If you’re a fan of technology, you’ve probably already had a home theater integrated in your Atlanta property. For some homeowners though, they expect limited content when it comes to 4K. After all, 4K Ultra HD was a big shift from now-standard 1080p, which requires increases in network bandwidth and upgrades to some of your home technology. But if you’ve gone through the trouble of integrating that new tech, you don’t want it to go to waste. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the ways you can enjoy 4K Ultra HD resolution right now. Read on for more.

See Also: Using Sonos for Excellent Audio in Your Georgia Home Theater Part 2

4K Physical Media and Digital Downloads

It seems like forever ago that we were talking about 4K Blu-ray first hitting shelves. Today, many of your favorite movies are getting prestigious 4K UHD re-releases on home video. And just about every major studio blockbuster of 2016 received a simultaneous HD and UHD release when they hit home video. If you’re in the market to bolster your collection with more discs featuring 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos compatibility, you won’t be shortchanged at the local video store.

However, as 4K UHD continues to grow, digital downloads are becoming more and more common. Homeowners are waving goodbye to their physical collections and replacing them with digital downloads. Companies are offering full 4K video storage servers that minimize space requirements while hosting a wide selection of full Ultra HD movies.

If you know anything about us, you know that we work hard to create the perfect Atlanta home theater experience. You can enjoy the sights of stunning 4K HDR displays and immersive Dolby Atmos audio in a dedicated space. But what if you want to expand home theater tech to another space – say a room above the garage or pool house? A wireless solution by Sonos just may be the answer. In this blog, we’ll explore the ways you can craft a secondary home theater with Sonos audio.

See Also: Home Theater Trends to Watch Out for in 2017

Perfect for Surround Sound

When building a secondary home theater for guests, space is always a major consideration. Often the same area will have to accommodate sleeping arrangements as well as entertainment options. That’s where Sonos shines, by offering unobtrusive audio equipment that can be placed just about anywhere.

The best part? Your guests can still enjoy full 5.1 surround sound. By combining a Sonos sound bar – which offers three distinct channels – a sub and two satellite speakers, your secondary home theater can sound great without cluttering up the limited space. You can even select between the substantial Play:3 or the top-of-the-line Play:5 for a fully customizable sonic experience.

Sports fans rejoice! Football season is almost here and you’re in for a memorable season. But the one thing that would make it even more perfect is watching the game in the comfort of your very own Georgia home theater. As the season draws near, it’s time to start planning how you’re going to catch every second of the game. In this blog, we’ll take you through some of the smartest solutions for upgrading your system with smart AV. Read on for more.

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Choose an Aesthetic

Ok, so you know you want a man cave, but you don’t know how you want it to look. Well, that’s perfectly fine, but you’re going to want to get an idea before your designer breaks ground. Whether you want a warm and cozy den, or the ultimate sports bar feel, you just have to keep in mind that the materials and textures you use will ultimately affect the way your AV gear looks and sounds.

For instance, you can integrate rocky textured walls for a nice, modernist throwback facade, but that may disperse your audio more than you would prefer. On the other hand, you can choose a sleek, metallic sheen for the walls, but the flat, reflective surfaces could bounce sound and light right back at you.

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.

You know you want it; the eye-catching, pixel-popping clarity of Ultra HD. Today's home theaters won't impress anybody without the sheer spectacle of nearly 4K resolution. But achieving that beautiful look in your Atlanta private cinema is about more than just the latest television or projector display – your home needs the right infrastructure to support UHD content. In this blog we'll take you through the right equipment you'll need to get the most out of your home theater.

SEE ALSO: Why Your Home Theater Needs Acoustical Treatments

A Strong Network

If you want to control any part of your connected home, a strong network is key. Smart home technology – which is commonly referred to as the "Internet of Things" – needs more than just intelligent devices and happy thoughts to work effectively, it needs enough bandwidth to support every connection without slowing it down. The same is true for streaming your favorite content in Ultra HD.

According to content delivery network Akamai, only about 21 percent of U.S. homes had enough bandwidth to support 4K content in September 2015. But there's good news: your home simply needs a network upgrade to support all of those delightful pixels.

When building a home theater in your Atlanta, Georgia smart house, you’ll likely want the best gear that money can buy. But you should know, there’s no reason to overspend if you’re not getting top quality. Designing your theater isn’t as simple as picking out the priciest projector and the snazziest seats – it’s about utilizing your space in a way that optimizes your viewing experience. If you want a hands-on visualization of what your personal cinema could be, come help us celebrate the opening of our new Experience Center on June 27. But before you head off, take a look at the ways we can enhance your home theater.

4K is the Wave of the Future

If you want commercial quality movies playing in your residence, you want to go with 4K. Otherwise known as Ultra HD – UHD for short – 4K represents the very best image currently available when it comes to televisions. And that is no joke, Ultra HD image actually sports four times the resolution of regular HD. That means you can sit just a few feet away without seeing any pixels.

As with any new technology, content is currently limited, but many streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video are offering hours of 4K entertainment. Plus, the Blu-Ray Disc Association has recently released the specs required for Ultra HD discs, so you can expect to see them popping up on the shelves sometime this fall. Experience 4K UHD for yourself in our Buckhead showroom

A Sea of Sound