Movies for Independence Day-Part 1

Thought I'd give everyone a head start on movies you might like to consider watching that portray part of the American story.  We checked over a dozen websites for their lists of patriotic movies and this is a compilation of some of those and their descriptions (not ours).

Captain America: The First Avenger (Paramount Pictures)

After scrawny everyman Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is deemed unfit for military service during World War II, he signs up for a top-secret project that physically transforms him into a Nazi-fighting superhero.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Idealistic Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) is appointed on a lark to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. He's confronted with crooked politicians and corrupt practices in Washington, but he refuses to give up fighting for a democratic government, for the people and by the people. The Oscar-winning film was attacked by Congress at the time, but is now hailed as a quintessential whistleblower film that shows deep love for America's democratic heritage.

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Olympics Broadcast in 3D


The 2012 Summer Olymic Games in London will be broadcast in 3D by NBC in partnership with their programming distributors.  The 3D access will likely be available through Comcast and DirecTV and other pay-TV services.

The always anticipated opening ceremonies will be Friday, July 27, 2012.

The 200-plus hours of 3D coverage, to be produced by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and shown on next-day delay in the U.S., will use Panasonic's technology on such visually dynamic events as the opening and closing ceremonies, swimming, diving and gymnastics.

For those who already are 3D ready, prepare to be dazzled by the feeling of being right in the middle of all the action.  For those who aren't yet 3D capable, time is running out before  the trumpets sound the start of the Opening Ceremonies.

by Bryan Naquin.  Follow Bryan on Twitter @ACIexperts.  And you can always contact him at 225.906.2589 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 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.

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Builders Seeing the Light on New Technology?

It may just be that builders are beginning to see the value in offering technology packages in new home construction.  And why not?  Residential technology is here to stay.

Jason Knott of CE Pro's website cited a joint study between Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  The percentage of builders installing energy management systems in new homes has risen 133 percent in two years (from 6 percent to 14 percent of new homes). Moreover, the percentage of builders actually offering energy management grew from just 40 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2011.

The percentage of new homes with multiroom audio has also more than doubled, while home automation and lighting control have also doubled.

He writes:

"The long-term trend is that technology is here to stay," says Chris Ely, manager of industry analysis for CEA. "The category of audio has seen a resurgence across the board." It should be noted that the data from the study is not strictly related to new home construction. Ely notes that the average respondent to the study did 46 new residential "projects" in 2011 of either new or remodel single-family homes or MDUs. Meanwhile, that same builder did an average of 34 light commercial or remodeling projects.

Smart builders are doing what others are doing; offering technology packages of different scales to their buyers.  In doing so, they automatically set themselves apart as regional leaders in the construction field.

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Beware Saving a Nickel to Spend a Dollar

True story: A homeowner, ready to build their country dream home, hired the contractor that came in with the lowest bid.  As preparations for move-in day were being made, the homeowner asked when they would see their 225-foot concrete driveway constructed.  "Oh, you'd like us to build the driveway also?" replied their contractor, "Our original estimate was only to build your house."

Like every industry, the A/V business has plenty of wanna-be's and start-ups who will price your A/V work at bargain prices just so they can turn a dollar.  I've been in this business long enough to have to go behind their work later when frustrated homeowners call us because they can't find their original installer.  In short, they're hoping we can make the substandard workmanship sparkle.  Mostly, it can't be done--not without making considerable changes to get them the performance they originally envisioned.

To save yourself an unexpected "hit" in the future, here are some guidelines to help you get the best value for your money at the outset of your A/V installation.

1.  Strictly define the scope of work.  In nearly every case, the real difference in pricing is in what different A/V companies are proposing the scope of work should entail.  Have everyone stick with the original scope of work so you can compare apples with apples.  Then, if an audio-video integrator recommends additional work to better round out your system, have them present that as a separate proposal.

2.  What is being left out?  There is a significant difference between being priced a stripped-down version of what you think you want versus a version that may offer better equipment with perhaps better warranties AND capacity for future expansion.  Growing your system later need not require the future expense of replacing perfectly good components when you could have gone with something more than the "just enough" model.

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Turntables for Today

In our last post, we looked at the comeback of vinyl records.  It only makes sense to follow that up with a look at devices that support playing records.

I'll admit I don't have much personal experience with turntables so I'll draw upon the advice of CE Pro Magazine.  In their April, 2012 issue, the editor's pick was the Essential USB turntable by Pro-Ject for the entry-level person who wants to enjoy their LPs without making a huge investment.

While Pro-Ject has a range of pricier models, Essential has an MSRP of $299 or, for the USB model, $399.  The turntable includes a built-in phono pre-amplifier.  That's a real benefit because it eliminates the need to purchase a separate phono pre-amp which are seldom found as part of current A/V receivers.  It includes a USB output so you can connect the turntable and rip tracks to your computer.

To read CE Pro's complete review, click here.

For the serious audiophile, there are turntables on the market that approach $10,000.  While you might not want to spend that kinda mucho deniro for a turntable, you might be a serious enough audio buff to want a separate phono preamp.  Regardless of the turntable you have, a good preamp will make all the difference in the beauty and richness of uncompressed sound only your turntable can produce.  CE Pro Magazine (again) touted Parsound's Halo JC-3 as the best value in the analog market.

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