How Smart Homes Are Redefining Accessibility
While smart homes have become all the rage thanks to their convenience, they also serve a purpose for individuals with disabilities. In fact, smart homes are making it easier for everyone to live on their own, in their own home.
Not everyone can open locked doors, reach light switches, or even close the blinds, so smart homes that utilize voice control and remote control now allow wheelchair users and people with disabilities to participate more in the management of their homes.
Voice recognition software has allowed many people with disabilities the opportunity to text and email as well as controlling functions within the home. When dexterity is limited, pressing small buttons isn’t always an option, so voice control leads to even more opportunities for communication and engagement.
Security can also be a concern for people with disabilities living on their own – imagine not being able to look at someone’s face through a peephole when the doorbell rings. With smart home technology, homeowners can monitor security from anywhere, using cameras and door controls to know who is knocking.
Imagine an act as simple as opening the blinds on a warm, sunny day. When you are wheelchair-bound or limited in movements, even pulling a string may not be an option. Instead, motorized shades and blinds connected to a smart home system allow for window coverings to rise and fall with the touch of a button or a simple voice command.
Finally, picture a scenario where its night, your head is hitting the pillow, and you realize the bathroom light is still on. If you use a wheelchair, getting up to turn it off requires a lot more effort and time than it will take for someone with full mobility. But with smart home controls, you can turn the light off from anywhere without even needing to get up.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Worried About The Noise? How To Soundproof Your Home Theater On A Budget
The beauty of a home theater is that you can watch your favorite movies in the way they were intended to be watched. The bad news is, this means disruptive sound may permeate other areas of your home.
Placing your home theater away from bedrooms or living areas where family members tend to congregate will help reduce the effects of leaking sound, but in some cases, you’re going to have to get creative with ways to reduce the noise.
Acoustic paneling is what theaters use to ensure no sound disrupts movies playing next door. However, these panels are often quite expensive and depending on the size of your theater’s room, may not be a reasonable option. Instead, try these four tricks to cut back on disruptive sound without needing a big budget.
- Place Curtains At The Door
Home theater doors can be the weakest spot for sound to escape, so cover your entries in a heavy-paneled curtain. Not only will it feel more like a theater when you walk through them but you’ll help reduce sound significantly.
- Hang Rugs Or Textiles
A similar technique can be used on walls either by draping heavy curtains or by placing adhesive squares of carpet or textile around your theater’s walls. If possible, hanging rugs can transform your space into a more intimate one while blocking escaping sound.
- Use Cork
You can also try using cork or other low-cost acoustic dampeners on your walls. Find self-adhesive cork with a significant enough depth so sound won’t be as apparent on the other side of the wall.
- Ask For Help
Working with a home theater installation company to customize your room’s acoustic properties is the ideal way to solve any sound problems. You won't need to guess about where to place tiles or other items, and you'll learn more tricks on how to improve sound control.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
How To Choose The Right Spot For Your Home Theater
Whether you’re designing a new home or have plans to renovate, adding a theater to your California home can be enjoyable for your family and a smart investment. Entertain with the latest Hollywood blockbusters, or stay in for a quiet night in your personal movie theater.
Where should you put your home theater? If you only have one transitional space available such as a spare bedroom or den, your decision is easy. But if you have the choice, there are some things to keep in mind that will help you find the ideal spot.
The Room’s Shape
The ideal room for a home theater will be rectangular so you can maximize screen size while placing seating far enough away to make it comfortable. A square room may distort sounds and make it harder to find the right screen distance, and irregular shapes will make it harder to maximize space usage.
The Room’s Ceiling
Your high, vaulted ceilings may be ideal for dining and enjoying casual TV, but in a home theater, they’ll obliterate your sound. Rather than providing viewers with an immersive experience, you’ll struggle to hear quieter parts and miss the full effects of louder ones with a weakened sound.
The Room’s Windows
The theater is probably the one room in your home where you don’t want windows. Not only will light from outdoors disrupt your viewing experience, but open windows run the risk of washing out projector screens and damaging sensitive equipment.
What You Can Do When You Don’t Have A Choice
All of these setups will create the ideal home theater system, but you can still get by with creative adjustments. Non-rectangular rooms can be measured so that seats are still placed far enough from any screens, and acoustic panels can be added or drop ceilings installed to help damper sound loss. When you have windows, motorized blackout systems will be your best bet in combatting unwanted light.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
How Many Speakers Does Your Home Theater Really Need?
One of the main reasons people go to the movies is for the immersive experience, including hearing a film at the volume and quality it is intended to be heard at.
So why would you skimp on the sound in your home theater design?
Finding the right speakers for your home theater means looking at costs, overall quality, and the specific uses for your room. In most cases, your basic setup will have a speaker in the center, possibly a couple of speakers in corners, and a bass speaker to get those deep sounds without distortion. You can get a good experience from this setup when they are installed correctly, but you won’t have the same audial effect as you would in a movie theater.
When your budget allows it, consider tower speakers flanking your screen or placed in the corners of the wall that the screen sits on. When tower speakers have several different speaker sizes in them, viewers get a layered sound that is heightened by the smaller speakers distributed in your room. Plus, because tower speakers are tall, they can combine as many elements as needed to bring your home theater to life.
With modern technology, you don’t have to worry about giant speakers that look like they belong in a nightclub; many tower speakers are now designed to become part of a room’s overall décor, not eyesores. However, you do get the added benefit that these speakers function wonderfully with different types of sound, not just that from movies. Use them for music, gaming, or other experiences where you want a quality sound.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio and video installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team. One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.