The Many Benefits of Lighting Control - Quickly Explained.

Of all the products we sell to make people's homes more enjoyable, lighting control is probably the most universally appreciated. Its only the difficulty of explaining it that makes it less popular than it should be. The following short video does an excellent job of explaining its many benefits. Enjoy !

Wal-Mart Launches Vudu Disc-to-Digital Store Program: Here's How It Works

By Matt Peckham, PCWorld

Want to turn your bulging library of digital video discs into high-definition video streams that you can access anytime without spending a fortune?

Walmart claims it has the answer: The company's rolling out its disc-to-digital movie store conversion program today, allowing you to bring supported DVD or Blu-ray discs--the company's joined hands with several Hollywood studios--to any Walmart store and unlock access to a streaming version of the video through Vudu.com, Walmart's digital content delivery service.

Here's how it works: You bring your physical DVDs or Blu-ray discs to a participating Walmart store, then pay $2 per disc to access the streaming equivalent through Vudu on supported devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones and game consoles--basically anything that supports Vudu.

Blu-ray users automatically convert to the high-definition version of a video, but standard-definition DVD owners have the option of paying $5 (instead of $2) to up-convert to the HD version. Out of the gate, the service offers over 4,000 titles, and it's available in about 3,500 stores.

Burning Questions

But wait, do you get the same deal if your video disc is scratched? How many discs can you have converted at once? Can you keep the disc? If yes, what's to stop customers from passing discs around to friends? How about bulk-conversion discounts?

I called Walmart to get answers, and was told the first you'll need to create both a Vudu.com and UltraViolet account (the latter is the movie industry-led digital rights management process for converting discs to digital versions).

Once those two accounts have been linked, Walmart says you can bring your DVD or Blu-ray in for conversion, at which point a Walmart rep--typically located in each store's photo section--will ask for the email address associated with your Vudu account.

Next, you select whether you're after the $2 SD or $5 HD version--the Walmart rep confirms you can't have both, which is unfortunate for HD buyers who want an SD alternative on devices with low bandwidth or data-caps.

Assuming what you want is part of the program--so far, the Hollywood studios that are participating are Dreamworks, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.--your order's processed, and the Walmart sales associate stamps the inner ring of your disc with a label before handing it back over. This is to prevent you or anyone else from using it for conversion again. Note that movies with "extras" discs may or may not be fully converted--Walmart says support for extra media is at the discretion of each studio.

In theory, says Walmart, there's no limit on the number of discs you can convert at once. I'm assuming the company is betting that most people won't haul hundreds of discs in at once, though if enough people do, I'd wager limits will magically appear. Sadly, bulk conversions won't come with discounts, meaning someone with a moderate collection of 100 DVDs will spend $200 for a straight conversion and an incredible $500 for an up-conversion.

And since there's no physical conversion taking place, i.e. Walmart's just verifying that you own the discs and is unlocking access to already-in-place digital copies, you could argue the whole affair's just a stunt to get customers to pay yet again for content they already own. A wiser, more consumer-friendly move would have been to charge a monthly Vudu access fee, ala Netflix, and let consumers convert for free.

And when it comes to scratched discs, the Walmart rep told me he wasn't sure if Walmart has a policy against accepting them for conversion, since the company is merely verifying each disc is legit and not a rental, but told me that's probably left to the discretion of the sales associate. And lastly, yes, the videos are yours to view indefinitely...so long as Vudu and Walmart stick around.

I sold my 100-plus DVD video collection to a wholesale buyer online over a year ago when I signed up with Netflix and made a fair lot of money. If the prospect of paying for Walmart's disc-to-digital program doesn't appeal to you--depending on whether services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon offer the TV shows and movies you're interested in--you might keep that in mind as an alternative.

How to: Building a Whole-House Guitar Distribution System

"If you love playing guitar, why not be able to enjoy the music in every room of the house? That’s exactly what home systems integrator Joe Whitaker was after when he engineered a “whole-house guitar distribution” system in his St. Charles, Mo., home."

Read the rest of the article here : How to: Building a Whole-House Guitar Distribution System - CE Pro Article from CE Pro

Is your TV big enough?

"Since televisions are measured diagonally, it’s worth knowing that, say, a 70-inch television is going to measure 61 inches wide and 34 inches high. Finding room for something like that is going to be harder than picking a spot for that “Real Genius” movie poster you bought online."
http://www.nytimes.com

Tired of dirty Baseboards?

"Even though my house might not reflect it sometimes (hey, I'm human too), I actually greatly enjoy cleaning. That said, I loathe cleaning baseboards. Sure to do them right it involves buckets and cleaners, rags and... ugh. Just ugh.

Forget all that drama and do this less than desirable task far less with the help of a fabric softener sheet." 

Read the rest of this article here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/quick-cleaning-tip-keep-baseboards-cleaner-with-fabric-softner-165957

Presidents Day Weekend Getaway Guide « CBS New York

Presidents Day means more than a 3-day weekend and department store sales. Some of the best celebrations of our country’s earliest leaders take place over the weekend, and the extra day off from work means you can travel to some of the most historic sites in America – Philadelphia, D.C., and Virginia.
Check out our planes, trains and automobiles guide and transportation links to help you plan and book your weekend getaway.For the rest of the article click this link!:   Presidents Day Weekend Getaway Guide « CBS New York

At first blush, America's favorite sandwich might seem like a limiting subject for a blog. But for more than six years, the hungry people at Serious Eats' A Hamburger Today have been showing that it's an infinite wellspring of inspiration. They review new burgers (usually, but not always, composed of beef) and keep tabs on news from local joints, up-and-coming chains like Smashburger and the Hardee's and Jack in the Boxes of the world. If you have a strong opinion on the question "Are onion rings an acceptable burger topping?" you'll feel right at home here.

DIRTFT Redux

DIRTFT (dirt foot) - Do It Right The First Time

So this is a follow up on my last post - the one about the woman who had a balky home control system because the original installer tried to save her some money.

I fixed her issues by rearranging her equipment to make the best use of the available resources. Its now working fine but at what cost?

1) My charges to repair it added another 10% to the total cost of the system.
2) Some of the features that were originally promised had to be abandoned.
3) The original installer is despised by both the client and the builder that brought them together.
4) The original installer spent all of his profits in unpaid service trying in vain to make it work.
5) The reputation of the equipment manufacturer and our industry in general suffered.
6) The original installer lost two sources of referrals for new work.

All because of a failed attempt by the installer to 'help' with a low price.

There is a saying that no good deed goes left unpunished and while its a cliche and not always true, it does bring up the risks of putting yourself 'out there' to help someone. Doing good is not without risks but the rewards are great precisely because so few people ever go out of their way to truly try and help. BUT, when you do try to help, you have to do it right.

In the end, its not the price of a product that makes someone happy, its their satisfaction with how it works. Deliver a great product to begin with and then 'put yourself out there' by taking an interest in the client's well being AFTER the sale. If something is not right, make it right - with no questions asked and without charge.

Its so rare that a company (or individual) goes the extra mile after the 'sale' that such care will be remembered far longer than any discount up front.

The moral? Stand by your employers, employees, family and friends even AFTER they have 'paid' you. Your uncommon fortitude will not be soon forgotten...

Be brave enough to do the right thing.

I visited a woman today that has a poorly performing home automation system. She just put it in two months ago and it has never worked right. The music stops playing unexpectedly, the TVs turn off by themselves and who knows what else. The fellow that put it in had been back a dozen times and still couldn’t' fix it. Finally in disgust the client called another dealer (me) to take a look.

Well I found some issues that I will fix next week but the most glaring issue is that the prior dealer didn't design the system with enough power to care for its assigned tasks. Why? Surely he would have made more money if had sold a more powerful system. While I don't know the fellow and it could have been mere incompetence, I suspect that he may have been trying to be budget conscious. If that’s the case, I find his empathy for the client's budget laudable but in the end he did himself, the client (and the builder that brought them together) a disservice as everyone is unhappy. Now, because much of the system has to be rebuilt, it will cost more than a properly designed system would have cost in the first place. (And that’s not even counting everyone’s aggravation and loss of good will).

The moral? Do it right the first time. Stand up for a quality product that will delight your client and preserve your reputation. If the client simply can't afford the quality necessary to create a satisfactory experience - DON'T DO IT.

Selling no product at all is infinitely better for all concerned than selling a bad product.

Cheers,
John

A brief review of the AppleTV and Roku media players.

Its 2012 already! Which one is right for you?

So to follow up on my last post, here are a few specific products that you can use for viewing pictures on your TV that have the added bonus of bringing a wealth of other services (many of them free) in from the Internet.

AppleTV

If you use iTunes to manage the music on your computer and iDevice than using an Apple TV is a great way to get that music to your TV. It’s a small box about the size of a hockey puck that plugs into an HDMI connection on the back of the TV. It can use either a wi-fi or wired network connection to your computer and comes with a small, simple remote control.

Not only will it let you view and select your iTunes music on your TV but it will also find all of the digital pictures on your computer and show those on your TV as well. You can choose to view photos individually or in a slide show and you can do so while listening to music.

The AppleTV also lets you rent or buy movies and television programs from the iTunes store. You can also access YouTube, podcasts and 1000’s of free internet radio stations from all over the world.

Like most Apple products, it is nicely designed, works well and has a slick user interface. They cost around $100.

Pros: Seamless access to your iTunes library. Access to photos on your computer. Nice hardware and user interface design.

Cons: Limited access to online content (you can only rent through the iTunes store). The only video connection is via HDMI which isn’t available on older TVs.

Roku

If you don’t have an extensive iTunes collection, consider one of Roku’s media players. It too is a small hockey puck of a box that connects to your TV with either an HDMI or a composite video connection. Like the AppleTV, the network connection is via wi-fi (the top of the line XS model can accept a wired connection too). It comes with a small remote as well.

Roku doesn’t support iTunes or allow you to access pictures on your computer but it provides access to a very extensive array of online services. It has a ‘channel store’ - much like an app store – where you can choose your services. For example, there are probably a hundred special interest internet TV channels to choose from along with several rental sites like Amazon On Demand and Hulu.

On the photography & video side Roku allows you to access most of the online sharing sites like Picasa, Facebook, Shutterfly, Flikr (Apple supports Flikr too), Vimeo and Ustream.

While the Roku box has a USB port where you can connect a thumb drive containing pictures, you can’t easily access pictures on your computer directly. However, if you aren’t using a photo sharing site like Picasa or Flikr, you should consider it. While it’s always nice to have a backup copy of your pictures on your computer, posting them to a sharing site will make it MUCH easier to share them with friends. Sending a few large pictures through the email becomes a thing of the past as you can now simply email a web link to an entire slideshow. Sharing pictures on Facebook etc. also becomes easier. Sharing sites also let you access your photos from any computer or smart phone when you are away from home – that a BIG plus when visiting friends and family.

So while the Roku box won’t directly access your photos on your PC, it will access your photo sharing site which, once set up, is even better. The Roku costs from $50 to $100 depending on the model.

Pros: Permits access to an unprecedented level of online content. Both digital and analog video connection options.

Cons: Clunky user interface, no support for local photos or iTunes. No YouTube access (but that is rumored to be coming soon).

The Bottom Line: Both of these boxes are cheap, very easy to set up and will profoundly change your TV viewing experience for the better. At this point its almost a no-brainer - GET ONE!

Questions and comments welcome as always...

Cheers,

John

Digital Music & Pictures on Your Living Room TV

Digital music and pictures are great inventions. They are flexible, rich and easy to manage. The trouble is that up until recently they were locked up on your computer and difficult to share in a family room type of setting.

As with any technology, there are several ways of doing what we wish to accomplish. Each has its advantages in terms of simplicity, flexibility and cost.

The important thing is to use quality devices, designed specifically for the task and set up in a way that fits both the family’s needs and their capabilities. If it isn’t simple to use, it won’t get used and that’s a shame given the fun and richness they bring to parties, family gatherings etc.

Below is a run down of some of the options from each group, ranked roughly from the simplest solutions through more sophisticated ones.

Digital Photos – Simple to deluxe:

• Use a cable directly between the digital camera and the TV
• Advantages – Cheap and simple
• Disadvantages – Can only look at the pictures on the camera, not something saved on your computer; TV input connection is often inconveniently located on the back of the TV; you must use the controls on the camera to advance to the next picture.
• Get a TV with a built in memory card reader
• Advantages – You can sit back and use the TVs remote control to kick off a slide show or advance to the next picture; no cables to worry about.
• Disadvantages – Can only look at the pictures on the memory card, not something saved on your computer; the TV likely only takes one style of memory card and it must be compatible with current and future cameras.
• Use a device designed to connect your TV with your computer.
• Advantages – Can look at any pictures stored on your computer; can sit back and use a remote control to work the slide show and advance pictures.
• Disadvantages – Requires some set-up and installation; pictures must be on computer which is inconvenient if guests want to show the pictures on their camera.
• Set up the above device to show the pictures selectively on any TV in the home.
• Advantages – Different family members can use it to show their pictures on the TV of their choice throughout the house; use the remote control for that room to adjust the slide show.
• Disadvantages – Requires more set-up and installation; still can’t be used for guest’s own pictures.

Digital Music – Simple to deluxe:

• Take advantage of the free music channels provided with your cable TV service.
• Advantages – Free; simple to use, just tune to your favorite channel, no commercials.
• Disadvantages – limited program material that tends to repeat itself; no customization or pausing possible
• Get an XM or Serius satellite radio and connect it to your stereo or TV.
• Advantages – much deeper music selection than free services; still largly commercial free; great sound quality.
• Disadvantages – subscription based, requires a clear view of the sky for good antenna reception.
• Get a docking station for your iPod or similar MP3 player.
• Advantages – Allows you and your guests with compatible players to bring their music to the party; you can sit back and use the stereo’s remote control to control the iPod.
• Disadvantages – only plays music on the player, not the larger collection stored on the computer.
• Get a remote controlled device to connect your computer to your stereo or TV.
• Advantages – can play the full library of music residing on the computer; can often pick up Internet radio stations for greater music variety; provides on screen cover art and song info when browsing music collection.
• Disadvantages – requires installation and set-up; isn’t easy to casually play music from players that guests bring to the party.
• Get a device that allows digital music to be played throughout house.
• Advantages – browse cover art and select different songs, playlists etc in different rooms of the house; play the same material throughout the house in a party mode fashion or play different programs in each room individually; select from digital music on the computer, Internet radio or subscription music services; simple remote control from any room.
• Disadvantages – requires a separate dock to used guests iPods; requires installation and set-up

Alpine Home Media can help you with any of the options presented above. Just contact us if you have any questions. Below are some tips on finding and enjoying music

 – cheers !

Music Tips:

Tip#1 – Listen to more music

Many people like music but just don’t seem to find the time to listen to it. Music is a great stress reliever and an ideal background activity. Instead of just leaving the TV on to a random channel while working around the house, try putting on one of the commercial free music channels provided by the Cable TV service. This works especially well at dinner time. Instead of turning the TV completely off during dinner, try one of the lighter music channels or turn on the radio.

Tip #2 – Listen in unusual places

Listening in the kitchen while cooking or eating are obvious but also consider music in the office, formal dining room or out on the deck. Music is ideal as a backdrop to other activities and gives you mind a place to momentarily rest between tasks. Equipment is available that will allow the same or different songs to be played in every room in the house with the touch of a button.

Tip #3 – Explore music

Many of us learned to love music when we were in our teens and then lost interest as we moved on into adulthood. We therefore know certain bands, songs and radio stations and gravitate to them again and again through familiarity. Sadly, this soon becomes tiring and reinforces our current lack of interest in music.

There are a number of tools available today that let you easily find new music that is as close or as far from your current tastes as you wish. Much of it is free and lets you easily note what suits you and what doesn’t so you can better cultivate your interests. Many of these tools are Internet based so they naturally lend themselves to exploration while using a computer. However, virtually any service that is available on a computer can now be set up for use on your home entertainment system. There are many devices that allow you to navigate internet music with a remote control on your TV.

Explore the following web sites. If you find an interest in music reemerge, consider bring your new found interest to your home entertainment system.

·              Pandora.com – build your own personalized radio stations

·              Rhapsody.com – flat rate subscription to a vast library of music

·              Shoutcast.com – Internet music stations from around the world

·              iTunes.com – purchase songs, albums and videos individually

Conclusion

We have covered a lot of different options here. All of these solutions come in a variety of configurations to suit any budget. We hope that you have found this paper to be helpful and informative and if you have any further questions or need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at (845) 398-4582. It would be my pleasure to speak with you.

 Kind regards,

John Vitiello

President - Alpine Home Media Inc.

http://www.alpinehomemedia.com/

No movie joy on your new iPad?

I good client of mine just called. He gave his wife an iPad for Christmas but the streaming video feature dosen't work. Althought it works fine on his desktop PC, everytime he starts a Netflix movie in the iPad it goes a for few seconds and then stalls, stutters etc.

This is a classic example of a wireless router that isn't up to the task. All wireless routers are not created equal. Streaming media, especially video is much tougher on a router than viewing a webpage as everything has to happen in real time. The cheap consumer routers that you find in most stores and the free routers that the cable company provides are basic routers intended mostly for email and web browsing.

Routers designed for the small office/home office (SOHO) market are much better. They will not only have greater wi-fi signal range throughout your home but they will be fast enough to allow you to stream videos to your iPad etc without stuttering and delay.

I will be upgrading my client's router this week. If you have a similar issue, let me know...

Apple TV for Christmas

CB says:

Thanks for suggesting I should get Apple TV. I got it for Christmas and quickly set it up. It's a neat little media streamer! Have you had a good experience with Netflix on it?

JV says:

Streaming Netflix on most devices usually works fine. The problem is that their streaming content is lame compared to what you can get from them on disk. Looking through their streaminig offerings I can never find anything I actually want to watch.

A good additional feature of the Apple TV is that you can now play music from your system and control it via your iPhone in the kitchen etc. You can select songs, change the volume and such using an iPhone app called "Remote". I think AirPlay will do that too but I haven't played with that yet.

Another alternative if you just have a stereo is to use an Airport Express. Hook it up to your stereo and use your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to control and send your iTunes library to your stereo via the Remote app. The Airport Express is wireless so the computer running iTunes can be elsewhere in the house (assuming you have wi-fi). - John

Waste not want not...

There recently was an article in the NY Times about the wide variety of things that can be rented these days. Apparently you can even rent toys for toddlers. You get a new toy every month until they are 4 years old (after that most kids start growing too attached to let them go). What a great idea. We all have so much stuff that sits around most of the time waiting for its occasional day in the sun. Lets hear it for more efficient use of all our resources - and the sense of community it will inevitably bring...

What I want to accomplish with all this.

In a word - help.

I want to help people find things that are useful and interesting to them. As is my vocation, I will provide a lot of stuff on how to use electronics to better enjoy your home. However, I am funny. Really. So there will be some humor and plain old human interest stuff too.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas !