AUDIO
A Wireless Home Theater or Entertainment system can be used to describe something as basic as a set of wireless surround sound speakers – to an advanced solution that incorporates wireless home networking – and there’s a lot in between.
Let's explore some of the available wireless options for your home theater system
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
The most common wireless product available for home theater is wireless surround sound speakers. Don't, however, let the term "wireless" mislead you. For a speaker to function properly, it must have two types of signals. First, the speaker needs to have access to an audio signal, the music or movie soundtrack (via electrical impulses). Second, the speaker must have a physical connection to an amplifier (powered by battery or AC power outlet) to actually produce the sound.
In other words, though you’ve eliminated the long wires that would typically connect from the signal source, such as a stereo or home theater receiver, in order for it to actually produce sound; you still need to connect the "wireless" speaker to its own power source.
In the current market, wireless speaker technology can be purchased in an “all-in-one” home theater-in-a-box system, but Neosonik? has developed a complete high-end home theater system concept that uses wireless technology for all of its major components: Pre-amp /Processor, Speakers and Video Display.
SURROUND SOUND
The applications of surround sound have grown tremendously. It no longer encompasses just movies. Digital TV broadcasts and high-fidelity music, too, has evolved to take advantage of the dramatically intensified experience that multi-channel audio can provide. Both literally and figuratively, surround sound adds a vibrant, new dimension to home entertainment. There are so many noteworthy advantages you don’t want to overlook . . . so let KCS get you up to speed:
Surround for movies
For most surround systems, the primary objective is to replicate, as closely as possible, the traditional brick & mortar cinema experience within the comfort of your own home (minus the crying babies and rude patrons with cell phones, of course). The most common surround formats for movies are:
5.1-channel movie formats
6.1-channel "extended surround" formats
7.1-channel surround
HDTV surround sound:
That’s right – HD isn’t just for your eyes – it’s also for your ears! The visual advantages of HDTV are so “easy to see,” that it's easy to forget that HDTV offers even more improvement over our current TV viewing experience. HDTV can broadcast riveting 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound. So now the news, your favorite prime-time shows, concerts and sporting events can benefit from the enhanced realism of Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.
Surround for music:
Enough about movies – let us not forget that multi-channel audio offers the promise of a greatly enhanced listening experience for music, as well. While there are music discs producing both the Dolby Digital and DTS technologies detailed in the section above, the most thrilling advances in multi-channel music comes courtesy of two high-resolution surround formats dedicated solely to musical applications: 1) Super Audio CD (SACD) or 2) DVD-Audio
Hybrid surround solutions:
As enthusiasm for home theater has spread, more and more people are replacing their old 2-channel stereo systems with full multi-channel systems. Hybrid surround solutions expand the usage options of multi-channel systems to enhance the experience of stereo music, analog TV broadcasts and other 2-channel media.
INTERCOM
Do you need to monitor a loved one during the night? Or know when the baby is awake?
If so, a wireless intercom system is a great choice. Most intercom systems require dedicated, room-to-room wiring to work properly. These systems are commonly found in businesses or homes with built-in security systems. KCS recommends the Westinghouse Novi? Wireless intercom. This system uses your home’s existing electrical wiring to send the signal from monitor to monitor. Using household wiring improves the range of the signal between monitors – allowing you to talk to someone from up to 1,500 feet away!
LCD PROJECTORS
Do you remember the bad, old days of overhead projectors and transparencies? KCS does – but this method of presentation is going the way of the dinosaur. As the cost of table-top video projection units becomes more affordable, many companies are purchasing these units and thoroughly enjoying the ease-of-use technology.
Installing a projector on the ceiling can be somewhat tricky. It can be as simple as attaching the mounting plate to the extension pole and attaching the pole to the support structure – but based on the ceiling and building infrastructure, it can often a little more, shall we say, creativity. KCS can walk you through the basics of ceiling mounting: ceiling type, mount type, projector model and throw distance. Addressing these different issues will help you determine how best to approach your ceiling-mount situation.