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Home Theater Receiver: Mobile App Equals Convenience in Prosper, TX

March 18, 2016August 10, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

Home Theater Receiver: Mobile App Equals Convenience in Prosper, TX!

Remember the days when remote controls didn’t exist for televisions in Prosper, TX? I remember having to get up from the couch to turn the dial on the TV to adjust the channel and volume. We would take turns ‘getting’ to change the channel.

That was a few decades ago, and times have certainly changed since those days of manual effort to perform simple tasks related to electronics!

The remote control is standard these days with televisions, Blue Ray Players, home theater receivers, and every other wonderful electronic offered on the market.

We are spoiled by convenience… and let’s face it – we all love convenience.

If you love convenience, then we have great news for you! Most manufacturers of electronic components these days have created a downloadable mobile app, which can be used for that added convenience factor. Yes – this means there is a remote control and a mobile app available to you! Double the convenience.

While most electronic manufacturers offer the mobile app, today we are going to focus on the mobile apps created for a home theater receiver.

Home theater receivers are used as a hub for various a/v components (e.g. blue ray player, multi-room speakers, patio/pool speakers, etc.).

We hosted a barbecue at our home recently, and spent most of our time on our back patio where we have outdoor speakers mounted. The sound for the outdoor speakers runs through the home theater receiver, which is placed in a room far from the back patio. We like to play music for our guests, and enjoy it playing in the background while spending time with our friends outside.

While we could have used our universal remote control, we opted for the additional convenience of using our mobile phone to select what we wanted to listen to. There’s no need to carry around the receiver remote control. Simply keep your mobile phone by your side, and you are all set!

Home Theater Receiver App on mobile device

Check out all of the options you have from the mobile app. It’s every option you have on the home theater receiver remote control. Essentially, the app is an extension of the remote control. Now, that’s what we call convenience!

Manufacturers of home theater receivers include Onkyo, Sony, and Pioneer. All of which offer a mobile app for their receivers.

After purchasing your new home theater receiver, go to your App Store on your mobile device and download their app. Follow the directions to download to your specific receiver. It’s that easy.

Now, you are all set with your mobile app for your receiver. Have some fun and find as many uses as you can for it… because the number of ways it can be used seems endless!

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

Center Stage A/V services the northern Collin County, TX area: Frisco TX, Prosper TX, Celina TX, McKinney TX, Little Elm TX, Plano TX, Allen TX, Lucas TX, Savannah TX.

Home Theater Speakers: In-Wall vs. Floor Standing – Which is Best in Frisco, TX?

March 18, 2016August 1, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

Home Theater Speakers: In-Wall vs. Floor Standing – Which is Best for You? Frisco, TX

You are in the planning process for your beloved media room in Frisco, TX. You know you want the speakers with incredible, wall-shaking, knock-your-socks-off, sound.

Now, for the million dollar question – do you go with in-wall speakers or floor standing home theater speakers? Great question… and one that many homeowners wonder when planning their media room sound equipment and speakers. Let’s have some fun and break it down…

First, we’ll start with laying some foundation of how home theater speakers are made, and how they work.

Speakers have what’s called a cone, which you may recognize as the cone-shaped part of the speaker. The speaker cone produces the sound via the coil and electromagnet behind it. This is what causes the speaker cone to vibrate (which is the same for any speaker, including car speakers). An electrical signals passes through the coil, and that ‘activates’ the magnet to produce the sound. Check out this article for a deeper look.

The sound production does vary between in-wall and floor standing speakers, and because of that, there are definite pros and cons between them.

In-wall home theater speakers – Pros:

In-wall speakers are mounted inside of the wall and/or ceiling. This can be considered a pro if you like to visual appearance of flush mounted speakers (also viewed as semi-hidden speakers).
In-wall speakers can be painted to match any décor/paint color. This makes the speaker blend in perfectly with the wall, making them less visible.
Offers a flexibility factor, as they can be placed anywhere in the wall/ceiling.
Typically cost less than floor standing speakers.

In-wall home theater speakers – Cons:

Drywall has to be cut in the walls (or ceiling) for wires to be placed in the walls, requiring more installation and time investment.
The low, mid and high sounds are all coming through one speaker (primarily the lows), as opposed to having a floor standing speaker which produces the low, mid, and high sounds individually.
They are smaller speakers in size, as compared to a floor standing, which reduces the amount of sound it can produce.
Sound can get ‘lost’ within the walls, causing some (probably minor) level of sound loss.

Floor standing home theater speakers – Pros:

A floor standing speaker is known to have the most accurate sound reproduction, because it’s in a custom speaker box that enhances and compliments acoustics.
Usually each speaker tower consists of a tweeter, a mid-range speaker, and a speaker for the low sounds, therefore, covering all ranges of sound being produced (see photo). As a result, no sound gets lost.
Floor standing speakers offer various styles and sizes, to personalize and accommodate spaces and buyer preferences.
Some floor standing speakers have built in sub-woofer, which prevents from having to buy a separate sub-woofer.

Floor standing home theater speakers – Cons:

Floor standing home theater speakers can be considered more intrusive, only because they stand on the floor and are visible, as opposed to being inside the walls/ceiling.
Floor standing speakers typically cost more than an in-wall speaker. If you prefer a floor standing speaker, you will want your budget to allow the cost difference.

There is always the option to combine and do both in-wall and floor standing speakers.

With all that being said, it really boils down to personal preference. You can accomplish terrific, knock-your-socks-off sound with either in-wall or floor standing home theater speakers. It’s all about your personal preference, and possibly budget.

To conclude, whichever home theater speakers you ultimately decide on, you can produce that quality in-home movie theater experience. So, have fun with your media room, and know that you will have years of enjoyment ahead of you!

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

Center Stage A/V services the northern Collin County, TX area: Frisco TX, Prosper TX, Celina TX, McKinney TX, Little Elm TX, Plano TX, Allen TX, Lucas TX, Savannah TX.

Universal Remote Control: A Must-Have in Frisco, TX

March 18, 2016July 27, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

Universal Remote Control: A Must-Have in Frisco, TX

Does this pile of remote controls look familiar in Frisco, TX? If you answered yes, you definitely want to keep reading…

Imagine this…

It’s a Friday night after a long week at work. You decide it’s a perfect night to stay in and relax during a movie with your family. You grab the popcorn and beverages and head to the media room. Ahhh, you are surely in for a nice, relaxing night at home….but, first let’s gear up the system…

You go to your mile long row of remote controls lined up on the table. You need to turn on your TV, Blue Ray player, receiver… and the list goes on. You pull out the TV remote, click the Power button. Next, you pull out your Blue Ray player remote, click the Power button. Then, you pull out your receiver remote control, hit the Power button and make sure it’s on the correct input. Now, you rummage back through your remotes, grab the Blue Ray player remote control (again) and push the Play button.

The movie begins to play. The sound is too low. Guess what? It’s time to dig back through your stack of remotes. Find the receiver remote. Turn the volume up to your liking, and enjoy the movie.

How many steps did that take to simply turn on the movie? Too many!

Not to fret, there is a brilliant solution – a universal remote control.

Universal Remote Control, with touch screen

A universal remote control has a simple job, and that is to consolidate your pile of remotes to ONE single pre-programmed remote control. How does that work? We’re glad you asked.

It’s really a simple process. You purchase a universal remote control from Center Stage A/V, and we will program it for you, resulting in one shiny, new remote control. The remote control programming includes any a/v component you own (TV, Blue Ray player, receiver, cable/satellite box, Apple TV, CD player, etc.). Provide us with your favorite TV channels and music stations, and we will program those in for you as well.

You can toss the gamut of other remotes you have into a drawer somewhere, and forget about them.

Is it easy to use? YES! Literally, with a (touch screen) push of a button on the universal remote control, the entire system will power up and be ready to play your movie. Once the movie is playing, if you need to adjust the volume, stop, pause, etc., simply use the universal remote control to complete any action. It is really that simple and easy to use.

Buying a universal remote control will really eliminate the hassle of working through a pile of remote controls, which can be stressful, especially for those in the household who may not know which remote goes to which a/v component. Sometimes, even the best intentions with a label maker and remotes don’t help too well.

So, think of the purchase of a universal remote control being a stress reliever, and something that makes your family movie watching time that much more enjoyable and relaxing.

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

Center Stage A/V services the northern Collin County, TX area: Frisco TX, Prosper TX, Celina TX, McKinney TX, Little Elm TX, Plano TX, Allen TX, Lucas TX, Savannah TX.

Top 5 Reasons Why Whole House Sound Adds Value to Your Home in Frisco, TX

December 18, 2015July 12, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

Top 5 Reasons Why Whole House Sound Adds Value to Your Home in Frisco, TX

Have you ever hosted a friends and family gathering in your home and thought, “I sure wish we could be listening to music right now!”? You aren’t the only one. When entertaining family and friends, having speakers in multiple rooms (whole house sound) adds serious entertainment value to your home, and it is very affordable to do so.

Here are the top 5 reasons why whole house sound adds value to your home:

1) Play music in every room. Speakers can be installed in any room of the house: living space, dining space, bedrooms, bathrooms, office, etc. Be entertained with upbeat music while cleaning your house, relaxing music while taking a bath, inspiring music while reading a book… your music, your choice.

2) Entertainment for house parties. Plan a party and know your entertainment is ready and waiting. Determine the mood you want to set for your party, turn on the speakers before guests arrive, dance around while preparing, and have peace of mind knowing your guests will be entertained throughout the event. Music adds entertainment value to any event.

3) Increase your home’s resale value. Speakers in multiple rooms is highly desired to buyers these days. Enjoy the speakers while living in the home, and know when it goes on the market that buyers will see value in the whole house sound. In fact, play music in every room for all potential buyer showings! This will help them imagine entertaining their own family and friends in the house, and it may even sell faster.

4) Outside speakers provide endless entertainment. Play music to outdoor speakers, while having the TV on in the house. Host a football party, have the fans of the game inside watching the game on the big screen, while playing music outside on the back patio for other guests. Dual entertainment! You select what you want to play through the whole house sound speakers. Even play the game on the back patio. It’s your entertainment of choice.

5) Ability to play music in specific rooms. Did you know when the sound source (receiver) is on, you can select which rooms to play the sound to? With a whole house sound system, each room that has speakers installed will have a volume control (either an electronic keypad or knob) that allows you to select which rooms to play the sound. If you only want to play sound to two of the six rooms with speakers, no problem! You would simply turn on the volume control to the rooms you want to play the sound.

Whole house sound is the way to go for adding entertainment value to your home. You will enjoy it, your family and friends will enjoy it, and best of all, your whole house sound system is always at your fingertips.

Electronic volume control for whole house sound

Knob Volume Control for Whole House Sound

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

Home Theater Installation Summer Special going on NOW in Prosper, TX!

December 18, 2015July 2, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

Stay cool indoors this summer while enjoying your new media room in Prosper, TX! Take advantage of this limited time offer – $100 OFF home theater installation labor!

Do you want to be blown away with sound in your media room? Do you want to entertain your friends and family on the patio this summer with music and TV? We can help you accomplish that goal of adding entertainment value in your home! Home theater installation services are a great solution to creating an environment of entertainment in your home.

Center Stage A/V offers a wide variety of home theater installation services. We will provide a FREE consultation to collaborate on your specific audio and visual needs.

Some of our most common home theater installation services include:

Media Rooms
Outdoor patio and pool TVs/speakers
Security Cameras
Multi-room speakers (bedroom, bathroom, dining room, etc.)
Surround sound
Home automation
Universal Remote Control and Programming
Electronic window shades

Read our reviews and see how our customers highly rate Center Stage A/V!

Call 214-498-9996 for more details, or have a little fun and contact us through our Build My Experience page where you can browse through the long list of home theater installation services we offer, select services you are interested in quoting and submit directly to us!

We invite you to learn more about our company on our About CSAV page, where you will ‘meet’ the owners, Chris and Stephanie Brown, and learn a little about the history of our company. We have a passion for home theater installation, and for our customers.

Give the gift of home theater installation to your spouse, family member, or friend. We have installed many surprise gifts, and enjoyed seeing the gift recipient light up like a light bulb when they were presented their gift!

Center Stage A/V services the northern Collin County area, primarily Prosper, Frisco, McKinney, Celina, Allen, and Plano.

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

CSAV is Hiring in Prosper, TX!

December 18, 2015May 22, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

CSAV is looking for a Home Theater Installation Tech in Prosper, TX to assist with installation of a/v equipment, including full media rooms (in-wall speakers, projector mounting, projector screen, etc.), security cameras, whole house audio, outdoor speakers and TV mounting, running cable, etc. Troubleshoot systems as needed.

Previous home theater experience is preferred, but not required. Ability to lift 50+ pounds, learn quickly, and work independently with minimal supervision required.

We are searching for someone who is reliable and trustworthy with a strong work ethic who is looking to work with a growing company! If you are interested, please submit your resume below.

Best home theater installer
Center Stage AV
2831 El Dorado Pkwy. Ste 103-172
Frisco, TX 75033
www.CenterStageTX.com
214-498-9996

TVs at CES 2015 go beyond 4K

January 22, 2015January 21, 2015 by Centerstage A/V

4K is already old hat. Rapidly falling prices are causing TV makers to push ever more elaborate features — that’s why Quantum Dots, HDR and curved, bendable and ultra-slim sets were so prominent this year.

Sarah Tew/CNET

LAS VEGAS — The marketing departments at major TV makers love their buzzwords, and none more than Samsung.

The world’s biggest TV maker and dominant force in 4K UHD sales bet big on a confusing array of new terms at CES 2015, beginning with S(don’t-call-me-Super)UHD. Other TV makers joined in too, adding HDR, pixel splitting and numerous other enhancements to their best TVs.

The reason is simple: 4K TVs are dropping to mainstream prices fast, so something else is needed to sell profitable, high-end TVs. Both Samsung and LG, the number two TV maker, introduced more lines of 4K TVs than 1080p TVs at the show, and Sony’s ratio of 4K to 1080p series was 4:1. The show’s big booths were packed with 4K sets, with very few 1080p models on hand.

Samsung SUHD vs. LG OLED

The latest front in the bitter corporate rivalry between Samsung and LG is new high-end TV tech. At CES Samsung introduced its “SUHD” line of LED LCDs in an attempt to compete against the picture quality supremacy of OLED, which delivers the best images we’ve ever tested.

SUHD picture enhancements include LEDs coated with Quantum Dots, a redesigned panel, improved LCD filters and, in the case of the flagship JS9500 series, full-array local dimming. They looked very good in person during a private room demo Samsung set up, but since they’re basically fancy LCDs I don’t think they’ll outperform OLED — although they’ll likely be significantly less expensive, especially the step-down JS9000 and JS8500, which use edge-lit local dimming.

LG’s OLED introductions were all 4K, and we expect them to continue to be exorbitantly expensive. The company is delivering 55-inch and 65-inch flat (as opposed to curved) screen models, a 77-inch flexible model, and will continue selling the 1080p 55EC9300 from last year. No pricing was announced, but I’m guessing the 55-inch sets cost around $4,000, and the 65-inchers $6,000, at launch in the US.

HDR: contrast vs. resolution

We’re much more excited about HDR (high dynamic range) TV tech than we ever were about 4K resolution. The most important picture quality factor is contrast — basically, the ability to produce dark blacks and bright whites — and HDR promises to improve contrast in both TVs and the content displayed on them.

Multiple companies, including Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, TCL and Philips are talking about HDR in their TVs, and even more exciting, Dolby and Netflix are talking about HDR content. It’ll be a few years before it becomes widely available, but in demos I saw it was the most exciting picture quality enhancement at the show. Check out our HDR roundup for more.

Sharp, for its part, was focused squarely on resolution with its Beyond 4K TV. For my part, I don’t think the extra subpixels will make much visible difference.

More curved vs. more flat

Samsung says its curved TVs are extremely popular, despite the troubles we’ve noted in testing. So the company doubled down in 2015, introducing four series of curved 4K UHD sets. Beyond LG’s OLEDs, however, no other TV maker is selling curved TVs in the US.

Instead, Sony, LG and Sharp all touted flatter TVs. The Sony X900C is the world’s thinnest LCD at 0.2 inches (5mm) deep, making it thinner than your phone. Sharp will sell a similarly slim set later in the year, and LG’s best new LED LCD is almost as thin as its OLEDs.

David Katzmaier

Smart TVs: Homebrew vs. Roku and Google

Samsung and LG stuck to their guns in introducing new versions of their homebrew smart operating systems. LG’s Web OS 2.0 largely looks the same as the original, but it’s supposedly faster and offers more customization. Tizen is the name for Samsung’s new system, and it has a new interface, faster response time and of course a crazy new name. Samsung touts its open-source nature, but I’d be surprised if a flood of third-party developers jumped on board.

Google’s Android TV is open-source too, and in 2015 two TV makers, Sony and Sharp, embraced it over their own homebrew systems. To be fair Sharp’s approach is more of a hybrid between its old smart TV suite, with Android TV couched as one option among many. I like Sony’s approach better, however. It scrapped its old smart TV suite completely and put Android TV front and center.

Meanwhile Roku, our favorite smart TV system of them all, announced a couple of new partners in Haier and Insignia, an expanded lineup of TCL sets, and the beginnings of a plan for 4K.

http://www.cnet.com/news/tvs-at-ces-2015-go-beyond-4k/