Wellness Centers & Stunning 8K OLED

The annual CEDIA Expo returned to Denver earlier this month. Full of innovative home technologies and product launches, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association put on a great show as they always do. Some of our favorite companies debuted new products and exciting updates, and we also noticed a few exciting new trends. In this blog, we’ll cover two interesting home theater design trends we saw at the Expo. Keep reading to learn about two new home theater trends you can potentially incorporate into your own Irvine, CA home.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Have Control4 Automation in Your Home  

Home Theaters as Wellness Spaces

Gone are the days of having spaces in your home serve one sole purpose. Modern families want to spend time together, and they also want to make the most of the space in their homes. Instead of utilizing one area of your home solely for movies and TV watching, the new trend is to use the home theater space as a dual-purpose wellness space in your home. Sounds a bit strange initially, but stick with us! Home theaters can utilize design features typically used for immersive movie sound and mood-setting for wellness. Solutions like speakers, lighting, and screens can transform your home theater into a meditation or relaxation room. By using human-centric lighting from Lutron, you can adjust the lighting to meet your natural rhythms. By adjusting the lighting of your Control4-powered automation system, you can feel bright and energetic in the mornings or calm and relaxed in the evenings before heading to bed for the night. As you modify the mood of the home theater to match your relaxation levels, unveil the hidden high-definition TV to show beautiful nature scenes while piping relaxing yoga music or nature sounds through your high-end audio system. All the components of a great wellness space have always been in the home theater, but the new wellness trend is taking the industry by storm!  

8K Resolution Upscaling

TVs and screens have progressively increased in size over the years, just the same as resolution has increased. It seems like only a few years ago 4K was the up-and-coming home theater showstopper and quickly began replacing the HD TVs in our home. Now, 8K upscaling technology has pushed the bar on the types of pictures homeowners have come to expect on their home theater TVs. One of our favorite brands, LG, won a BEST Product Award at CEDIA 2019 in the Flat Panel TV/Ultra HD category with their OLED TV 8K. Because signals are not transmitted to your TV in 8K resolution, your TV or projector must convert the lower resolution video image into a higher definition. This isn’t a new trend in home theaters, many homes have adopted the technology – your 4K TV had to do this with lower resolution video formats like 1080p and 720p. The key is in the processor, and the LG OLED 8K utilizes a 6-step noise reduction processor. OLED technology allows for larger and thinner screens – even curved screens – and pixels are individually lit. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for home theaters in the coming years. If you’d like to incorporate these new trends or simply talk about a potential home theater in your Irvine, CA-area home, call us today at  (949) 515-7030 or contact us online. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Learn the Difference Between Local and Cloud Storage Systems

Many of our customers consult us for a variety of smart home solutions, and we love hearing from you. From whether or not to invest in a more robust network to incorporating lighting control systems into your home, we’ve learned our customers’ strongest desires relate to simple functionality and high-quality products. That desire spills over into the security and surveillance realm, as well. Several different components can go into a security camera installation, and surveillance cameras are typically the most significant component of many systems. Camera footage storage is an aspect of security installations about which we get many questions. If you’re wondering what the difference is between local storage and cloud storage, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: How Hidden TVs Help Designers Create More Beautiful Homes  

Components of a Surveillance System

Before you install a security system in your Laguna Beach-area home, make sure you’re informed about the variety of solutions available. Beyond cameras, door and window sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, motion sensors, video doorbells, smart locks and more are all components you could potentially incorporate into your own home. From dome to bullet cameras, wireless to wired options, and indoor to outdoor cameras, there are several options available, and each is suited for different needs. A professional security installation company will consult with you, performing a site visit to understand your current setup and clarify your vision for a future security system.  

Local Storage

Local storage does just that with your footage – your video and accompanying audio is stored locally. In the past, this meant bulky servers or computer storage. That’s a thing of the past, and cameras compatible with local storage have some type of SD or microSD card storage. You can easily access this footage, so don’t think this is some sort of old-fashioned method in comparison to cloud-based storage. Another consideration to make when planning a security camera installation is whether or not you want 24/7 recording or if you only want a recording to take place when sensors detect motion. This preference will affect your storage needs. Local security footage storage is stored in your home and is accessible by you when you need to access the archive. Storing locally keeps your data secure and unavailable to potential cyber thieves. The local storage option is also the generally more affordable option since you aren’t paying for monthly cloud-storage fees.  

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage, on the other hand, sends your security camera footage to a remote, cloud-based server, off-site from your Laguna Beach-area property. The primary benefit to this storage option is the ability to watch your security camera footage remotely, wherever you are, from a smart device app or your computer browser. Launch Systems can protect your home network from cyber threats so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure in the cloud. Security camera installations can accommodate a combination of both types of storage, so be sure to consult with a professional before you make your final decision. No matter your storage decision, a security camera installation can proceed without a hitch in your Laguna Beach home with Launch Systems. Call us today at (949) 515-7030, contact us online, or chat with us below. We can’t wait to hear from you.

We Tell You How Lutron Sets the Bar High in Automated Lighting

A 2017 Harris Poll asked 1,553 homeowners about their lighting preferences, and 91% cited reducing energy use was important. Despite that staggering statistic, 21% had no idea they could reduce their energy consumption by installing lighting controls in their homes. As a result of homeowners’ preferences, lighting control is taking the home automation industry by storm. You want the ability to regulate the level and quality of light in your home not only to save on energy, but also to complete specific tasks comfortably — the more control of when and where you can use light, the better. Keep reading to learn how Lutron has set the bar high for lighting control systems and why you should consider a system for your Newport Beach, CA home.

SEE ALSO: See Modern Home Automation in Action

Manage Daylight

You can manage daylight by regulating the amount of sunlight that enters your home. Use shades in conjunction with dimmers to not only create an inviting environment, but also to save energy. Your motorized shade fabrics not only compliment your design aesthetic but can filter the amount of daylight entering a room. You could always set an Away scene to make sure your shades are drawn and the thermostat isn’t running while you’re away. Talk about maximum energy savings. Daylight photosensors prevent outdoor lighting from operating during the daylight hours – you want your porch light on overnight, but there’s no need to keep it on during the day. You can adjust shades automatically with the time of day, too, raising to let light in and setting interior fixtures to dim. Occupancy sensors ensure lights aren’t left on when a room isn’t in use.

Comfort & Elegance

Lighting affects the mood of a room, so take charge of how your home feels. You can choose warm dimming for a cozy feeling; opt for bright, cool whites to keep you alert and awake for specific tasks. There’s no need to walk throughout your home, turning off the lights behind you as you prepare to head upstairs for bed. Simply tap a button on your smart device to switch the front porch light on and the downstairs lights off while you’re lying in bed! Instead of typical boring, white switches, you have a myriad of keypad plate finishes to choose from. We can even match your light switch plates to your existing interior design scheme. Not only is your Newport Beach-area home more convenient, it will exude elegance.

Voice Control

Lutron lighting can also integrate with your voice control assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. There’s no need to tap a button on your wall keypad or find your smartphone. Simply say, “Hey Google, dim the living room” to dim the lights in your living room. You can also say, “Alexa, good morning” to raise your motorized shades, turn on the bedroom light, and start playing your favorite news station. Not everything needs to be operated by voice control, though, and preprogrammed scenes can always be controlled with your wall keypad or via a smartphone app.

An Expert Smart Home Security System Has Much More to Offer Huntington Beach Residents Than a DIY Setup

The saying “You get what you pay for” is more than a little cliché. That said, there are still many cases when it has the ring of truth. One of these instances is your home security system. There’s been a dramatic increase in the number of smart security products available at your local big-box store, but that doesn’t mean these devices are your best option for keeping your home safe. If you want to be sure your security system is protecting you, you want a professional installation. A technology integrator like Launch Systems can design and install a smart home security system that’s powerful and easy to use, perfect for homeowners in Huntington Beach, CA. Read on to learn more.

SEE ALSO: Explore our home automation solutions with our video library

SECURITY EVOLUTION

Home security systems used to be simple to install and control. Typically, your system included your standard-issue locks and deadbolts on your doors, along with an alarm system to monitor your doors and windows. If an intruder entered your home, an alarm would activate, and the authorities would be notified. A system like this is fine for what it is, but smart technology allows for much more advanced security and surveillance solutions. Smart video doorbells and locks give you much greater control over who can access your home. They also provide more information on what’s happening inside the house. Surveillance cameras have also come a long way in recent years, making it easy to install a network of cameras and sensors to keep an eye on every square inch of your property.

EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Modern security systems are much more advanced than their older counterparts. However, these systems are also much more complicated to design and install, requiring much more experience and training. That’s why you should have a professional handle your home security needs. At Launch Systems, we’re home automation experts. If you take a look at our past work, you’ll see we design systems that are both eye-catching and functional. We bring our passion, professional demeanor and enthusiasm to every project, no matter how complex.

WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE

What else do you get when you hire a professional to install your smart home security system? One thing to keep in mind is that we’re trained to install these systems. We know what components need to go where, how to link them to each other and how to make controlling the system easy. However, a professional installation from Launch Systems includes more than plugging the devices into your walls. For example, take your home network. No matter how advanced your surveillance cameras are, they won’t do you much good if the network linking them together isn’t strong enough. With inadequate network coverage, you’ll still be left with a subpar system. If you choose us for your home security installation, we’ll test your network and any other components that might compromise the system. This ensures total peace of mind for you and your family. To learn more about our home security and surveillance services, call us at (949) 515-7030. You can also visit our website and fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page, or you can leave a message in the chat box in your browser.