Category Archives: Home Automation

Blog, Home Automation, Home Installation, News

1080i vs 1080p: Which TV Should You Choose?

High-resolution picture quality heightens any custom home theater experience, from the Sunday Chargers game to a concert by the San Diego Symphony. But to truly make the most of your home theater in San Diego, you need to choose which TV works for you: 1080i or 1080p? Southwest Audio Visual has all the home theater questions and answers you need to take your custom home theater to the next level.

“Interlaced” vs. “Progressive”: What’s the difference?

These formats differ in how they display images on home theater systems in San Diego. While both 1080i and 1080p provide HD resolution for your custom home theater, a 1080i TV essentially shows an image twice, flashing once for the even pixels, then again for the odd ones. This process is called “interlacing,” and it occurs so fast you probably won’t detect it—unless you’re watching scenes with lots of motion.

1080p resolution—or “progressive”—shows an image by scanning each row of pixels line by line, providing a smoother, sharper image than 1080i.

Here’s an example: When you’re watching the Big Game on your home theater—San Diego Chargers running a final touchdown, of course—you’ll see a more fluid image on a 1080p TV.

Bottom line: 1080i vs 1080p?

Eventually, you’re going to have to commit to one of these for your custom home theater. If you watch a lot of local sports or action-packed movies, there’s no question that a 1080p TV is the best pick for a home theater installation in San Diego. However, if you favor dramas or other entertainment that doesn’t involve a lot of high-speed action, a 1080i TV can work just fine for your custom home theater.

A 1080p TV can bring out the best in your custom home theatre. San Diego specialists SWAV are here to help you achieve your dream! Contact us today for a consultation for a home theater installation in San Diego!

Blog, Home Automation

How Home Automation Can Enhance the World Series

Although the World Series isn‘t for another few months, you can start prepping for it right now with home automation products from Southwest Audio Visual! With a fully integrated home automation system, you can throw a World Series party like no other for you and your team of diehard baseball fans. If you’ve been looking for new, cutting-edge ways to enhance the World Series, look no further than home automation electronics from SWAV!

Crisp Sound

High-quality speakers are essential home automation electronics that can greatly enhance your World Series experience. You’ll be able to immerse yourself in your surround sound home automation products and revel in the crack of the bat and the thud of the ball landing in the catcher’s mitt.

It’s never been easier to listen in on dugout banter with these home automation products—our smart home systems sound so crystal clear, you’ll love the extra entertainment between plays.

Cool Atmosphere

Things can really start heating up around the seventh inning, and we mean that literally; October has been a surprisingly hot month in recent years. However, your house’s smart home products can easily regulate and administer much-needed air conditioning to cool off rising tempers and temperatures.

Seamless Screen Swapping

You and your friends can maximize your fun by swapping to a next-gen gaming system during commercial breaks. Home automation products make it a cinch to change from one video and audio output to the next, so you’re always connected to the action—whether you’re watching the game or playing one.

Come October, our home automation products will ensure you won’t miss any of the action. Contact us today to make sure you have everything you need for an unforgettable World Series with SWAV, the leaders in San Diego smart home products!

Blog, Home Automation, Media

5 Epic Movies to Show off Your Home Theater

These days, the word “epic” is a signifier of larger-than-life, sometimes grandiose forms of media. Despite the term’s oversaturation in popular culture, “epic” is the only way to describe the following five movies when seen on your custom home theater. So sit back, dim the lights with your home automation system, and enjoy this list of epic movies from home theater San Diego specialists Southwest Audio Visual!

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Regarded by many San Diego home theater enthusiasts as one of the best movies you can test on a new home theater, Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece was made with “epic” in mind. It features stunning cinematography as wide and vast as outer space, as well as a massive opening credits sequence that’s just begging to take advantage of your home theater installation. San Diego, trust us when we say you want to see this on your system!

Jurassic Park (1993)

Nothing says “epic” like dinosaurs come to life! This film based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name captured the imaginations of moviegoers worldwide with its realistic CG effects. These special effects still hold up today, and are the perfect chance to show off the capabilities of your home theater. San Diego even plays a part in the film’s sequel, “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”— a good opportunity for an epic double feature, maybe?

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Many consider LOTR as one of the progenitors of the modern usage of “epic,” and it’s easy to see why. Intense battle scenes, sweeping visuals, and a memorable film score all contribute to a fantastical experience for any home theater in San Diego.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Another favorite of San Diego home theater enthusiasts, particularly for the opening naval battle, Master and Commander is a great choice for showing off the bombastic qualities of your home theater. Crank those speakers up, and try not to get wet!

Forrest Gump (1994)

You were expecting Saving Private Ryan? While Gump doesn’t quite sit on the same lists as other American war epics, it sets itself apart from the crowd with its heart-wrenching drama. But there’s plenty for home theater San Diego enthusiasts to like: the film features a classic soundtrack that includes tunes by Elvis Presley, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, and many more notable time period specific performers.

For peerless home theater installation, San Diego specialists SWAV can give you what you need for a movie experience that’s truly “epic!” Contact us today!

Blog, Home Automation

Seamless Solutions for Integrating Home Theater into Your Home

Even for audiophiles like us, we at Southwest Audio Visual understand that an excessive amount of A/V equipment out in the open can really ruin a room’s décor. But before you resign your house to its fate, there’s hope yet! We’d like to offer the following solutions for seamlessly integrating custom home theater into your home with wireless home automation.

TV and Speaker Wall Mounts

You need a lot of space to get the full experience from your custom home theater. Your TV, speakers, and various devices all require stands that serve no other purpose than to maintain your custom home theater; however, all that leaves less space for room essentials such as furniture. With complete wireless home automation, you can do away with unsightly stands and can begin saving floor space with TV and speaker wall mounts. Your equipment will look like it’s floating in midair, offering a smooth, uncluttered look to your entertainment room. You’ll never go back to a traditional TV stand again!

Sliding A/V Wall Panels

Sliding panels operated by wireless home automation can create a sleek hiding place for your A/V racks when they’re not in use. You can have a home theater installation that integrates your equipment right into the walls and seems to disappear—only reappearing when it’s needed thanks to the convenience of wireless home automation.

Unite Your Entertainment and Your Décor

Even with the previous solutions in mind, you may not want compromise your artistic style. Luckily, SWAV has a wireless home automation solution that’s sure to please both your tech-savvy and your artistically-conscious sides. With our professional home theater install, we can custom integrate your A/V equipment right into your art! You can cover your television screen with your favorite piece of artwork, and enable it to slide in and out of place at the push of a button in a way that won’t break up the room’s feng shui.

We also offer efficient cable management and equipment placement know-how to get you the best home theater installation possible. Seamless home theater solutions are at your disposal with Southwest Audio Visual!

Blog, Home Automation

Kid-Friendly Home Automation Ideas

With kids these days, you’re more than likely to see iPhones and tablets alongside pencils and coloring books. More than ever before, modern children are growing up alongside technology and proving themselves just as tech-savvy as their parents—so why not let Junior share in the fun with your home automation system? Southwest Audio Visual offers the following safe, kid-friendly ideas for home entertainment systems in San Diego:

Touch Screens Offer Intuitive Control

Touch screens make a lot of sense to kids. SWAV’s high-quality home automation system software can be integrated into smart phones and tablets with touch screens and can provide your child with an opportunity for intuitive control and operation.

Wireless Lighting Control

It can be frustrating for your children when they want to continue reading but can’t reach a light switch. A home automation system lets them utilize the lighting from any height through wireless light access. Additionally, the wireless capabilities of a home network allow you to let the kids know when it’s “lights out” for the night, so they’re already in bed, teeth brushed, when you come to tuck them in.

Content Restriction

While many of us may want to encourage kids’ use of technology, there may be times when you’ll want to kid-proof your hardware. Luckily, you don’t need to fret about your kids getting rambunctious over the tech—you can set input restrictions over your whole home network so that things don’t get out of hand.

A Wireless Home Automation System Keeps the Kids Untangled

If your kids are the adventuring, horseplaying type, wireless home automation lets them explore the house to their hearts’ content without your worrying of them tripping over wires. What’s more, you can also have integrated TV risers and revolving doors installed to hide A/V racks and other expensive equipment when they’re not in use.

SWAV wants you to have the best home entertainment systems in San Diego. With these kid-friendly ideas, your home automation system can be fun for the whole family!

Blog, Home Automation, Home Installation

Essential Elements of a Custom Concert Hall

Wouldn’t it be great to have your own concert hall? You don’t need a grand concert hall—a dedicated music-listening space is available to you with peerless wireless home automation and home automation products from Southwest Audio Visual! Whether you’re planning for intimate acoustic performances or just a place to kick back with your favorite tunes, SWAV recommends these essential elements for creating a custom concert hall:

Surround Sound Speakers

Obviously, the most important home automation products are going to be great speakers. Hardware that gives full sound and projects even the subtlest musical elements will change the way you experience music. With wireless home automation, your speakers can be both effective and non-obtrusive, adding to the stylish décor of your concert hall instead of hampering it.

With a home automation system from SWAV, you won’t even have to leave your seat to change volume or control the performance—all that and more home automation products are at your very fingertips. With your personal concert hall, YOU’RE in control!

High-Definition TVs

While sound is of course the main focus, your custom concert hall can also benefit from visual elements. Hi-def televisions are just perfect for accompanying great tunes with engaging graphics, or for reining in wandering eyes. A home automation system that makes use of both sight and sound makes your concert hall even more effective and unforgettable.

Plush Seating

Everyone would agree that it’s important to have somewhere to sit during the listening session—but plush seats can also give the concert room some much-needed acoustic dampening. Soft seats are not only comfortable—they will also enhance the already impressive sound quality to sound richer and lusher than ever before.

SWAV wants your home automation system and home automation products to provide the most incredible audio visual experience possible. Contact us to learn how we can add seamless wireless home automation to your home today!

Blog, Home Automation, Home Installation, Residential Projects

5 Ways to Transform Your Room into a Personal Movie Theater

Since your first encounter with the silver screen, a possibility has presented itself: What if you could recreate this experience in your own home? With home theater installation from Southwest Audio Visual, you can create the in-home movie theater you’ve always dreamed of with our expert home automation system. Here are five things that we feel are absolute must-haves for transforming your room into a personal movie theater:

Initially, a big screen TV can single-handedly drive your vision for home theater installation. After all, a big screen TV has an immediate “wow” factor that even non-tech savvy types can appreciate. So believe us when we say that investing in a top-quality high definition television can go a long way towards selling your audience on your home theater install.

High-quality surround sound speakers are integral to recreating the thunderous sound of a real movie theater. Our home theater installers can seamlessly integrate them into your home theatre installation, so your viewers aren’t tripping over wires in the dark.

Speaking of the dark, your home theater installation can greatly benefit from lighted floors, as well as from dimming lights. SWAV can give you a fully-automated home theater installation that lets you control the lighting at will, so you can let the audience know when it’s show time.

While a full-scale ticket booth may not fit inside your house, you can add plenty of other stylistic touches to your home theater. Install cosmetic additions such as a popcorn machine or a grand, red curtain to give your home theatre installation that essential “box office” touch.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to home theater installation. Let Southwest Audio Visual’s talented home theater installers help you make your dream a reality with our custom home theater installation!

Home Automation, New Products, Savant

Savant Introduces WiFi Enabled Digital Thermostat

Savant Systems, LLC has introduced the Savant Wireless Thermostat, SST-W100. 
Savant Wireless Thermostat
The SST-W100 is a WiFi enabled digital thermostat designed to control Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems within any residential or commercial setting and integrate seamlessly into a Savant-controlled environment. The SST-W100 is a versatile thermostat for one and two stage control of forced air, radiant, heat pump and HVAC systems. 

The Savant SST-W100, requiring only standard thermostat wiring at its mounting location, is ideal for retrofit installations thanks to its wireless communication to Savant’s SmartSystem controllers. The SST-W100 provides access to temperature adjustments from anywhere in the home or from a remote location using any Savant interface. Multiple Savant thermostats may be networked over an existing WiFi network, enabling temperature and humidity adjustment from any SST-W100 in the home. Energy conservation is achieved by programming the HVAC system (using the HVAC Scheduler within the Savant TrueControl iPad app) to automatically respond based upon outside temperature, season or time of day.
 
“A wireless thermostat solution increases installation efficiency and flexibility for integrators while enabling them to give their customers one-touch access to personalized heating and cooling schedules,” said Jim Carroll, executive vice president of corporate strategy and business development at Savant. “We made the SST-W100 easy to operate, with a large LCD display and nicely spaced pushbuttons for users to access temperature and humidity readings, set point adjustments, system mode/fan status indicators, and setup menus.” 

Up to two optional remote temperature sensors (sold separately) can be connected to the SST-W100 for enhanced flexibility and optimized performance when required. Climate can be regulated according to the average of multiple sensors or the built-in sensors within the thermostat can be disabled entirely to allow the SST-W1000 to be installed out of sight.

Home Automation, News, Savant

Savant Unveils Lighting Control System

At this CEDIA EXPO this week Savant Systems is introducing Savant Lighting Control, transforming the LiteTouch products that it purchased earlier in the year into a solution that can be used as part of a complete package within Savant’s automation and energy management ecosystem or as a standalone lighting control system. 

“Our initial lighting control product designs are focused on expanding the range of system configurations and price points, giving integrators a powerful and competitive solution set that represents only the beginning of Savant’s innovation in the lighting control segment,” Bob Madonna, Savant CEO.
stated.

 

The new product line, the company says, will take advantage of Savant’s expertise in efficient software-based system configuration, compact hardware devices, and variety of user interface options, from a cohesive single platform.

Savant Lighting Control can also be implemented as a standalone lighting solution, utilizing the same interoperability that LiteTouch has offered to third-party control vendors. Savant’s backwards-compatible hardware and software design allows for support and system upgrade of all LiteTouch systems that are already installed in the field. Savant will continue to support 3rd party lighting control systems through the company’s Partners in Excellence Program.