Thinking about bringing your audio/video experience to your backyard or patio?  More and more families are taking their entertaining outdoors.  Here are some things to consider before you get underway.

• Its always best to keep your source equipment inside and simply run wiring outside.  But if that isn't the case, consider a weatherproof enclosure you can buy or build and where you will locate it.
• Bose FreeSpace 51 are Good Example of Outdoor Speakers
  Stick with weatherproof speakers, TVs and other equipment.  Especially in humid climates and coastal (think salt) locations, this protected equipment is well worth the extra dollars you'll spend.
• For speakers, focus on coverage rather than volume.  Several speakers interspersed throughout the area playing low is more enjoyable than only a few playing loudly just to cover the territory.
• When it comes to speaker placement, extend them to the perimeter of your yard and direct them inward and away from the neighbors.
• Install your wiring first, especially if they need to go underground.  Make sure you first identify where underground waterlines and other utilities are!  Run the wire to a weatherproof panel or exterior closet.  That's where you'll tie in all of your electronics.  This will give you the flexibility for future upgrades.
• Run wiring in conduit and use separate conduit for low-voltage and high-voltage purposes.
• Thoughtful use of swinging TV mounts could potentially allow you to view from inside a cabana, for example, or swing out to an exterior angle to chairs arranged theater-style in the yard.

Like any updating to your home, planning ahead pays big dividends in the end.

by Bryan Naquin.  Follow Bryan on Twitter @ACIexperts.  And you can always contact him at 225.906.2589 or by email at bryan@aciexperts.net.

Bryan Naquin is president of Acadian Home Theater and Automation based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  CEPro Magazine ranked Acadian in the top 100 consumer electronic companies in the U.S. coming in at Number 87 for 2011.

Follow These Steps to Enjoy High-Performance Audio Outdoors

Though the summer weather in Lafayette, LA is sweltering in August, the cool breeze of autumn is just a few weeks away. How are you preparing to spend more time outdoors once the temperatures start cooling down?

Outdoor activities don't have to involve day-long hikes or fishing trips—though we'd certainly recommend both. Usually, on a day-to-day basis, all it takes is the right drink and playlist as you sit by the pool or prepare some steaks on the grill. Let us help you embrace some added fresh air this fall with a comprehensive outdoor sound system.

Use your outdoor audio video to enjoy your favorite music in your pool, veranda, and patio. We outline five steps to get instant access to your go-to recordings without sacrificing quality or getting noise complaints from the neighbors.

SEE MORE: 3 of the Best Ways You Can Enjoy Your Outdoor Entertainment System

1. Set a Strong Foundation

Designing a successful outdoor sound installation will depend mainly on having the right foundation. Take your whole home audio outside with underground wiring that links your sources to all your outdoor speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers (if applicable). Do you like to stream music? Add wireless access points to ensure you have a strong network connection.

2. Choose the Right Equipment

The next step is adding the ideal equipment for the job. Never take indoor speakers or subwoofers outside as they will be promptly damaged and offer poor quality sound. Outdoor speakers from Coastal Source are designed to brave the elements and deliver powerful audio throughout large spaces. These speakers use airtight designs, rustproof materials, and directional amplification to offer optimal quality. Choose from landscape, bollard and rock models to find a speaker that best fits your landscaping or patio design.

3. Optimize Your Speaker Layout

Adding high-quality speakers is only the first step. The wrong layout will still result in uneven sound and angry neighbors. A professional outdoor audio video installation takes speaker layout into account to offer level sound that stays contained within your property. Line your space with speakers every few feet facing inwards, so sound doesn’t seep out. Doing this also has the added perk of bolstering the audio as it bounces off your home’s exterior.

4. Connect Your Favorite Sources

Your outdoor sound installation will be useless if you can’t listen to what you want! Linking it to the rest of your whole home audio system is vital. Each of your favorite music sources—digital libraries, streaming services, and more—is available for you to use without having to take any vulnerable equipment outside.

5. Control it the Way You Want

Integrating with your whole home audio has another benefit. All your music will be at your fingertips from the same user interface that you use to listen in the kitchen, bedroom, or media room. Now you can pull up the tracks you want, choose where you want it to play and adjust the volume from the one device. And you can even select which control method you want! In some cases, a mobile app is ideal while in others, you may prefer a waterproof remote.

 Start your journey to immersive outdoor audio today to be prepared when the cooler fall weather arrives. The first step to a custom-crafted outdoor audio video solution is setting up a one-on-one consultation with our team by calling 225.906.2589, filling out our contact form or chatting with us below.

Would you like some expert advice on finding the perfect gift for the music or movie lover in your life? Here are four surefire options that are available now from Acadian Home Theater:

1 - Sonos music bundle - Play:3 or Play:5 with "Bridge" - $299 / $399

Everyone enjoys music. Give the gift of the music system that is not only easy to use, but takes just a couple of minutes to plug in and start enjoying. Plus, this music solution is portable (you just need an AC plug nearby).

The Sonos Play:5 resembles an ordinary table radio, but is much more because it is part of the world-famous Sonos multi-room music system. The Play:3 is its even smaller sibling. Simply put, the Sonos music system streams not only your current digital music library (iTunes, etc.), it has streaming access to many popular music services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Spotify, MOG, Sirius/XM, and many more. As of just a few weeks ago you can now "push" the music on your iPhone or iPad wirelessly to the Sonos system...very cool!

You can add more rooms wirelessly, too. Simply add more Play:5's, the smaller Play:3, or if using your own speakers, you can add Sonos Connect and Connect:Amp units. If you want multiple rooms of music, you can opt to have them all play the same music source or independent music streams. It doesn't get easier or more convenient than that! Control is from a free app that is available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or Android devices. There is also free computer software for control from a PC or Mac. The price above includes the Sonos Bridge, which connects to your broadband Internet connection and establishes its own wireless connection with your Sonos components. The free Bridge offer is valid until January 3, 2013 and is only for new Sonos customers.

You can visit Sonos' website here > www.sonos.com.

2 - Control4 one-room remote control system with 3 lighting dimmers = $1700 including installation (plus tax)

Is a deserving loved one frustrated at a coffee table full of remote controls to watch TV or control their media room or home theater? Give the gift of an intuitive remote control that not only controls audio/video systems, but will serve as the base of a home control automation system in the future. To give you a taste of how great a lighting control system is, this package includes three lighting dimmers. The handheld remote control included in this package is the handheld remote to the left in the above picture. Control4 is a popular control system company that not only makes a very nice centralized remote control, this advanced control system will serve as the basis of a full-blown home automation system that can grow to control your alarm system, climate, lighting, pool/spa, motorized shades/drapes, you get the idea. As with most other home control manufacturers (Crestron, Savant, AMX, etc.), you can use apps on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device to control your Control4 system.

3 - Sonance Landscape Series Outdoor Speaker System = $6,700 + installation

Outdoor living is alive and well in the Gulf Coast area, even in the winter (yes, braving that "freezing" 50 degree winter can get a little tough sometimes ;-) ). We've been installing outdoor audio systems for years (outdoor TV's and outdoor theaters, too), though the outdoor speaker category has really become popular lately due to a huge increase in both sound quality and "stealthiness". To sum it up, these speakers sound incredible and easily hide within your landscape / greenscape. The package price above includes eight "satellite" speakers and one subwoofer. The subwoofer is buried and the sound exits a "mushroom" top (conventional above-ground subwoofer option available), and the eight satellite speakers mount throughout your yard to give a wide, even area of sound coverage. No more "hot spots" of sound, just excellent quality sound seemingly "floating" throughout your yard.

4 - PRIMA Cinema First-Run Movie Machine = $35,000 + installation

The PRIMA Cinema is one of the biggest news items to hit the high-end home theater world in a long time. In a nutshell, the PRIMA Cinema movie player is a sophisticated component that downloads first-run movies automatically and allows you to watch them in better-than-Blu-ray picture quality in the comfort of your own home, while the movie is still in theatrical release! To read more details on this product, please be sure to see a review here: PRIMA Cinema for your home theater.

by Bryan Naquin.  Follow Bryan on Twitter @ACIexperts.  And you can always contact him at 225.906.2589 or by email at bryan@aciexperts.net. Bryan Naquin is president of Acadian Home Theater and Automation based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  CEPro Magazine has ranked Acadian in the top 100 consumer electronic companies in the U.S. for the third year in a row.