Discover all Your Options for AV Content in New Orleans

If you look at how audio and video technology has evolved over the previous 50 years, or even the past five years, you’ll see a dramatic difference. We’ve gone from audio cassette tapes and VHS tapes to CDs and DVDs, and from grainy sound and picture to vivid colors and crystal clear images. Along with those changes in devices is the way we attain and enjoy content. You don’t necessarily have to purchase and own a CD or DVD anymore. You can subscribe to streaming services and get unlimited amounts of movies and music. In this blog, we are going to cover what video and audio streaming is and what the best ways are to access online content using your whole house audio/video system in New Orleans, Louisiana.

SEE ALSO: How to Enjoy the Ultimate Entertainment Experience in Your Louisiana Home
What is video and music streaming?
Video streaming is the process of sending compressed video content over the Internet and displaying it for the viewer in real time. Instead of downloading the video file, or playing a disc, the content can be accessed directly and instantly via the Web. The media is sent in a continuous stream of data and played as it arrives to the screen. Music streaming works in a similar way as music files are compressed and sent via a network connection to your music system, and then through your speakers.

What do I need to stream?
There are a number of ways to use streaming platforms. One way is purchasing a smart TV, which already comes with the most popular services – such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. You can also use a streaming stick, box, or Blu-ray player. Streaming sticks are Wi-Fi enabled, but if the Internet isn’t strong you could experience problems. A wired Ethernet connection, or professional home network like the ones we install, will provide a reliable connection for high-definition movies and games. Smart TVs also have the advantage over sticks and boxes in some respects because they have exclusive content deals with studios to offer more content. In addition, a smart TV has a strong processor to handle Internet content, which helps make navigating and browsing faster.

For music, the top streaming services are Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, and XM Sirius Radio. Some of them are free, like Pandora, and some require a monthly fee for subscription like XM Sirius Radio and Tidal. Like we explained with smart TVs, some wireless speakers or receivers support these streaming services, like Sonos. However, if you already have in-ceiling speakers, or other speakers in your home we can connect the right equipment to give you access to more streaming services so you can listen to unlimited amounts of songs throughout your home. Switching between your personal music collection of CDs or even vinyl and these streaming services will be quick and easy using your smart home interface.

Are you interested in a whole house audio or video installation? Click below and fill out our online contact form.

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Learn About the Security Trend that is Changing the Smart Home World

In the world of smart home automation, there are a few ways to simply control your Louisiana home. You can press one button on your mobile device or wall keypad to start a specific scene, or schedule a scene according to date and time. However, now we have another way to control our smart homes – geofencing. Geofencing technology is a relatively new feature to homeowners and gives you another way to manage your home remotely. Instead of using times or dates to start and stop tasks, you can use your precise location. Continue reading this blog on this security and surveillance trend to learn all about it.

SEE ALSO: How to Protect Your New Orleans Home with Security & Surveillance Systems
What is Geo-Fencing?
Geofencing allows you to create an invisible fence around your Covington property so that as soon as someone steps inside or outside of that virtual zone, the security system reacts. Your system uses cell phone tower triangulation to gauge where you are. Once you pass the invisible barrier, either going in or out, certain rules will go into effect. These actions are triggered by a device, most often a smartphone, whenever it crosses into the established zone.

How do I use it with my smart home?
Geofencing can be used for a lot of different reasons other than just security. For example, you can monitor the activity of your children or pets so that when they go outside of a certain area, you get a text message on your phone. This is helpful for determining when your kids get home from school to make sure the home is locked and armed when they are there, or monitoring the behavior of Fido in case he escapes the backyard. Geofencing can be tied to every smart feature in your home, such as motorized shades, automated lighting, surveillance cameras, the smart thermostat, and smart locks. Imagine making your way home from work and your home activating a “welcome home” scene as soon as you are a mile away. The thermostat will adjust to make your house cooler, the lights will turn on, your TV will turn the channel to the afternoon news, and the security system will disarm.

Full Security and Surveillance Solutions
While geofencing is certainly the newest trend in smart security, there are many other ways to protect your home. Here are a few more ways we can install a surveillance and security system in your home to protect your loved ones and valuables.

Part 2 of Reasons Why Shade Control is Worth the Investment

In our last blog on the benefits of motorized shades, we covered saving energy, saving time, and adding security. But there are actually even more benefits to automating your shades or drapes and we wanted to share them with you today. In this article, we’ll cover preventing damage on your home furnishings, increasing the value of your home, and adding beauty. Keep reading to learn more! And don’t forget to check out our previous blog:

SEE ALSO: 3 Reasons Motorized Shades are Worth the Investment

Prevent Damage on Home Furnishings

Did you get sunburned this summer? We certainly hope you didn’t, but it does illustrate the potential damage of the sun’s strong rays. Not only can the sun burn and damage your delicate skin, but in a similar way it damages your furniture and home décor, such as paintings, leather sofas, carpet, and more. Once exposed to UV light, things like chairs, rugs, and sofas lose their vibrant colors and fade. Unfortunately, sun damage is usually irreversible. That’s why it’s important to control the sunlight in your home with shades, and automating them will make it even easier to prevent this damage.

Why Your Should Make Your Covington Home Smart

A study done by Lowe's smart home automation found that while Rosie the Robot is the futuristic feature consumers would want most from "The Jetsons," more than 70 percent of smartphone users in America just wish they could control something in their home from their mobile device. Above all, families want to make their homes safer, more energy efficient, and easier to manage.

Read this blog to learn more about it: The Best Benefits of Lighting Control In this blog, we’ll show you how Acadian Home Theater & Automation partnered with Control4 to meet all of your smart home needs in Covington, Louisiana. Here are the top three reasons why investing in smart home automation is worth it.

1. Add Convenience

Whether it’s summer and you have big plans to take a vacation, or it’s the middle of the year and work and school is quite demanding, a smart home system will help you manage your household and daily schedule. Managing a home and a family requires a lot of attention. Your Control4 system can act as a personal assistant, monitoring your property for security, keeping the house at the best temperature to save energy, and planning parties for entertaining guests. The truth is that being able to control your home with a mobile device – like your iPhone – is super convenient. And the magic of automation even allows you to take a hands-free approach since your system can think and act on its own. Simply tell it what to do using your smartphone, tablet, or in-wall touch screen with the Control4 app, and then go about the rest of your day without a second thought. Control4’s interface is also easy enough for anyone to use, from your 10-year-old to your grandmother, so you don’t have to be the only one in control.

Enjoy Whole House Audio/Video Without the Clutter

Investing in a whole house audio/video system for your Baton Rouge, LA residence doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your clean interior design for the sake of high-quality sound. With the minimalist A/V products from Stealth Acoustics, Acadian Home Theater & Automation can design and install a whole house audio/video system that seamlessly integrates into your Louisiana home. Read on to learn about the options available for hidden technology.

SEE ALSO: How to Enjoy the Ultimate Entertainment Experience in Your Louisiana Home 

Hidden Speakers

The issue with trying to hide speakers in bookcases, or behind other more appealing décor is that you end up muffling the sound. By using in-wall speakers, you can enjoy hi-fi audio and eliminate unsightly clutter. These in-ceiling speakers are small and can match the shape and size of your recessed lighting so you don’t even notice them. We can even paint the speaker grill to match the walls, or even completely conceal them with dry wall. You and your guests will be able to focus on the beautiful sound and how beautiful your home looks, instead of all the A/V equipment.