Blogs
Home Cinema in the UK
If you are in the UK and looking for a custom home cinema room then you might like to take a look at what our UK based partner company Cinema@Home are up to.
here’s the link - https://cinema-at-home.co.uk/blog/home-cinema-demo-room-week1
Specialising solely in home cinema rooms, they are transforming annexes, garages, conversions, extensions and new build rooms into spectacular feature rooms. This last week they have started the build of their new home cinema demo room.
Home Cinema Room Flooring
Home Cinema Room Soundproofed Floor
Custom Cinema Room Buildout
Home Cinema Room Buildout UK
Starting from the floor upwards, special considerations are being given over to acoustics, sound isolation / insulation and getting it all completely flat and even ready for the next phase. Interior fit-out will follow on shortly with more attention paid to acoustics, reflection points and equipment in later updates.
Home Cinema of the Rich & Famous - Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian is one of the USA stars of the hit reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. She was previously married to basketballer Lamar Odom. Keeping up with the Kardashians is due shortly to air it’s 20th and final season.
At her home in Los Angeles Khloé has a great home cinema room. It’s design has changed slightly over the years and now features a nude modelling photo of Khloé in the background.
What’s key to this room is it’s sense of style and comfort. There are two daybeds and a plush velvet sofa for the family and friends to relax on. It’s neutral colour scheme and lavish soft furnishings offer a soft comfortable ambience.
If you are looking for a Home Cinema feature room then get in touch. If you’re in the UK contact our partner company Cinema@Home for Home Cinema Design & Build.
Home Cinema or Media Room - What's the difference?
So Home Cinema or Media Room, what’s the difference exactly?
You may have seen these terms used when discussing converted rooms with a home that are used for watching movies, tv, playing video games or even zoom and skype video meetings.
Some people feel that they are interchangeable, that they mean the same thing, after all cinema and movies are media. and that’s OK, you can call it what you want but when I’m discussing designing an amazing room for our customers I tend to delineate it like this.
A Home Cinema is a custom room with a projector, projection screen and a minimum of 5.1 Surround sound (more likely 5.2.1 Dolby Atmos - nowadays) and cinema recliners or special cinema seating. The room is likely to be tucked away in a closed/confined space without too many doors or windows so that it can be blacked out to get the best picture possible.
A Media Room is a room that will more likely feature a TV screen (albeit Huge) and either surround sound or a soundbar and subwoofer, this sort of room more often than not features more lounge like layout and furniture/seating. The room will likely be more central to the home, perhaps taking the place of a lounge (or even a 2nd lounge), perhaps with some computer desks or other seating and tables scattered around for people to do other things, rather than just watch movies and TV.
Hua Hin Home Cinema project
We are currently working on a custom home cinema project in Hua Hin, Thailand.
Front Stage of Hua Hin Home Cinema
Very much a work in progress, once our two rows of luxury motorised cinema recliners go in, it’s going to really start to take shape.
This home theatre features 7.1.2 Surround Sound from Klipsch, So that’s three front speakers (left, centre, right), four surround speakers and two Dolby Atmos Height Speakers. It’s powered by a Marantz Surround Receiver and features a Klipsch Subwoofer.
The 150”Screen provides the visuals in conjunction with an Epson 4k Projector. This is a huge screen and it’s going to look great - Big screens are fine if you can get the viewing distance to it, what you mustn’t have is a screen that more than fills your line of vision, if that’s the case then eyes start to flicker left and right to try to take in the whole field of view which is very uncomfortable.
Before the fitout we made sure to reinforce the corners with Acoustic Bass Traps, carefully designed to absorb excess Bass waves and to help make Bass tighter and more controlled. We also used Cylence which is an acoustic barrier product on the ceiling to tame the acoustics and keep as much noise in as possible.
On the front stage we used an acoustic tile behind the framework to absorb sound waves and keep the front stage imaging tight.
For the sides we used Quadratic Diffusors to scatter sound in a random manner and open up the room and sound-stage, these help to stop direct reflections and literally make a room sound bigger and the sound inside the room less confined.
Control4 Smart Doorbell available in Thailand
John Sciacca has a great article over on Residential systems about the new smart doorbell from Control4. We’ve been waiting for a video doorbell here in Thailand that can work with Control4 but also allow actions to be taken by your smart home upon sensing people, say at set times of the day or when you are away. So the doorbell could turn on your porch light and garden lights if it senses someone approaching the door at night for example.
Review: Control4 Chime Smart Doorbell
Meet the new Chime Video Doorbell, which Control4 calls “the first video doorbell solution designed to leverage all of the capabilities of the sophisticated Control4 OS3.”
Take a walk through a typical neighborhood and you’ll quickly notice that one of the leading smart home accessories is the smart doorbell. Instead of the dumb push-to-contact relay and ding-dong chime people have lived with since, I don’t know, the dawn of time, many homeowners are adding smart devices to their front porch from the likes of Google, Ring, Arlo, and a host of others. Even security companies like Vivint, ADT, and SimpliSafe are offering solutions.
Undeniably, the smart doorbell is a hot category, but you know what all of these lack? Any kind of deep integration with the automation systems that we’re installing. Or, as Control4’s senior director of product marketing Kordon Vaughn said, “Video doorbells let you see and talk, but not do.”
Roughly two years ago, Control4 launched its new DS2 Door Station. This device screams luxury all the way, with a gorgeous looking faceplate available in three solid metal finishes that fit right in outside a million-dollar home and offers solid Control4 integration, as well as the addition of a new Control4 feature, “Intercom Anywhere.” But, at nearly $1200 for the flush-mount version, it can be a tough sell for many customers, especially when there are plenty of DIY options available for under $200. And, even at that premium pricing, the DS2 had a pretty meager 1280×960 (1.2 MP) resolution camera compared to many competing products, didn’t capture/record any video clips, and required a hardwired Ethernet cable for PoE power, meaning retrofit was often out of the question.
Due to this, it’s likely you’ve been incorporating other products with third-party drivers (nod to Blackwire Designs!) into your Control4 projects to get some kind of smart doorbell integrated with your installs, even if it meant the customer bouncing between apps.
Control4 has heard your cries and feels your pain, and better yet, they are doing something about it! Meet the new Chime Video Doorbell, which Control4 calls “the first video doorbell solution designed to leverage all of the capabilities of the sophisticated Control4 OS3.”
First Impressions
Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Chime is way cheaper than DS2. While not cheap at $400, it is far more affordable, and comes with the kind of dealer margin you’d never dream of getting with DIY stuff. Chime also comes in two versions: PoE for new installs and Wi-Fi for retrofits, both offered in black or nickel metallic finishes.
Taking Chime out of the box, my first thought was, “Man, this is dinky.” Chime measures a scant 5 x 1.5 x 1 inches (H x W x D) — about 60 percent the size of a dollar bill — and it’s pretty light. Visually, it’s modern and attractive, but it definitely doesn’t exude the weight and gravitas of the DS2. (But if you’ve got a customer that is really sensitive about the look at the front door, the DS2 is still available!)
Chime’s front is basically divided into two halves, with the camera lens on top and the button on bottom. The button is ringed with a soft-lit LED that is white during regular operation, making it obvious where to push. If enabled, two red LEDs glow on either side of the lens at night to enhance dark viewing. It comes with a simple metal mounting bracket that attaches to the wall with two screws, and then the Chime clips and secures into the bracket with an Allen-screw into the bottom.
Since I was replacing a DS2 with an existing hardwired Cat cable connected to a Pakedge PoE switch, I opted for the PoE version. For retrofit installs where you’re replacing an existing doorbell, the Wi-Fi version will likely be your go-to since it powers via the existing doorbell’s transformer and 2-wire connection. (The PoE version also has the ability to connect to an existing door chime or contact sensor.)
If you go with the PoE version, be aware that it has a pretty thick waterproof Ethernet connector hanging off the back that requires some fair wire management space behind it, and mounting this to a solid surface like brick or concrete will mean chiseling out a pocket for this wiring to recess into. Control4 will offer a new construction box that is a half-gang size that accepts the Chime mount, as well as an adapter plate for single-gang wall boxes. There isn’t a flush-mount option with Chime.
For my install, I fabricated a piece of plastic to cover the existing DS2 opening, with a hole for the wiring to tuck through into the DS2 recessed mount, and simply attached the Chime mount with a couple of screws.
With the PoE version, that’s it for the install. With the Wi-Fi version, once it is wired and powered up, you need to connect it to the home’s Wi-Fi. Chime creates an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network you connect to — navigate a web browser to 192.168.1.1 and you’ll enter the default password and then scan and connect to the home’s Wi-Fi. Chime supports both 2.4 and 5 GHz signals, and Control4 recommends a target signal of at least –65 dBm at the door station for reliable performance.
Once on the network, you open your new version of Composer OS3.2 and Chime announces itself via SDDP. Drag it into your project, and after it performs any firmware updates, you’re instructed to change its admin password before you can proceed.
After that, you have access to the Chime’s properties, which are far more extensive than what the DS2 offered and don’t require opening a separate web page to access. Here you can adjust things like what call group it notifies when the doorbell is pressed, make image setting adjustments (white balance, brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness), night mode and exposure settings, set the resolution of the camera’s video stream, configure network settings (including whether to use DDNS), create up to five separate motion zones, set privacy masking, and select what kind of events to capture during motion or when the button is pressed.
Immediately noticeable is the vastly improved image quality of Chime’s 5 MP (2560×1920) camera compared to the DS2. Where images on the DS2 were a bit flat and soft, Chime captures sharp, vibrant, saturated, and detailed snapshots and videos. Chime currently captures video clips for Control4 interfaces at resolutions up to 1600×1200 (or 1024×768 for on-screen), but you can see its full image quality by either logging into its Web GUI or linking it to an ONVIF-capable NVR for higher-resolution (and full-time) recording. The camera boasts a super-wide 180-degree field of view that will likely cover most installations, but Control4 will offer two mounting wedges to further angle/aim Chime if need be.
The microphone is also quite sensitive, not only perfect for two-way conversations with whomever is on your doorstep, but also picking up the sounds of chatter and kids playing out in the street.
With OS3 integration, the home can now automatically react when Chime senses motion or when the doorbell is pressed, with all the programming and if/then customizations you want to employ based on things like time of day, whether the security system is armed or not, if the home is in stay or away mode, etc.
The five configurable motion zones can be independently programmed for different actions per motion in each zone; say the driveway motion turning on floodlights if it is night time and arming the security system if it is after a certain time of day, and have the porch motion turning on porch lights and making sure the door is locked.
You can also have push notifications sent to a device when motion is sensed in any zone. For example, I often get packages delivered where the driver never presses the doorbell button, but now I’m notified there was motion at the door and I am prompted to check who/what caused it. (We captured one late night video of a gnarly Kaiju cricket slowly crawling past Chime’s lens.)
One of OS3.2’s great new features is a new “History” icon that gives you information about security events around the home. This presents a timeline of when the doorbell sensed motion or the doorbell button was pressed, what time doors locked/unlocked, and when the security system armed/disarmed. Doorbell videos and snapshots are stored for seven days, with all other history saved for 14 days. (4Sight subscription is required for the 7-day cloud video storage.) You can also easily share or save an event, snapshot, or video by pressing and holding it; making it simple for a homeowner to archive or share something with the authorities. Also nice is that you can enable a time/date stamp for all snapshots and recordings.
The separate Intercom Anywhere app was introduced with the DS2, and you’ll recall it freed your phone from the doorbell, letting you also take calls from touchscreens, and letting you call touchscreens from phones when away from home. Another boon of OS3.2 is that the separate IA app is going away, now merged in as part of the Control4 app. (Note: Merged apps will be available for Android devices at launch; iOS version is awaiting final approval from Apple and will launch later this year.)
An intercom icon in OS3.2 brings up all of the intercom features, letting you control everything from within one app. Another recent update treats incoming intercom calls as a regular phone call, letting you answer audio only, or jump straight into video intercom mode. OS3.2 also features improvements to let Chime work with multi-home systems, correctly contacting you from any location.
Chime is also now OvrC-enabled, giving pros the ability to remotely monitor system status, receive notifications, and reboot it if required from the OvrC web or mobile app. (An OvrC Pro device — like an Araknis router or OvrC Pro Hub — is required for remote access.)
Charlie Kindel, SnapAV’s chief product and technology officer, perfectly sums it by saying, “Chime marries security and automation to a level that has never been done before. It’s entirely customizable, transforming the doorbell’s role in the smart home to deliver the experience homeowners want.”
In other words, Chime will likely become the de facto smart doorbell solution on your Control4 projects going forward, as well as offering a terrific conversation starter to add killer integration to any existing jobs.
Cable Delivery
Only we could get quite so excited about a cable delivery!
Excellent cable is a big part of any modern smart home infrastructure.
This isn’t just an ordinary delivery though, we fly in our cable - we can’t afford to have our precious copper sitting in a ship over all that salt water for months at a time en-route.
So what sort of cable do we use most of;
Cat6 Networking Cable
Cat-6 - Network Cable (We Use a ton of this)
The modern smart home has a lot of network cable, as good as wireless is you still need hard-wired network connectivity to access points, routers, switches, TV’s and media.
12/2 Gauge Speaker Cable (The Big One)
We use this solely for Home Cinema, The cable is just too big for multi room audio and speaker cable this thick doesn’t hold any extra benefit for multi-room audio applications.
99.99% Pure Copper
Twin Shielding
14/2 Gauge Speaker Cable (The Medium One)
This is our go to cable for smaller personal cinemas, rear surround speakers and high-end multi room audio - This cable is still very thick, you wouldn’t get much of this in your conduit.
99.99% Pure copper
Twin Shielding
Speaker Cable
16/2 Gauge Speaker Cable (The Trim one)
Now this is our smallest (thinnest) cable but probably still double the size of our competitors average cable and great for in-ceiling or in-wall speakers or short runs to bookshelf or floor-standing speakers.
99.99% Pure Copper
Twin Shielding
HDMI CABLE
We basically use either really short cables (from Media Boxes to TV’s and or Home Cinema Receivers) or really long Active HDMI Cables up to projectors. Quality is very important, many times local cables just aren’t up to 4k.
UK - The Queen to Host Drive-In Movies at Sandringham
The Queen
British citizens missing the movie-going can experience films like they’re English royalty, almost.
Over in the UK - The Sandringham Estate, the private home of her royal majesty Queen Elizabeth will be opening up to to host drive-in movie events. It’s not quite home cinema, like we normally discuss on here - more like palace garden cinema.
Starting in September the royal house will open up for a handful of special drive-in showings of titles including 1917, The Greatest Showman, Moana and A Star is Born. Additional movies on the September lineup are Bohemian Rhapsody, Toy Story and Rocketman.
Visitors will set up at Sandringham Country Park where they will be provided with transmitters that will allow movie audio to play in their car. Tickets are set to cost £37.50 but for an extra £7.50, moviegoers can upgrade their drive-in experience with a bigger parking spot, deck chairs, a table and popcorn.
Just like regular movie theaters, the Sandringham Estate drive-in touts concessions, with a pop-up bar featuring soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, popcorn and snacks.
SONOS CEO - "Amazon is Breaking the Law"
Patrick Spence - Sonos CEO
Sonos CEO says Amazon is breaking the law by selling Echo smart speakers below cost
Patrick Spence the Sonos CEO called Echo discounts "predatory pricing" and said his company was working on future Ikea products.
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence believes that Amazon is breaking the law by selling its Echo speakers below cost. "That's predatory pricing," - His comments came in response to last week's Big Tech hearing, which included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' first appearance on Capitol Hill.
During the hearing, Bezos was asked by Rep. Jamie Raskin whether Amazon priced the Echo speaker below cost. "Not its list price, but it's often on promotion," Bezos responded, adding: "And sometimes when it's on promotion, it may be below cost, yes."
"That's illegal," Spence said Wednesday. He argued that companies like Amazon and Google are only able to engage in these kinds of price wars because of their ability to make up for losses from hardware sales.
"They just take money from their monopoly business, they just subsidize, subsidize, subsidize," he said. The Sonos CEO took part in a hearing of the House antitrust subcommittee in January and has been a vocal critic of both Amazon and Google in recent months.
Sonos sued Google for patent infringement in early January, and it's also at the center of an International Trade Commission probe over Google's alleged patent infringement. Google responded with a countersuit in June. Spence said that he was looking forward to the ITC hearing next February and to any legislation that may come out of the House. "We were encouraged by the hearing last week," he said, while pledging to continue to be involved in the process. "You gotta stand up to bullies."
The company's partnership with Ikea was hit particularly hard during the recent quarter, as the furniture chain closed almost all of its stores worldwide. However, Spence said that Ikea would continue to play a big role for Sonos, including with "future products" that he said are now in the works. In the past, Sonos executives have hinted at efforts to launch additional out-of-home products, including via partnerships. Spence said that some of the company's roadmap had to be adjusted to account for the new reality of homebound life under COVID, but he reiterated that Sonos was looking to replicate the Ikea partnership model with other companies in the future.
Our most common Smart Home requests during the Covid 19 Pandemic
Lockdowns around the world during the Covid 19 Pandemic have made people re-think their home environments. What was important to homeowners about their homes has been intensified by the sheer amount of time people are spending at home.
Some are working from home either full-time or part-time, so home internet, wifi coverage and even acoustics - for those all important video calls, are becoming key components to be upgraded in the modern smart home.
For others who have been, are now and possibly will in the future - spend most of their leisure time at home because of the Pandemic then entertainment to keep the family happy is a priority.
Here are the Top 3 Smart Home enquiries we’ve had throughout the Pandemic.
#1 - Home Cinema
What better way to while away time at home than your very own home cinema. Our clients are finding they have considerably more time that can be spent watching Movies and TV series that they’ve not caught up with yet. With the availability of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime they have a whole library of the best 4k Television and Movies to watch - they don’t want to waste that experience on a smaller TV set they can hardly hear the dialogue for. What people are asking for is an immersive experience with stunning huge visuals and crystal clear sound that envelopes them and transports them into the movie, away from day to day worries.
#2 - Better Wifi
Whilst only the occasional Skype call or Zoom video conference was necessary and besides the kids weren’t home and at school, the strength and resilience of the Wifi system wasn’t so important. Now with those online meetings and video conferences amplified and the kids in the house home schooling or keeping themselves entertained with Youtube or the like - suddenly it makes more sense to get a proper Wifi system in place and toss out that $10 router that came free from the ISP.
#3 - Music Outdoors
Those with a pool or outdoor areas are increasingly asking us to wire up an outdoor zone or two so they can listen to all their favourite music outside. We’ve even combined this with #1 - Home Cinema and have projects whereby an outdoor cinema is requested, so friends can come round and watch a movie without worrying about social distancing.