"5 Tips for implementing Home Technology Systems - Without the Pain!" HTA Certified; Accessed July 26th 2021

5 Tips for Implementing Home Technology Systems – Without the Pain!

In a recent conversation with a very experienced builder, it was clear that he and many builders are looking for direction on the best way to have a home’s technology systems installed. He admitted it is difficult for builders to wrap their heads around the myriad technologies and brands available today. He said something that resonated deeply, “We don’t know what we don’t know” about home technology. Yet, technology has undeniably become an integral part of our lives. It is no longer a question of if the home will have technology systems in it, it is a matter of how much technology it will have. Yet, having technology installed in a home has historically been a frustrating experience for many home builders and homeowners alike.

Get Out and Enjoy the Game With These Outdoor AV Solutions

Summer 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

"Home Theater Design - 3 Essential Ingredients" HTA Certified; Accessed July 6th 2021

Home Theater Design - 3 Essential Ingredients

"Are you in the process of planning a home theater? Possibly you are well into the design or even already have some construction underway. Or, you may have only recently started to consider the possibility. In any case, you have likely been overwhelmed with copious, confusing and often misleading information on just exactly what creates a great home theater experience. To make sense of it all, it is a good idea to step back and consider what is possible, and what is essential to attain the results you desire. This article will consider three key ingredients of proper home theater design.

To be clear by what is meant by the term "home theater" in this article, we are referring to a room dedicated and optimized for movie, music, TV, and increasingly, video gaming. Other synonyms home technology professionals may use interchangeable for the term "home theater" are "home cinema" and private "screening room". What we are not referring to here are dual-purpose rooms that may double as the Living Room, Great Room, etc, that are open to other rooms in the home and that are not able to be optimized for high-performance audio and video. In home technology professional speak, these dual-purpose, more casual rooms are called "media rooms".

"The Smart Home: What You Need to Know" HTA Certified; Accessed July 6th 2021

The Smart Home: What You Need to Know

"So, what’s holding you back from adding a smart home system to your home? Maybe it’s the cost that is intimidating you. Perhaps you’re skeptical of the reliability of the technology. Or in the back of your mind, you may be thinking that it’s going to be a hassle to have it installed. These are all valid concerns, and years ago when smart home technology was in its infancy, this logic was legitimate. But as with any budding technology, smart home systems have grown increasingly smarter, dependable, and economical. Yes, economical. Over the past several years, big names in the smart home industry have taken huge steps in making their professionally-installed system more affordable. Today, you can have a very capable smart home system installed and configured by a professional integrator for less than you would spend on a family vacation."

"Home Theater vs. Media Room - What's the Difference?" HTA Certified; Accessed July 27th 2021

Home Theater vs. Media Room - What's the Difference?

Nomenclature is a challenge when it comes to home technology. We struggle with terms that resonate with homeowners. From the “AV guy" to system integrators to custom installers to technology designers to low-voltage contractors, the home technology industry seems to have an identity crisis, even though all those terms mean essentially the same thing to an insider. The same goes for the terms that we use to define rooms in the home, which brings us to the topic du jour: What is the difference between a media room and a home theater?

Most homeowners do not know or even care about the difference.

You will hear them referring to their dedicated home theater space as a media room and vice versa. For architects, interior designers, builders, lighting designers, and other contractors, however, these distinctions can be important in defining your vision and communicating with each other. In other words, it’s good to know the difference between the two.

"Don't Be A Dumbell, Make Your Home Fitness Smarter" Control4.com; Accessed August 17th 2021

Sleep Technology

"For the sleep obsessed, there’s a plethora of technology available designed to keep an eye on your sleep quality and habits, from wearables and sensors you place on your mattress to headbands that aim to measure brainwave activity. If you’re already using an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, you’re probably familiar with their built-in sleep tracking functionality. However, there’s a couple new companies offering wearable products that are geared more narrowly towards rest and recovery, like the Oura ring or the WHOOP band. The Whoop tries to parse out the data taken from your everyday life and break it into three categories: strain, recovery, and sleep, then gives you an overall percentage grade of readiness for more strain so that you have some feedback about whether you’re ready for a workout or should be prioritizing rest. The Ouro uses a similar system, but their tracker is a minimalist ring with sensors inside the band."

"Why You Still Need Wires in a Wireless World" Cedia.net ; Accessed August 17th 2021

What’s wrong with just Wi-Fi?

"In smaller homes, a router-and-modem Wi-Fi rig can handle just so much. With a couple of laptops and a phone or three using the wireless bandwidth in a home that’s under, say, 2,000 square feet, everything will likely work fine. But add anything from a smart TV streaming a movie service to a wireless audio system to a connected fridge, and the bandwidth that particular Wi-Fi device provides can become rapidly unstable. And no one wants to see a frozen screen or “the spinning beach ball of doom” on a device in the middle of a critical Zoom meeting or the kids’ e-learning session."

Human-Centric Lighting

"Human-Centric Lighting - The Next Big Thing In Home Design" HTA Certified; Accessed June 29th 2021

Human-Centric Lighting - The Next Big Thing in Home Design

"Of all the amenities in a home, lighting can have the most impact on design, ambiance and even your sense of well-being. Set at the appropriate brightness and color temperature, lighting can accentuate the architectural features of your home while affecting your mood and well-being. Smart lighting has the ability to touch every part of our lives in some very positive ways, and the continual evolution of LED lighting technology is largely responsible. LED lighting has also introduced a new approach to lighting design, called Human-Centric Lighting, or HCL*. Able to simulate daylight and dusk and develop a deeper connection with the outdoors, Human-Centric Lighting offers an exciting new approach to home lighting. "

A Commitment to Quality and Reliability

Since we began offerring security monitoring to our customers our choice in a security monitoring partner has been very important.   Atlanta Audio & Automation partners with Rapid Response for monitoring the safety of our customers homes.  There are three main factors why we chose them as our partner: Reliability of power and internet connection, data security, and quality of customer service.

Since the onset of professional monitoring, the importance of data, power, and telecommunications redundancy has been widely acknowledged. Redundancy is critical to protecting lives and property.

Installing Josh ai with your control4 Home Automation system unleashes the possibilities of your smart home!

Installing Josh with your Atlanta Control4 system unleashes the possibilities of your smart home while enabling every family member with a personalized and inclusive control platform. Freely make multiple requests in a single command, contextually adjust your surroundings, and conveniently search for your favorite media content, thanks to Josh’s knowledge of Control4’s connected devices.  In addition to luxurious design and elegant user experiences, every Josh interaction remains private thanks to its steadfast commitment to keeping user data secure. Snap One is excited to bring Josh’s innovation to every Control4 home!  

Click here to see demo 

Select someone locally. Find a professional home theater company within a 50-mile range of your home. You are more likely to have an installer come by and tweak your system, if need be, when you are within a reasonable distance.

Ask for a link to the home theater installation company's Web site or for some images of recently completed installations. Also, ask to visit the home theater installers' showroom to provide you with living examples of their workmanship. Check our our portfolio. Here at Atlanta Audio we have a 6,000 square foot showhouse that showcases home automation, home theater options, whole house audio, lighting control, media rooms, video surveillance, and much more. Call us today to set up an appointment or visit our website at www.atlantaaudio.com.

Ask for references on finished projects that are similar to what you have in mind for your home theater and are relatively within the same cost range. Ask the homeowner about how the installation company works and how satisfied they are with the finished results. Visit our customer testimonials to get an idea of what our customers say about Atlanta Audio.

Find out how an installer works. For example if you are a neat freak and your professional installer is very proficient in plasma and audio technologies but can seem a little scatterbrained or sloppy, your working styles may not connect.

"5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Crestron Home" Crestron; Accessed July 27th 2021

5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Crestron Home

If you haven’t heard about the new residential platform from Crestron, then now is the time.

With Crestron Home™ software, we’ve taken a new approach to residential system design, configuration, deployment, and user experience. Even if you’ve actively followed the progression of the platform, it’s easy to miss or forget some of the many new features. Since the inception of the platform in the fall of 2019, there’ve been three major updates. We expect to release another update around the time of this blog post. Hopefully, you can take away at least one useful thing from this post and use it to provide value to your upcoming job.

Do you dream of the ease and convenience found in the Jetsons’ futuristic home? The 1962 series featured the home of 2062, with space-age appliances that made food and flying cars. We’re not quite there yet when it comes to flying cars, but even the Jetsons might be impressed at some of the smart technology we have today.

From lights that automate to your every wish to personalized home entertainment settings at the touch of a button, the Control4 smart home solutions provide tried and true smart home technology that is definitely worthy of being labeled “the future.”

Experience for yourself some Jetsons-style smart home automation, available right now, for your home in Atlanta, GA. No need to wait until 2062! Simply submit your comment or question in chat box at the bottom of your screen and a Certified Showroom Professional will respond.

See Also: Curious About Smart Home Technology? Seeing is Believing

Control4 has pioneered high-end, innovative lifestyle automation solutions, making them a leader in smart home technology today. For an example of their smart home options, just imagine this: After a busy day of work, shuttling kids to after-school activities, and a quick trip to the grocery store, you pull into the garage. A sensor in the garage knows you’re home. A preprogrammed “welcome home” scene illuminates the garage and the hallway to the kitchen, then turns on the overhead lights in the kitchen and family room. The alarm has been disarmed. You like a little soft background music to unwind after a long day, which automatically starts when you walk in the door.

After putting away the groceries in the refrigerator, you tell the kids to start their homework at their desks in the upstairs nook. You have a Control4 touchscreen controller in the kitchen and a minimalistic camera upstairs, allowing you to keep an eye on the kids to ensure they’re really doing homework and not playing video games. All you have to do is bring the video up on the touchscreen. 

Starting off the day is always a struggle, so why not have smart home technology in place to make it as smooth as possible? As you get ready for work in the morning, what if your bathroom or dressing room mirror could keep you updated on everything you need to know? Imagine if it could help you adjust the lights or temperature. Don't worry; you don't need to be an Evil Queen to enjoy magic mirrors these days. Let us bring that magic straight to your Atlanta, GA home with Séura’s new Smart Mirror TV.

SEE MORE: 4 Ways to Keep Technology from Cluttering Your Home

What is a Smart Mirror?

Essentially, the Smart Mirror is a “vanishing display” that serves more or less the same function as a touchpad or tablet. The display lets you interact with all of your smart home technology directly; whether it’s pulling up your emails, the weather, a favorite TV show or your Control4 application. The digital display disappears when not in use, so the Smart Mirror works like any other traditional vanity mirror. How would you like it to look? Each Smart Mirror comes with a custom frame and ambient lighting options. Even your display is customizable — set it up to feature your favorite apps or information when you pull it up.

How Do You Control It?

We recommend using the Smart Mirror as a touchpad, with quick touch control that lets you navigate your apps and adjust their size and location. Revamp your routine without any risk of cracks or water damage to your smart devices by replacing them with your Mirror TV when you’re in the bathroom. The mirror also integrates with Amazon Alexa, so you can use voice activation if your hands are busy applying your makeup or brushing your hair. Wondering what outfit to wear? Ask Alexa to pull up the weather forecast while you’re getting ready, so you’re not caught in the wrong attire for a fall cold front.

What Does it Control?

The Smart Mirror TV has access to over a million widgets and apps through the Google App store. Access your emails, calendar and favorite social media sites with a simple swipe or press. To really take advantage of this interactive mirror, we recommend connecting it to your home automation system. Just download the Control4 app and save it to your home screen for easy access or add the necessary Control4 skill to Amazon Alexa. You’ll then be able to manage lights, climate, shades, security, and more from the convenience of your Smart Mirror.