admin

The ultimate cooktop

, , ,

For those of you that might be afraid of cooking, I just found a great solution. While strolling around looking for new gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show.

I stumbled upon this and thought, what a great idea to integrate technology, convenience and fun all wrapped up in a cooktop for the kitchen.

As soon as cooktops are available, I will keep you informed on the different models that can be ordered.

Imagine having every recipe without having to walk away from the burners, or better yet, choosing your favorite music at the same time. Bet you can’t get that with Satellite!

 

/by
admin

Bored with your doorbell! Try the iChime doorbell.

, ,

What is the iChime doorbell?

It is a simple, replacement doorbell that replaces you boring, single chime, run of the mill, factory preset, plain-jane, single play song. With the holidays approaching, wouldn’t it be nice for a change of tempo?

Now that you have lived in your home for the past 10 to 15 years, don’t you think its time to give it an inexpensive makeover with a new chime?

Believe it, or not you cannot make a better first impression that what happens at the front door. The door chime is a direct reflection of you personality Did I say this out loud? Yes! I did.

The door chime can actually enhance the inner child and playful adult in all of us. Why do you ask? Simple. Life is all about variety. As the seasons change throughout the year, why not change your tune along with it?

With the new iChime that we have discovered, now you can have a great variety changing the tune of what is behind the doorbell for just about any occasion.iChime doorbell

Here is a small smaple of the different choice that are pre-programmed in the iChime.

 

  • Halloween – Play scary music or make it scream!

  • Holiday – Greet your guests with music of the season

  • Special Occasions – Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding, Graduation

  • Animals – Cow moo, Duck quack, Dog bark – anything you want

  • Sports – Play your college fight song or announce your favorite team

  • Chimes – Traditional Ding Dong or Westminster and a lot more

  • TV or Movie – Load your favorite theme song or catch phrase

  • Music – Download Abba to Zeppelin or anything in between

  • Talking, laughing, singing, snoring – it is all possible now!

Here is a short video demonstrating what the iChime is all about.

What if I want to personalize my own doorbell chime?

You can do ths as well. The iChime has a built in microphone so that you can record whatever you want, or upload a pre-recorded song, or catch-phrase.

As you know, we will install this unit and integrate it with you doorbell and much, much more.

I have a phone system, will the doorbell iChime work with it?

For example, if you have a Panasonic phone system, we can integrate it so that you can have find out who is at the door, without having to go to the door. That is a great security prevention when you are home alone.

Fore more information, please pick up the phone and give us a call, or text at 858-7664-2648 to schedule an appointment to see what will work with your lifestyle and sense of security.

 

/by
admin

Honey? How do I turn the pool speakers on?

, ,

With Labor Day just around the corner. Wouldnt it be nice if you never had to ask someone else just how to turn on the swimming pool speakers.

Even more embarrassing is when you don’t hear anything after you try and try different buttons and knobs and still no sound?

The pool speakers are not working not what?

pool speaker selectorif you have a speaker selector like this one in the picture to the right, you know that the next thing you have to do is go to each area inside the living room, the bar, the office, the bedroom, the bathrooms and the outside pool area to adjust the volume.

Next, you will try to get one of your devices to play your music. Hopefully, if you press enough buttons then you might get some music playing around the house, then you have to go to each of the rooms to make sure the music is not too loud, or too soft.

Is there an easier way to play my music in my house?

Good question. The answer is there is. From our perspective, if you have to press more than two buttons to get your music playing where you want to, that is simply too complicated.

iPad music choicesWith our iPad system, you can control each of the rooms with the press of two buttons. The first button you press is where you want your music to play. On the picture to the right, you can clearly choose one, or more areas without having to walk around the house.

swimming pool music choicesThe second button you press is the choice of what device, or different devices you would like to play around the house.

It really does not get any easier than this. You can actually choose what you want to hear in each individual room and area, and adjust the volume with the slider located on the right hand side without having to walk into that room, or area. Now that’s simple.

How can I get my system simplified, so I can play my music everywhere?

With one phone call to us to schedule an appointment, we can assess what your needs are to simplify your life. So pick up the phone and give us a call today at 858-764-2648, or shoot us a text to have this completed in time for you next pool party, or special event.

/by
admin

Interactive TV! Get into it.

, , ,

Don’t just watch TV. Get up, become interactive with it.

With the newer SMART flat screens that come with these new bells and whistles, it’s time to get off that couch and literally play with your TV.

Samsung now has flat screens that have a built in camera. That means you can be interactive using SKYPE with friends and interact over Facebook, and Twitter to keep connected within your Social Media Network Friends and Family.

Interactive mount

TV MOVES DOWN TO THE PERFECT VIEWING LEVEL

Here is a perfect example of what we can do with your flat screen that eliminates those neck aches of the past. We bring the flat screen down to the perfect viewing angle so that you can watch TV a whole lot more comfortably than ever before. CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A CLOSER LOOK.

How much effort does it take to move it?

With this new flexible arm that only requires an effortless  touch to have a full range of movement with your flat screen that now allows you to be interactive with your TV when watching movies, gaming, exercising and more. Here is a video clip example.

The ActionMount series made by Omnimount brings you closer and more interactive with your TV like never before. The design is from Ergotron’s patented Constant Force technology. I don’t really know what this means, all I know is when I was moving the flat screen, it very little effort to move it around.

Here are just a few of the benefits with this new interactive mount.

Raise and lower your TV with only a light touch

Great for standing activities like gaming and exercising

Pan screen left and Reposition the TV smoothly in all directions

Perfect viewing to reach multiple areas

Ideal for overhead applications

Wide frame offers installation flexibility for centering TV

Arm folds to the wall for a discreet profile

Post installation leveling ensures level screen

What size mount is available for my TV?

We’ve got you covered from the traditional 13-inch for those kitchen nook areas to the 70-inch ones above your fireplace.

Just imagine your TV is in the family room and be able to swing that big TV to view it from the kitchen within seconds.

Call today!

So why not make the most of your flat screen TV investment with a mount that’s designed to be as interactive as the TV itself. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Then pick up the phone and give a call today at 858-764-2648 to get one of these mounts installed today. Your neck will thank you.

/by
admin

Top 5 Mistakes in Wireless Networking

, ,

Top 5 Mistakes in Wireless NetworkingWireless networking router

Let’s face it. Wireless networking is a part of our everyday life whether we like it, or not. Now that we have that out of the way, let us get into some of the mistakes we uncover when a client invites us to their home to unravel some of their problems with their existing wireless and why it doesn’t work as promised.

1. Don’t ever use the router that your internet provider issued you.

More times than not, we discover that this is one to be a common issue. Think of it to having multiple meetings going on in the same board room. The problem is that the router can only pay attention to one meeting at time. The minute you have more than one device requesting access to the internet, guess what? Your internet quality goes down. Unfortunately, the internet providers never tell you this because they just don’t want to. We will leave it at that. In most households what is required is a router that can multi-task. So look for a router with the MU-MIMO stamped on it. It simply means that it is a multi user router for mulitiple devices. Here is a link if you would like more info from Amazon

2. Why is the antenna lying flat?

Too often we see a router, or wireless access point that has 2 antennas laying flat in a one-floor home. If we can visualize the antenna holding on to the center of a delicious glazed donut that just came out of the oven. And the smell of that donut has a radiating smell of the sweet glazing trying to reach you nose. Since the antenna is laying flat, the smell is only going up to the ceiling and down to the ground. Its never going to reach your nose.

But if you stand the antenna straight up, then the glazing smell with permeate from side to side. Therefore, covering a lot more distance of an area.

3. Don’t put a router, or wireless access point on the back of a TV

This one is a doosey. There are times where we cant find the router, or access point. So we end up doing a site survey to find it. Since the invention of Smart TV’s the convenience of accessing Netflix, Pandora and other streaming services, we are finding the wireless networking routers and wireless access points stuck behind the TV. Guess what? Not a good place.

You want to avoid lighting fixtures, power lines, A/C units, elevators, fish tanks, and anything else that with lots of metal or water. The reason is that these items will block your signal from getting through.

Ideally we end up relocating the router, or wireless access points at least a couple of meters away from any possible RF interference and in line of sight what they’re to be connected to. What this does, is it give the signal the clearest path possible. So we want to mount them as high as possible.

4. Don’t use your name, or last name as your SSID

This is like broadcasting to the world, “Hey! Come hack me because this is my wireless network.” There is no realistic reason on earth to do this. Also avoid using WEP encryption at all costs, since it can be hacked within a few minutes these days. If for some strange reason a device requires WEP encryption, because it can’t handle anything else, then we go to Plan “B”

In plan “B” we use the MAC address filtering and put it on a secure VLAN that allows routing only to the device it needs to talk to.

5. Don’t use just one device to test the signal strength

Do yourself a favor. Use the actual devices that you are going to use everyday to make sure you have adequate coverage. Believe it or not, each device has its own power requirements, antennas and other nuances I won’t bore you with. One of the best tests is to use an iPhone to connect. Apple hand-held devices are notorious for having extremely poor signal strength. This is the reason why Apple removed all of the wireless signal strength meters from their app store.

We hope this article was informative and useful to you in the case that you are struggling with your wireless networking around the house.

On the other hand, if you feel that you just don’t want to mess with your wireless network anymore and would like someone to simply take care of it, then pick up the phone and give us a call today, or send us a text message at 858-764-2648 to rid yourself of this thorn at your side.

/by
admin

Is Crestron really worth it?

, , , ,

 Crestron does it again!

Crestron cheat sheet

So this client calls us up and she begins to explain, how the only way to watch television is by following this Crestron cheat sheet.

Really? after spending thousands of dollars on a sophisticated Crestron system this is as good as it gets?

Now I don’t know about you, but I would not put up with this kind of programming that requires a cheat sheet. That is just plain wrong on so many levels.

Nor is this fair to this housewife that if she gets one thing out of sync all you see is snow on the TV.

I mean really? Can you imagine the humiliation that one has to go through each day with this monkey on your back that you are rolling the dice each and every-time you pick the remote.

I gotta say that if your spending $250.00 an hour for a crestron system and some so called programmer, and he hands you this cheat sheet?

I don’t think there would be a whole lot of nice things to do except rip that system out and start from scratch.

And that is exactly what we are going to do to simplify the system.

Is there an alternative to Crestron?

With the introduction of Google home, now being called Nest home, your voice is in control of all your devices as illustrated in this picture. As you can see there are limitless possibilities, but like with any project, we like to take small steps to create a solid foundation for all the devices to play well with each other.

Now that the construction of Race communication that has installed their fiber optic lines in Rancho Santa Fe, gigabit speed is a reality. Some areas in the Time Warner now Spectrum area, and Cox are providing a new wifi service of 1.3 Gigabits not Megabits per second in your area. AT&T has also jumped on the bandwagon of installing their Fiber optic wiring offering faster speeds as well.

Since you are here for the first time we thank you for taking a moment of your time to see if we are a good fit to assist you in the installation of the best Crestron alternative home automation system for your home network without breaking the bank.

What we do is replace that clunky remote control touch screen with their iPad, kindle fire HD, iPad mini and iPhones to be their remote control. Now everyone has a remote control in their pocket using the Leviton bitwise system, that keeps track of what is on, what off and what you want to do. Simple as that.

Leviton Bitwise iPadsThe layout will be simplified with large icons and legible size text so that you don’t need a pair of 3.0 reading glasses.

In addition, you don’t even need to be in the same room, or point it at the television.

But the best part about your new alternative to crestron is that it requires very little to no instructions at all.

apple tv remoteOh! by the way, we also include a great little gadget called Apple TV from the makers of Apple.

This little gem replaces the bulky 300 CD carousel. So no more cataloging and trying to remember what slot the cd belongs in. No more yelling at anyone about who took the CD out of the tray.

Lets face it, we all have a certain way to accomplish what we want to hear and watch. So why is it too much to ask for having it your way!

If Burger King can, then guess what? We can too. We promise to let you have it your way! In a language that you understand and simple to use.

How can I get rid of my Crestron system?


For more information on how we can simplify your life. Rid yourself of ever having to make that dreaded phone call to your husband on what input is the TV supposed to be. And have the best home automation system that we will cover in a different article in the palm of your hand then….

What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and give us a call at 858-764-2648 to resolve these issues once and for all.

/by
admin

Love, Hate relationship with you new TV

, , ,

Love, Hate my new TV

You love the new TV’s that gives you a beautiful picture of the shows you love. As well as offer you netflix and other widgets that you may or may not use.

On the other hand you can’t stand the crummy, tin can speakers that come with the TV. That is where you have 2 options of getting great sound without creating more clutter.

Solution for poor TV sound quality

Quixel, a national consumer research firm recently reported soundbars have captured the consumers imagination because, “they fulfill a need”.  Consumers are struggling to hear dialog from their new thin TV with equally thin sounding internal speakers.  The second reason is it’s easy for the consumer to understand the installation process of a soundbar.

Option 1, the thought of someone cutting holes in their ceilings or rectangles in their walls is a bit scary. They also probably conclude all that cutting and wiring will be expensive.

Option 2 which is our preference is to install a soundbar from Leon Speakers that matches the color, and exact width of your new TV. You just cant get this TV soundbarkind if quality from picking something up at Best Buy.

The bottom line is when it comes to the sound quality for your new TV. Front staged speakers leave 3 in the ceiling speakers in the dust. There is just no comparison at any price point.

Here is an example of one of your neighbors bedroom TV we installed. At Rancho Santa Fe Home Theater we have a completely customizable product line that delivers immersive, theater-like experiences to any environment. With limitless custom options and premium sound quality, Leon makes audio integration a fine art.

Call us Today, or shoot us a Text Message at 858-764-2648

So why not pick up the phone today for a complimentary visit to review how we may be of assistance in completing your investment of your TV so that you no longer have a Love, Hate relationship.

/by
admin

Welcome to our blog

, , , , ,

Welcome to our blog at Rancho Santa Fe Home Theater and design center.

Rancho Santa Fe Home Theater Logo

Logo

We are an innovative one stop design center in Rancho Santa Fe dedicated to providing you with state-of-the-art home theater. In addition, we can help you with your slow computer, laptop, pesky virus, and wireless home network issues.  Our home automation, security, intercom, and whole home audio system are second to none.

Our experienced professionals tailor each system to meet your individual needs while seamlessly integrating the system into your new or existing home. We take our one of kind systems very serious. Retrofitting our systems in your existing home is our specialty. Of course we welcome those that are in the middle of a remodel project, or new construction.

We make the design and installation process of your system as simple as possible while offering uncompromising service to ensure complete client satisfaction. Most of our competition have the capacity to complete the 99 percent. But we complete the entire process. So the done, actually gets done, done.

So if you are looking for a system that gives you high performance, excellent quality, but the most important feature is that it is easy to use, please pick up the phone and schedule an appointment today by calling 858-764-2648.Or you can email us at support@ranchosantafehometheater.com

Serving communities in the Southern California area like Rancho Santa Fe, The Bridges, Fairbanks Ranch, Santaluz, Cielo, The Crosby, Rancho Santa Fe Farms, The Grand Del Mar, Del Mar Country Club, Solana Beach, San Diego, Encinitas, and La Jolla.

In addition, if you are going to be relocating to another part of the country, or consolidating your home to a more manageable size residence, we can take care of your needs with our new concierge service that we will be posting soon on our website. So stay tuned for this new feature. At Rancho Santa Fe Home Theater, we are always looking for the best way to enjoy the latest technology, without breaking the bank, Honest.

Concierge Services are available now!

/by