IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING A MULTI-ROOM AUDIO SYSTEM

Imagine listening to your favorite songs in each room of your home, with a multi-room audio system, you can enjoy the convenience of having a virtual entertainment butler in each room. You can choose what you like because you have total control over what you listen to.  Basically, a multi-room audio system is an all in one solution to your music needs, as it cut down on the number of devices and amount of clutter in your home.

Multi-room speaker offers both style and convenience, but before buying a system, be sure to consider following points:

1.        The quality of sound: This is the most important factor to consider while purchasing an audio system. Do the speakers produce a high-quality sound? Can you adjust the bass and treble manually?  Are there specific settings to change the music to different genres or- if your system includes a TV sound bar? These are the things you need to focus on while buying a system for your home.

2.        Flexibility: Different homes have different needs and want from multi-room speakers. A multi-room speaker should be flexible. It’s able to connect various speakers at one time. Should it be able to stream music from different resources simultaneously? If you have a big family, you might want to be able to play different types of music in every room, so it worth finding out how flexible your sound system is?

3.        Ease of use and setup: The ultimate benefit of the multi-room speaker is to make life easier for you. If you are facing problem in setting up the speakers and connect your devices, then it’s totally wastage your time and effort. Check out all the features of the speaker. Can you share music and playlists with other family members in the house, and easily accesses music from different sources?

4.        Price:  You may have to pay an arm and a leg for purchasing a multi-room audio system. But the beautiful part of this audio system is, they can be built up gradually. You can start with one or two and add more over time.  You can compare prices on different websites or store and choose the one which is affordable and best for your needs.

5.        The range of music:  The biggest advantage of having a wireless audio system in your home is being able to stream music directly online subscription services and internet radio stations. So before choosing the one for you, check out which services are supported like Hype Machine and SoundCloud options for new music and Deezer Elite and Tidal options for high definition.

3 IMPORTANT THINGS YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT HOME THEATER SYSTEM

If you love music and want a better sound quality from your entertainment system, chances are you need to add a home theater system. Even the best hi-def are seriously lacking when it comes to speaker capability since they’ve become so slim over time. They start giving bad quality sound and you cannot enjoy your movie and music perfectly. Before deciding on which home theater systemEdmonton is right for you, here are three things to consider:

1.    All-in-one setups: A good home theater is one which provides all the essential equipment you really need. A good quality system will include a pair of floor-standing speakers, two rear surround sound speakers, a center channel speaker and a subwoofer. These kinds of system are known as 5.1 systems. As you’d expect, a high-quality home theater system typically includes two additional speakers for superior sound effects.  The best thing about these types of system is convenience- you just have to make the purchase once and you’re done. Also, it’s easier to install and usually affordable than buying pieces individually.

2.    Personalize your home theater: While the all-in-one setup is ideal for some, other may prefer to give a personal touch to their system. They want to build their own system from the ground up. It may take your time and efforts but do-it-yourself approach also comes with some perks. You can customize your system to fulfill your individual needs. If you are a hardcore movie fan then you may be choosier about center channel speaker. But another music lover might just be looking to customize the system with a pair of killer floor standing system. Personalize your system gives you the freedom to mix and match products as you see fit.

3.    Understand the system layout: In order to optimize your system’s sound quality, it’s beneficial to understand how to physically lay it all out. While choosing your home theater system, think of your living room. Where the center channel speaker should be placed? Whether it should be right above or below your TV screen and positioned to face listeners. If you decide to position it on the stand, rest the speaker’s edge on the end of the stand. This will help prevent dialogue from surrounding wonky. The bookshelf speaker should be placed six feet apart on the either side of the TV. And if you want a high-quality sound, make sure to keep them at an equal distance. For a subwoofer, feel free to give it a try along the wall or next to a front speaker. If you understand the layout perfectly and manage to apply sound system nicely, you can make most out of your home theater system.

Top Three Benefits of Installing Residential Multi-Room Audio System

A commercial multi-room audio system is now a need for a business. And, a residential multi-room audio system endows your house with style and convenience. Moreover, it is also one of the essential features of a smart home. Also known as multi-zone audio system and whole house audio system, it is a Hi-tech and sophisticated audio system that enhances the way all members of the family enjoy the music of their choices. They can make and manage their separate playlists, share playlists, control volume, change tracks; in a nutshell, full freedom of playing music in every room. The entire system depends on different technologies and methods to distribute audio in different rooms.

There is a need of several interconnected components for installing this system. You need a receiver and multiple stereo speakers for different rooms. You have to drill into walls to connect stereo speakers and other components. This might create a messed up web of wires. This is the reason why the majority of clients install wireless multi-room audio systems. If you want to install this system then you might have some components at home such as receiver and stereo speakers. Now, you need a plan to proceed. Here is the important information you need for getting this job done.

Centralized System

We are leaving in an era in which we do not need separate heaters and air conditioners for different rooms. Today, we have centralized air conditioning, heating, ventilation, vacuuming and other centralized units. The same goes for our multi-zone audio system. These days, it has also gone centralized. Only stereo speakers and controllers are installed in different rooms. These controllers allow controlling the entire system using remote controls. You can also use your Smartphone for controlling the entire system.

Centralized Music 

A multi-room audio system is advantageous in two ways. First of all, there is no clutter and no wires in the system. The system operates differently in different rooms. The second advantage is the centralized music content. All tracks are downloaded and stored in one place and can be played in any room.

More Choices

There is a good number of manufacturers and suppliers of highly advanced centralized multi-room audio systems. You can install a truly exceptional audio system by comparing the quality of components separately and the entire system. The best team of professionals installs 100% personalized audio systems. Before buying and installing a whole house audio system, it is always better to read customer reviews.

How to Protect Home Video Surveillance System from Harsh Winter Weather

Installing video surveillance systems is the most common security measure for ensuring the safety and security of any property be it your home, office, warehouse or shop. We know that this system keeps running throughout the year. However, we hardly realize that this system needs regular maintenance and we have to prepare cameras and other components for upcoming weathers. When the summer, winter, monsoon or any other weather is at its extreme, the camera may fail in recording high quality video consistently. In this blog, we have highlighted some maintenance tips that will keep your security system running efficiently in the winter season.

Remove All Obstructions

Even if you have installed the most expensive and advanced systems, these systems become useless when there is a physical obstruction. Most of the times, trees, shrubs and other natural landscapes and general detritus cause obstruction. When we are talking about winter, snow and ice obstruct the CCTV camera.

Inspect the Video Recorder

Dust is often accumulated on the video recorder. Take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe the dust. This dust not only causes a visual issue but sometimes also causes internal damage.

Keep Eye on Power Supply

Bad winter means gale-force, snow storm and ice. This can cut the power supply or the video feed. Therefore, always keep an eye on the power levels to make sure that the system is getting adequate power. Many video security experts recommend voltmeter for measuring the power being supplied to the system.

Use Camera Enclosure

Enclosures provide the first layer of protection to the camera against rain, snow fall and other natural factors. This also whittles down your worries in harsh winter weather. When a camera is protected with an enclosure, you have to use fewer resources for its maintenance.

Inspect Connectors

Look for the signs of corrosion or damage. If you find any, connectors of your camera are not in shape. Therefore, regularly check wires, connectors or any other exposed inner work.

Inspect Frayed Cables

This is the most common wear and tear in security camera systems. Winter is the period when the moisture is easily seeped through wire. This can damage the entire setup. Experts recommend to create U-shape with cables. With this, no water or melting ice is collected inside the camera.

Buy Weather Resistant Camera

Whether you are installing a home video surveillancesystem or a commercial one, always use cameras and other components that can withstand harsh winter weather. Highly advanced cameras come with internal temperature regulation mechanism and built in heaters. 

How to Use Webcams as CCTV Surveillance System!

Currently, even hi-tech CCTV security cameras are available at affordable prices. The reason is simple. The demand for these cameras is increasing in leaps and bounds and so is the production. The increase in production has also increased competition which is ultimately good for the wallet of the customer. If your budget is too tight and you cannot fork out for advanced cameras then we got a solution for you. You can use the webcam of your computer or laptop as a CCTV camera plus motion detection recording system. Here is what you need:

-          A laptop or computer

-          A built-in or USB-connected webcam

-          A software for recording motion activated or continuous feed from the webcam

There are some free and paid applications that are used for recording the webcam feed. Since you have a tight budget, you can opt for free software such as iSpy Connect. This software does not require any technical expertise for deploying. Simply install it and use it. Moreover, it also supports multiple cameras.  

Once it is installed, this software provides you with a list of all connected webcams. Now, it is time to configure zones. A zone is a rectangular area within the view of the webcam. You can select the door, parking space, or any other area to monitor.

Good software comes with a playback console for showing recorded clips on a timeline. This allows you to watch the video that was recorded when the motion was detected. Some software applications send a text message, an email with attached jpg image and upload video to YouTube or FTP server when a motion is detected.

There is a cool feature in iSpy that enables the webcam surveillance system to respond to the motion or audio trigger.

There Are Some Downsides

You’re PC or the laptop should be always on. This will definitely increase your electricity bills. Apart from this, it also pares down the life of the machine as computers and laptops usually get heated when run for a long period. Moreover, you need lengthy USB cables. Most of the webcams do not have night vision feature. So, the webcam will be useless at night if proper lighting is not there.

When you are using an IP camera, you need not keep your PC running. An IP camera is connected to the router and can be mounted anywhere within the range of the Wi-Fi. Moreover, with IP camera, you also get real-time footage on your computer. Apart from this, the majority of IP cameras have microSD card slot for storing the recorded video in a memory card.

Whether you are looking forward for IP cameras or webcam surveillancein Edmonton, it is important to buy cameras and components from a reputed supplier only. 

9 Pitfalls to Be Avoid While Installing Hotel Security Cameras in Edmonton

A hotel that cares about the comfort, safety and security of guests is never reluctant to investing significant funds on the camera security systems. A guest never forgets to give one star and write terribly bad reviews if her 1,095 $ Versace is stolen during the stay. And, no one is going to stay in your hotel after reading that bad review of the extremely angry guest. No security camera guarding the entrance of the hotel or the parking area is going go to leave a bad impression in the mind of guests. Therefore, in the hospitality industry, it is extremely important to install high-quality cameras to make guests feel safe and comfortable.

Apart from this, there is a right and wrong way of installing cameras. Similarly, there are right and wrong locations for installing CCTV cameras. Here, we have listed some pitfalls you must avoid while installing security cameras in your hotel, motel inn or lodge:

1. Do not give much thought to the cost. Commercial CCTV camera system is a onetime investment that will serve your needs for years. Therefore, buy cameras from a well-established company that also provide fast and reliable after sale services. A bad supplier of cameras may go out the business. In this situation, you will have no one to rely on.  

  

2. Apart from cameras, every component of the security system should be new. Outdated components may cause some compatibility problems. For example, you should not use outdated RG-59 or RG-58 Coax cables with new IP cameras.

3.  It is not a wise move to blow the budget on PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) camera. Do not assume that PTZ cameras will cover a large area. A PTZ camera can watch only one area at a time. 

 

4. Do not opt for wired CCTV security system. Even your security system is insecure when cables are exposed and within reach. Therefore, even if you have to shred some dollars, install Wi-Fi camera system only. 

       

5.  Don’t install all cameras on the ceiling or on walls at the height of more than 12 feet. You can install hidden cameras to get a good look of faces.

6. It is not good to skimp on NVR (Network Video Recorder).

7.  Do not expect the entire camera system to be installed in one day. Depending on the size of the hotel and your security needs, it may take a few days or weeks.  

8. Do not make the entire payment upfront. A reputed company asks for only a portion of the total cost. The remaining amount is withheld till the completion of the project. 

9. It is wrong to assume that dynamic IP address for NVR is the best solution. Dynamic IP address may cause trouble while accessing remotely. Therefore, opt for a static IP address.

Not only in case of hotels, even when you are installing home security cameras in Edmonton, should you avoid these pitfalls. 

How to Protect Kids from Electrical Threats At Home

Be at home or in office, we are living with dependency on electricity. Electricity is supplied to every nook and corner of your house. There are multiple sources of power available in every room for running TV, fridge, hair dryer and many other devices and appliances. However, electricity is a utility that can cause various serious safety threats such as a burn or an electric shock. Therefore, you have to be careful especially when kids are roaming freely in the house and electrical devices are within their reach. It becomes important to protect kids from potential electrical hazards. This is something you cannot take lightly.

Identifying Electrical Hazards

You can protect kids only after identifying electrical hazards. Start by going room by room for identifying potential hazards. This might sound funny but get on your knees and view all hazards from a kid’s perspective. Look for power cords, electrical outlets and power strip. Never forget to look behind furniture. Carefully look behind, up, down or any side of dressers, tables or countertops. Make a list of all hazards you have identified and collect all essential tools and safety equipment to address the problem.

Electrical Outlets

Electrical outlets are tempting and kids are curious. Sometimes, they tend to stick random objects in those little spots and that object can be a metal also. Sometimes, they stick their fingers into the holes of outlets. You can protect your kids from this threat due to these outlets by installing safety plates or electrical outlet caps. Every unused outlet should be covered especially if it is within the reach of children.

Power Strips

Power strips or power bars are supplying electricity to multiple devices in a single room. Multiple cords are plugged into a single power strip that is usually on the floor. Now, this can be really dangerous for kids. However, you can avoid mishaps by using power strip covers on power bars that are easily accessible to kids. A cover wraps the entire power strip leaving holes for cords to exit. This prevents kids from pulling out cords.

Electrical Cords

Kids can dislodge the prongs and this may increase the risk of electrical shock. You can secure kids from electrical hazards due to electrical cords by tucking them out of the reach of kids. Shorten too long cord by rolling up and tying it with a zip tie.

The best way for eliminating these threats is hiring experts for installing residential low voltage wiring safely. Therefore, always hire certified professionals for residential or commercial wiring.