Blog

SEE ALSO: Tunable Lighting is the Hottest New Feature of Residential Lighting Control

It’s All About Design

Crestron Horizon keypads are a cut above any other smart controls on the market. Horizon keypads are offered in a wide range of luxurious materials and colors, including wood, marble, and leather looks. The custom etched buttons are LED-backlit with a choice of programmable colors. When you press a button, it can even light up more so you know it’s working. The buttons' tactile feel and operation are carefully engineered to give you a feeling of quality. In keeping with Crestron’s unique custom approach, the company offers a service to complement the keypads with your décor, matching colors and trims like wood, metal, marble, and engineered stone - no other home automation manufacturer does that.

Is each room in your home unique? Your control keypads can be too – no need to choose from only three basic colors and materials. With Crestron Horizon, you can personalize the controls in each room for a perfect complement to your décor. What's more, the Crestron Horizon EX models work wirelessly, allowing even more flexibility in installation locations.

Technology integrators have been labeled an essential business by the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) in large part because we're vital to homeowners setting up home offices and learning environments. Integrators are also recognized for their role in keeping a robust networking infrastructure throughout the country as other essential organizations also need support during this challenging time.

During this critical period, we are committed to helping our clients stay connected, support remote learning for the nation’s children, and protect our clients’ properties and families.

Though networking and communications infrastructure are the primary reasons for our essential business designation, we will also be available for any service, support, and installation of vital home technology systems, including security, surveillance, lighting control, entertainment, and more. A strong network is essential for much of the country right now, and we are here to support your needs.

While the DHS has provided these general recommendations, it is still up to the states to set their own regulations and restrictions. Governor Pritzker has declared a statewide stay-at-home order in Illinois, forcing all non-essential businesses to close until at least April 30. As an essential business, Avidia will remain open with some restrictions.

Please feel free to reach out to us here or call us at (847) 868-9200 if we can be of service, and please stay safe!

SEE ALSO: Comparing Two Approaches to Multiroom Audio: Sonos vs. Control4

Outdoor Audio All Year Long

Rain, snow, or heat can’t get in the way of speakers and subwoofers by Coastal Source. They’re built to endure any weather while still playing high-quality audio. We’ll wire your speakers neatly underground to connect to one system, so you’ll automatically enjoy the same tunes across multiple areas in your backyard. If you have a multi-room audio system indoors, your outdoor speakers can sync with them, too, easily controlled by your Control4 smart home system.

Coastal Source creates a variety of speakers for your backyard or patio. Their Ellipse Bollards are bi-amplified full-range speakers with a large driver area, offering higher fidelity and performance than most outdoor speakers. Its Plug + Play feature makes it easy to install your speakers and maintain air and watertight cable connections for years of top performance.

For more discreet outdoor audio, their bullet speakers are 3” small and perfect for peppering your landscaping or lining pathways. For even subtler technology, Coastal Source’s rock speakers are designed to blend in with nature in an organic rock shape. Your guests will be left wondering, “Where is that music coming from?”

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.