HOME AUDIO VIDEO - WHAT IS IT?

If you’re interested in a home audio video system, then you might have also heard of the terms “integrated audio/video”, “distributed A/V”, or “audio/video solutions”. These essentially explain what home audio video is for your home. Think of it this way: You might have TVs and speakers located throughout your house. But you might have several cable boxes or Blu-ray players as well. With a distributed audio-video solution, all of your audio and video sources can be stored in one centralized location, saving you space and adding convenience through universal control.

Listen to audiobooks, watch TV shows, or play your favorite album in any part of your house. Have the game on in one room and music on in the other. Have the same song playing throughout the entire house. The options are limitless. For example, you can start a playlist upstairs in the bedroom to wake you in the morning, pause it, and have it continue to play through bathroom speakers as you get ready and then in the kitchen while you eat breakfast. Do the same with movies. Begin a film in the media room and continue watching it in your master bedroom as you get ready to sleep. Pause and play just by pushing a button so that you don’t miss anything, and then pick up right where you left off whenever and where ever you’re ready.

A distributed speaker system can play music from popular streaming sources such as Spotify or Pandora, and a multi-room video setup can allow for you to access a single streaming media player (such as a Roku or Apple TV) across any television in your house.

WHERE CAN I USE MY SYSTEM?

So where exactly can you enjoy your home A/V system?  Does “whole-home” really mean throughout your whole living space? Turns out that wherever your home can host high-end speakers and screens, then that space is fair game for providing home audio video services. Whether it’s your laundry room, kitchen, or patio – as long as audio video equipment can be installed there, then you can listen and watch your media there too.

But this all depends on what type of speakers and screens you’re looking to bring to a particular room – some are more conducive to different-sized spaces.

For speakers, you can choose standing loudspeakers that are traditional in style and deliver high-fidelity audio. They take up a bit of room though, so might be best for a dedicated home theater or listening room. Bookshelf or cabinet speakers are smaller and can be easily placed on top of furniture or shelves. These speakers blend well with your existing interior design and décor. In-wall and in-ceiling speakers are truly versatile though – these go unnoticed and can create a surround sound setup anywhere. Installing these throughout your home can bring distributed audio to nearly every room.

On the other hand, the screens you can include in your multi-room video setup can range from those TVs you already have in your house to your projector setup and even any new TVs you would like to add in the future.

CAN ANYONE CONTROL THE SYSTEM?

Operating the audio video system on a daily basis should be easy and meant for the whole family to enjoy. As our team builds your home audio video system, we’ll merge the controls into a single, universal Control4 interface that you can access from your smartphone, tablet, or Control4 touchscreen or remote.

Through Control4’s easy-to-use interface, you can accomplish any task related to your home entertainment system – whether it’s selecting which speakers you’d like to play a Spotify playlist through, selecting which TV you’d like to watch the latest Netflix show from, or even changing the channel or adjusting the volume on the TV you’re currently watching. Since you are operating all of your home’s audio-video technologies from a single interface, you eliminate the need for various remotes. Control4 operates as an interactive remote for any of your devices. It’s audio and video integrated throughout your home – but made simple and efficient for you and your family.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can also use your Control4 system to integrate the lights, thermostats, shades, security cameras, and door locks among other things. But that’s for another Blog!

Want to learn even more about home audio video systems and what Select Home Automation can do for you and your home? Feel free to give us a call. We’d love to hear from you!

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