Multi-room TV & Music: when many people plan an entertainment system that covers their entire house they usually install multi-room music first. It is relatively simple, it brings great enjoyment and relaxation and with recent developments (with technology from Sonos) it is much more affordable now than ever before. In fact, we can now install a system in a house without needing any redecoration or wire-pulling.
The complement to multi-room music is an integrated TV system: at its most simple any new TV can receive over 30 high quality digital Freeview channels and now there is even the option of HD (high definition) programming from the Freesat service which does not require a monthly subscription. However, the grand-daddy is still Sky and we can install one or several Sky boxes in a central location in your home and have them distribute their content via Cat5e or Cat6 cable to several TV's so that you can record a programme on Sky+ (or SkyHD) and start watching it in the kitchen while preparing food, move to the living room after dinner and then finish it in the bedroom. You have the flexibility to have TV where you want it, and when you want it anywhere in your house.
Some multi-room TV & Music highlights:
- Music in every room of your house fed through discrete ceiling speakers or separate hi-fi units
- All the music can be driven from your iPod library, running from the iTunes database itself
- We can include any number of other sources such as DAB & internet radio, CD, and even vinyl
- It can be controlled with handheld tablets or wall panels that allow you to select tracks, view album artwork and make playlists
- We can put your digital music library in order so that you get the full benefits - don't worry if you haven't done this yet as we will take the pain out of it
- No longer think of TV or Sky as one box for one room. We can now run your entire house off one Sky box and one Sky subscription, or give you free HD with Freesat
- We can integrate the new 'watch-again' online services from the BBC (iPlayer) & Channel 4 (4oD) so that they are available on your TV
Where you do want to settle down for the big-screen experience we can help by installing a sleek flatscreen TV or projection system that will truly bring the impact of the film to life. With screens now ranging from 42" to 100" in size this can either be your best TV in your living room or we can go the whole hog and fit out a special cinema room in your house. And you don't even need to have one room dedicated to it: we can install projection systems that can drop from concealed ceiling voids to project onto screens that lower themselves at the touch of a button. With in-wall speakers and other hidden technologies the entire system can be invisible until you decide to let it loose.
Some home cinema highlights:
- Surround-sound packages with invisible in-wall speakers, or high quality sub-satellite speakers to fit into any room design, start from as low as £500
- Modern amps that decode True-HD and DTS-HD from BluRay discs give the most astonishing surround experience as each track is uncompressed and individually laid down on the disc
- Research has shown that half of the enjoyment of the multiplex experience is the sound - we can bring this to your home
- High Definition content, from SkyHD, Freesat or BluRay adds a level of clarity that significantly enhances the experience. It is also particularly good when used with sporting events such as football matches, Wimbledon or the Olympics
One of the most remarkable recent developments in home entertainment has been Apple's film rental device, the AppleTV. This is a small box (3cm high, 20cm wide and deep) that connects to your TV via the standard HDMI interface and your home network either wired or wirelessly. Using this you can rent or buy movies with one click via a simple interface direct from your TV and they will be stored on the device's internal hard disk and added to your iTunes library. They are extremely simple to use and not only can you rent most of the last five years' film releases but many of the top-selling TV series also: Lost, 24, Desperate Housewives, The Wire to name a few.
In combination with Sky+ (or SkyHD) you will find that you hardly ever watch TV when it is broadcast again - better to let it be recorded for you and then you have anything you want, whenever you want it.
Apple TV highlights:
- It will connect to any modern TV or projection system
- Movies cost £2.49 to rent in standard definition, £3.49 in HD and can be bought from as little as £6.99
- It also integrates your digital photos for display on your main TV (no more crowding round the laptop to show off your holiday snaps)
- It will link seamlessly with your iTunes library so that all of your music is available in your living room at the same time
There are many customers for whom the ultimate goal is to be able to automate their entire home so that with one button press different 'moods' or activities can be prepared. By bringing together control of your lights, your viewing options, your music and even your curtains and blinds we can, for instance, transform a formal drawing room into a full cinema experience at a single command. Every single light in your house can be set to turn on or off, dim or bright as you wish so that when you arrive in your car and turn off your alarm the lights in the house illuminate your way to the bedroom and kitchen, and then with one click all of the lights in the house will turn off as you go to sleep. In these days of energy efficiency knowing that you can ask an automated system to prevent lights being left on can save significant cost and all of these technologies can take advantage of the latest energy saving bulbs. This is obviously a highly bespoke service and one that is the pinnacle of home entertainment but we can make it simple, affordable and reliable.