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Though these may change over time, here are the current steps we are taking to reduce the risks associated with this novel coronavirus:

• Every technician is equipped with hand-sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean their hands. It is also readily available at our showrooms, offices and work sites to be used by all of our employees. In addition, all employees must wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (100.4° F ​​[37.8° C​] or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants). Employees are instructed to notify their supervisor and their healthcare provider immediately upon experiencing any symptoms.
• Measures are in place to address employees who have recently traveled to affected areas or have family members who have tested positive for COVID-19. They will go through a CDC-directed risk assessment for potential exposure and be directed to stay home if necessary.
• Disinfectant wipes are readily available throughout our job sites and permanent locations to wipe down frequently touched surfaces including workstations, countertops, doorknobs, remotes, and touch panels. In the field, our installers also have wipes handy to wipe down tools and equipment before and after each use.
• Our installers are following strict on-site health and safety guidelines including the use of disposable gloves and sterilization products.
• We will refrain from shaking hands with clients, and will maintain recommended distances while in your home or business.
• Our technicians are willing to wear N95 masks in your home or business upon request.
• Employees have flexible sick leave policies that offer them the ability to care for themselves and family when needed.

We appreciate your trust during these unprecedented times, and we take the health and wellbeing of our clients and employees very seriously. To protect our staff, we also ask that our clients communicate to us if anyone in your home or business is experiencing symptoms or has been exposed to the virus. We also ask that you follow the CDC's guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 while we are on-site. If you have any questions about these precautions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us here or call (847) 868-9200.

SEE ALSO: Thinking of Cutting the Cord? Avidia’s Guide to Cable & Streaming

How to Use Mantel Mounts Above Your Fireplace

If you’d like to install your TV above the fireplace or other furniture, you’ll want a screen that can be mounted flat to the wall. But if your fireplace mantel has artwork or picture frames on it, or if it already is as tall as your vision line, that means the display is going to be too high for comfortable viewing.  

To counter this, a mantel mount lets you pull down the screen to swivel in any angle. You’ll want the center of the screen to be at the height of your eyes and to keep your head in a neutral position. Mounts can be pulled down manually by a single hand, or automatically with a motor and remote. Mantel mounts can even be connected to your home automation system, accessed through an app or remote control like those from  Control4.

Without a mantel mount, you'll need to make sure that your couch is far enough from the fireplace and, ideally, allows you to rest your head while looking upwards. The only room in your house where a mantel mount may not be necessary is in the bedroom, as you’ll be lying down to view the display.

SEE ALSO: Home Theater Design Guide: Choosing the Perfect Screen

What Is an Ultra-Short Throw Projector?

Unlike projectors that sit several feet away from the screen, ultra-short throw models sit only inches away from the wall to project a large screen image. While ceiling-mounted projectors can often put a picture up to 300 inches diagonally given the right space and installation, ultra-short throw models typically top out at 120 inches, which provides a great experience and makes them an excellent fit for flexible media room setups. 

Ultra-short throw projectors come in their own housing and can be placed atop an attractive media credenza in the front of your media room for an unobtrusive look. That also makes it easy to connect them to your audio and control equipment without long cable runs and complexity.

Compact Options from Epson and LG

Epson's LS500 is an affordable and high-quality way to get that immersive big-screen experience into a smaller space. Not only is it a projector, but it also contains a smart TV within for an all-inclusive solution. The LS500 offers both 100 and 120-inch screen sizes, and the special ambient light-rejecting screens produce a vivid and sharp 4K HDR picture even in well-lit rooms. 

Epson incorporates a smart TV into the package, powered by Android TV. The Android TV platform features most of the streaming apps you could want, including popular services like Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Hulu, ESPN, and a host of others. The LS500 also includes Google Assistant for voice search and TV control, making it simple for anyone to find something to enjoy on the big screen.

SEE ALSO: Why Residential Lighting Control Makes Sense for Your Projects

Do We Need Human-Centric Lighting?

Science tells us our bodies respond to the natural stimuli of light. Clearly, we sleep at night when it's dark. We also have an internal clock of sorts referred to as the circadian rhythm, and our bodies respond to different types of light during the day. Bright, intense, cooler-toned light, like that of the noonday sun, tends to awaken and energize us. Warmer, amber, and red tones, like those of the setting sun, signal our bodies to wind down and prepare us for sleep.

The wrong light can throw off our natural rhythms. Imagine if you were subjected to bright fluorescent lighting in your bedroom, like that in many offices at 11 PM – it's not likely you would feel relaxed or ready for sleep. With new technological solutions, we can now make artificial light follow natural patterns that are in tune with our bodies.

SEE ALSO: Hate Dealing with Comcast? Avidia Can Help

Keep Cable, But Cut Back Number of Boxes

If your main goal for cutting cable is to save money, be aware that streaming services are not always less expensive. The cost of a Comcast account with speedy internet and two cable boxes is very close to the cost of leading live TV streaming services. If you want to reduce your monthly bill, you should first consider eliminating add-on services. Premium channels and unnecessary high internet speeds can more than double your bill.

Reducing the number of boxes in your home will also significantly reduce your monthly bill. In rooms without cable, you can keep your displays but use services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu. You won’t be able to enjoy the latest episode of your current shows live, but your family will grow used to the idea that certain rooms are for live TV while others are streaming only. In many cases, you will discover a world of high-quality content that isn’t available on cable channels.

If you plan to move away from cable because you can’t wait to call your cable provider and tell them what you really think of them… well, let us show you how to make your ‘streams’ come true!

SEE ALSO: Want Great Audio Throughout Your House?

Neeo’s Unique Design & Features

Crafted by Swiss designers, the Neeo remote has a sleek and refined shape that incorporates a glass touch screen alongside hard buttons. While touch screens are currently all the rage, there’s still a valid demand for hard buttons that a user can intuitively operate via muscle memory. That way, you won’t have to take your eyes off the movie to pause, mute, or change the channel. You’ll know exactly where to press at the right moment. The lightweight remote can also withstand drops from several feet high and runs on a rechargeable battery that can stay powered for five days. When Neeo is not in use, it sleeps until instantly reawakening when you pick it up.

On the touch screen, you’ll save recognizable icons for your favorite programs, like ESPN, Netflix, or HBO. The remote offers one-touch access to the rest of your devices, too, like locks, smart lighting, speakers, and shades. Select any screen in the house or queue songs for your home’s speakers, all in one place. Neeo removes complexity, making it simple to switch between Roku, Apple TV, Blu-ray, and satellite on the TV and choose custom scenes for your home’s smart devices.

How to Get Neeo

SEE ALSO: 3 Signs You Might Need a Home Network Upgrade

The Comcast Assistance Service

What is the Comcast Assistance service, and why does it exist? We know that you lead busy lives, and you have better and more important things to do than deal with bureaucracy and tell multiple people what you need to be done. Avidia gives you one point of contact for dealing with Comcast.

Are you having a new internet or cable service installed? One call to us and we take care of it. Our technician will be at your house and supervise the installation, ensuring that your network and TV service works the way you want it.

If you are having internet or other connectivity issues, you don't call Comcast – you just call us instead. We will troubleshoot the problems with Comcast, and if it requires an onsite visit, we will schedule it and be there for that, too. No more waiting on the phone, going through troubleshooting scripts with Comcast support, or even taking time out of your day for the appointment; Avidia will handle it all for you.

Lighting Control Is One of the Most Desired Smart Home Features

As builders and designers, you typically look for an edge in your projects. It may be the extra attention you pay to superior design inside and out, a unique flourish that you add like building a hidden room off of the den, or greater customizability in floorplans and finishes that gives clients more choice.

The explosion in the availability of consumer smart lighting products like Philips Hue and others shows that there is high interest and demand in residential lighting control solutions. And while these products are suitable for some applications, with new construction, the opportunity is there to add a comprehensive lighting control solution that is far more customizable for your clients.

Avidia works with Control4 for smart home automation and lighting control because it offers incredible opportunities to add smart home features your clients will love. It’s also far easier to add the infrastructure and fully customize it in the construction process than after the fact. Read on to see why adding a residential lighting control system to your Barrington, IL projects is a smart move for you and your clients.

And Why You Should Consider a Professional Network Installation

Home networking is practically a utility as necessary as running water and electricity. A connection to the internet is required for many daily activities. Whether you’re checking your work email, scrolling through your Facebook feed, watching a show on Netflix, or the kids are doing their school homework, all those things require reliable connectivity to work. What happens when you can't access the internet? Everyone gets quickly frustrated.

Sometimes it’s not difficult to fix a problem. Restarting an app, reloading a web page, or the occasional rebooting of your router and modem can fix the random network glitch. But sometimes these problems are less random and happen more consistently. When they do, it may be a sign that your home network is the problem.

Let’s explore three signs that indicate that your network is not measuring up to the task, and how a professional home network installation might be the answer for your Highland Park, IL home.

Control4 Multiroom Audio Shows You How

These days, there is no shortage of home audio solutions, from simple Bluetooth speakers or high fidelity two-channel to ultra-high-end multichannel home theaters. Each has its purpose and advantages. What if you want a solution that is simple to operate, can expand to every possible area where you want great sound, and can feed every music and audio source you can imagine all through your house?

For that scenario, we recommend Control4 multiroom audio. It will tick all the boxes you will want to check. Can it handle multiple sources, digital and analog? Check. Can it scale to many rooms or zones, even outdoors? Check. Can it deliver high-quality sound to every space? Check. And critically, is it easy to operate so the whole family can use it? Check.  

Why is Control4 the right multiroom audio solution for your Barrington, IL home? We’ll show you why below.