy with friends and family. Since the outdoors are more welcoming than they have been in the previous months, it's time to get out and feel the sun on your face. So what's an Atlanta sports fan to do? How can you catch every second of March Madness or the opening of baseball season while still living it up in the great outdoors? Lucky for you, we've got some great home entertainment system solutions for your backyard.

SEE ALSO: Enjoy Your Home Entertainment Systems in Any Space

The Latest From Sunbrite

There are two major problems with moving your TV outside: the first is that it's not weather proof, the second is that it's not bright enough. Thankfully, the TV experts at Sunbrite have solved this problem – and they now offer 4K UHD resolution.
Sunbrite has long been a leader in outdoor televisions, offering water tight video display solutions perfect for your backyard. The ultra-bright image combat's glare from the sun while the incredibly durable casing is designed to withstand the elements. The company is even rumored to test durability with measures as extreme as firing guns at it. We don't know if that's true, but we certainly get the point.

Their latest model, the 84" Pro Series 4k Ultra HD Outdoor TV is sure to turn the deck or yard into your favorite media room. Sure, it won't be available for your home viewing pleasure until sometime in June, but nevertheless it's a fascinating piece of hardware. Tempered glass keeps the LED display safe, and EST tech prevents isotropic blackout – meaning you'll be able to enjoy true Ultra HD picture for hours, even in the brightest sunlight.

Invisible speakers delivers unbelievable sound quality that emanates from the wall or ceiling, without any visible signs of a speaker. The space is filled with breathtaking music that seemingly comes from nowhere.  Invisible speakers are speakers that get installed in walls and ceilings, then are covered with sheetrock and painted or papered over, and yes, they can sound great.

See Also:  Whole House Audio Systems

If you ask an interior decorator about loudspeakers, he or she will tell you they should be heard and not seen. Maybe some home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles would disagree, but a lot of people hold the opinion that speakers in a whole housse audio system should be as hidden as possible. Imagine if we could actually have invisible speakers?

Well we can show you the solution to this age old problem.  Speakers can be invisible, at least in the strictest sense, meaning they’re in the room, you just don’t see them.

There are two main ways to make a speaker actually invisible, and both involve putting it behind something else.  The first, and most ingenious way, is with a kind of in-wall speaker that actually sits completely flush against the drywall (or other wall material), and then gets plastered over and painted so the speaker becomes 100 percent a part of the wall—-no visible grill.  The other way is to hide it behind something that is visible, such as a piece of art or behind a mirror.

Home theaters are becoming amazing popular with long-time homeowners. After all, who wouldn’t want to come home after a long and busy day and unwind with your favorite movie or television series? If you’re in the market for the perfect home theater complete with full surround sound audio, you can rely on Atlanta Audio and Automation to help you with everything from construction and design to wiring and full assembly. But what about the extras? Here are four things that every home theater should include for convenience and comfort.

Home Theater Seating

Comfortable seating is going to make the difference between an awesome time and a sore back. Fortunately, there are lots of options to choose from, including full theater-style reclining seats to cozy sofas and sectionals that can seat the whole family. You can even customize your seats with bass shaker systems that rumble whenever the bass of the movie begins to vibrate. It’s all about comfort and class when choosing our furnishings; make sure you love what you choose.

Universal Remote

Nothing will make your home theater setup more confusing than having to play with three or four different remotes. Instead of bothering with all that, take advantage of our Control4 user experience and control everything in your home theater (and your home) from one device! Change the channel, raise the volume, turn on steaming services, or listen to music. It’s all at your fingertips with our universal controls.