What Are The Must-Haves For A Great Home Theater Experience

As technology continuously innovates every aspects of human life, the need for exhilarating experience is also changing.  Home theater system has been around for quite some time now and the world has seen how it evolved from just having few chairs and a rolling film to huge comfy seats or loungers and HDTV or projection screens.  In ceiling radios and speakers plus in wall speakers are now a huge hit just to elevate the movie experience even more.  Home theaters are designed to mimic the exact feeling and experience that a movie theater would give the movie fanatic but at the comfort of their own rooms.

Celebrities in Hollywood are the trendsetters when it comes to movie experience at the comfort of your own homes.  Articles upon articles are written to show and boast their glamorous home theater rooms with different type of surround sound set up. 

Some people would go to the extent of having a themed home theater room.  Have you heard of the Start Wars home theater?  Well if you are a Star Wars Fanatic, you would definitely enjoy watching your favorite saga while inside this room.  This might cause you more than a hundred thousand bucks. 

Moving on, whatever theme or home theater design you would want for your movie room, what’s more important are the accessories that will make your movie experience a delightful one.  Below are the lists of accessories that will definitely fulfill your exiting and delightful movie experience without leaving your home:

1.     Projection Screen – if your viewing room is large, projection screens are a must have.  But you can still opt to have a HDTV but projection screens are still the best!

2.     Lounger – if you want comfort while watching your favorite action movie, you might want to invest in a lounger.  Enjoy your popcorn and sodas while comfortably pleasuring from the coziness of your lounger.

3.     In wall and in ceiling speakers – have you heard of the Atmos technology?  Well these in ceiling and in wall speakers will help you experience this new Dolby technology at the comfort of your homes.  These mounted speakers will also save you more space and will make your space clutter free which can sometimes be an eye sore.

4.     Popcorn And Sodas – this will seal the deal.  A movie is never complete without these snacks on hand.  You can also install a personal ref and your own popcorn machine so you and your guest wont go out from time to time especially if you are already in the middle of the movie.

5.     Lighting – one of the most neglected but is considered one of the most essentials in getting the right movie experience.  Ask your interior designer what will suit your requirements.  Having LED lights will be a good way to start.

6.     Video Scaler and Processor – bring out the best quality in your HDTV.  Ask the experts about this.

There are more must haves for a next level movie experience, it all depends how you want it and how much are you willing to invest.  Get the best out there for you money’s worth and enjoy your favorite movies at the comfort of your own home.

Influence Of Music: Legal And Illegal Downloads

Music has been around since day 1.  It has evolved throughout centuries and it has influenced most if not all areas of the human existence. 

Now a day, music can just be downloaded through the Internet and played through your iPod together with an in ceiling radio and in ceiling speakers.  These music downloads usually come in mp3 format, legal or illegal.  Unlike in the past, music was so expensive and one has to go to a retail store to get their favorite music in tape, LPs or CD format before they can listen to it.

But what is it with downloading that it has become so phenomenal in this generation?  According to Andy Heath, director of British record company Beggars Group said: "Clearly the biggest problem with illegally downloaded music is that there is a generation who feel it is natural that music and all creative content is free".  This might be true if you are talking to a person who doesn’t worry about their finances or those who do art and music just for fun but they have tons of inheritance to use while doing their music.  But when you are dealing with artist or musicians who are doing it not just for the sake of art but as a professional who needs to earn and support his or her family, the statement that creative content should be free might be offensive for them.

Music downloading can be legal or illegal.  Downloading through iTunes and Amazon.com are the legal sites wherein you can buy your favorite music for a price.  These sites are multimillion online businesses and the reason why people would go for these sites is basically for convenience.  On the other hand, illegal downloads or what we call as “piracy” is more rampant than the former.  A study conducted in Australia would show why people download music illegally and this might be true for across all culture and nationality.

The study actually proves that the reason why people download illegally is because of price and convenience.  People will be more inclined to download illegally instead of paying few bucks while getting the almost the same quality as the original one.  Others would also do it for the sake of getting the music that they want without waiting for the release date.  That is why music companies right now are doing worldwide release date.  This may somehow reduce piracy around the globe.

While downloading music illegally has become a norm, it is still considered morally wrong to do it.  You may be able to play the music that you want with almost the same quality using your in ceiling radio through your iPod for free but you are actually killing the actual industry that is making that music. 

Don’t settle for fake.  Get only the best that your money can buy.  

Newest Technology In Surround Sound Debuts In Hollywood

Have you watched the movie Brave?  This newest technology from Dolby takes audiences from around the world to a whole new level of surround sound experience.  Imagine watching a movie and listening to footsteps running around the cinemas.  Or imagine watching an action film where a helicopter hovering around a particular building in the movie will make you feel as if the helicopter is hovering on top your head.  This is made possible by adding ceiling speakers inside the movie theaters; pulling single audio elements from the soundtrack of a particular movie and assigning them to individual speakers.  Imagine having this inside your house while watching an action packed movie with your family or listening to your favorite music, what an exciting new experience.  Imagine every beat of the drum and every strum of the guitar being separated in all your in ceiling speakers around your house.  Would technology bring it to a point where you can listen to your favorite radio station through your in ceiling radio and get the same experience as this new technology has to offer?  This is a totally new and thrilling technology that is yet to come.

Going back to Dolby’s newest technology, which they call “Atmos”, the goal really is to make the movie experience more real.  This is achieved by creating more points of sound inside the cinema through multiple ceiling speakers.  This will create a higher resolution field that will produce a more natural sound.  Aside from its immersive capabilities, Atmos technology can bring the same surround sound experience to any spot within the cinema.  Moviegoers will have uniform sound experience wherever they wish to sit inside the theater.

So far only 21 theaters around the globe are Atmos ready and this already includes 15 theaters from the United States.  With this technology out in the market, it is no longer impossible to also have this Atmos in mobile applications, computers, and stadiums and even in your own houses.  Having a new surround sound experience with the feeling of really getting immersed to what ever you are listening to is now only a few feet away from possibility.

Feel the new experience.  Get immersed.  Enjoy premium performance that will envelope you in sound!

Benefits Of Listening To Jazz Music

Listening to Jazz music through your in ceiling radio and in wall or in ceiling speakers that are mounted inside your kitchen or bathroom would change and enhance your listening experience.

Jazz music is known to have many benefits not only to our health but also to our performance and productivity.  Before laying down the benefits of listening to this type of music, would you know who started jazz music?  Or better yet, who are the famous artists associated with jazz music? 

Go back in time so you would know its origin and the people who were involved in shaping the music industry through jazz.

1.     Louis Armstrong - known as “Satchmo” to some, he popularized using trumpet as a solo instrument for jazz music.  Mr. Armsrong also popularized scat singing; scat singing is a type of singing wherein you substitute nonsense syllables for the words of the song and trying to sound like a musical instrument.

2.     Miles Davis – whose name is associated with the word jazz during the 20^th century.  Miles led the emergence of techno music, be-bop, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, fusion and funk.  With his brilliance and dedication to his music, Miles bagged eight Grammy Awards and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.  He also influenced other greats such as Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett and Cannonball Adderley to name a few.

3.     Art Tatum – a nearly blind jazz pianist who was considered as one of the greatest jazz aficionado of his generation.  He revolutionized the way piano was played in jazz music.

4.     Art Blakey – just like Tatum, Blakey revolutionized the use of drums in playing jazz music.  Along with other artists, he invented the modern bebop style of drumming.

5.     Billie Holliday – who would forget this 20^th century singer who was very exceptional during her era.  Her powerful voice brought her awards such as Grammy Hall of Fame awards and Grammy Best Historic Album.

So what are the benefits of Jazz Music?

1.     Enhanced healing – music has been used for centuries to enhance healing.  Jazz music in particular uses different instruments that aides in relaxing the body thus minimizing stress, which is primarily cause of most sicknesses.

2.     Minimizes Migraine – due to its very calming and soothing sound, it aids in reducing migraine attacks.

3.     Improved productivity – according to U.K. Journal of Advanced Nursing, listening to jazz music can boosts your spirit and increases your energy thus improving and increasing productivity.

There are a lot more benefits of listening to Jazz music.  The quality of speakers and radio will also have an effect in your listening experience.  Get only the best in ceiling and in wall speakers out in the market. 

Audio Format That Brings Out The Best Sound Quality

Best sound quality depends on the person listening to the music.  Although there may be a lot of audio file formats out there today, quality of music will still depend mainly on the preference of the listener.  Having a high quality and reliable in ceiling speaker and an in ceiling radio will also add to the quality of the sound you are listening to.  If you have the best file format like the mp3 but you are using speakers that are poor in quality, the output would be affected.

So how do you really get the best audio quality?  There are two things that you need to consider:  choosing your preferred file format and having a quality speaker.  It doesn’t matter if its in wall, in ceiling or the conventional type of speaker, what matters is it will suit your requirement and your taste of quality sound.

Let’s discuss the first one, which is choosing the file format.  Let us leave the latter to your budget and to your taste of quality speakers.  Storing music in different formats can affect the quality of music.  The more you compress the audio files the lower the quality of the music will be.  So to further give you an idea and a guide before choosing the best audio format, here are some good to know information on audio format’s strengths and weaknesses.

1.     MP3 – this is one of the most used, most common and most popular file formats for music recording.  This file is the closest to a CD quality audio while compressing the files to almost one tenth of its original file size.  One reason why they are so popular, due to its file size, it is easier and quicker to download music using MP3. Another reason why this is one of the most used file format is because MP3 files are supported by most software systems.  MP3 files come with the file extension .mp3.  You can also play this format using your iPod, which you can also hook up with an in ceiling radio to play your favorite music.

2.     WAV – IBM calls it Waveform and it has a file extension .wav.  Although this format doesn’t compress your audio and it occupies a significant space on your storage, this file format is best used professionally.  Lossless formats guarantee you of CD quality audio that you can use for broadcasting, or distributed through DVDs and CDs.  What’s great about this format is that you can easily convert it to a .mp3 format if situation requires for such format.  For MAC users, this format will easily run.  Tip:  if space is never a problem, use this format.

3.     WMA – If you are an Internet savvy person, this file format will go well with you.  Its quality is at par with that of the mp3.  Listen to Internet radios and online music so you would know the audio quality of this file format.  File extension is .wma.

There are more file formats that you can check for quick tips on how you can choose the best audio quality for your home or office sound system.  Again having a quality speaker or an in ceiling radio will also help you get that audio quality that you’ve always wanted.  

Streaming Your Music To Any Part OF Your House Using In Ceiling Speakers Airport Express

Nothing beats having control over your music especially inside your own house.  Imagine going to the bedroom or to your kitchen and listening to your favorite music from your iTunes or through your iPhone-that is indeed luxury.  If you don’t have an Airport Express and an iPhone, you can still enjoy your preferred genre by installing an in ceiling radio inside your kitchen or your bathroom or even inside your bedroom.

It’s like having a house party and you have full control of what music will be playing inside a room or simultaneously in all areas of your house depending on your setup.  In today’s article, the device that will make this streaming possible is the AirPort Express from Apple.  It allows music to be streamed encrypted over your Wi-fi, and it comes with track meta-data such as track name and album art.  Another distinct advantage of doing this inside your house is having an audio system that is clutter free.  This is so beneficial especially to those who are minimalist and to those who have limited space.

So how do you set it up and what are the components that you will need to make this possible?  Listed below are six easy steps on how you can install this AirPort Express together with your in ceiling speakers and amplifier.

Things to prepare:

In Ceiling Speakers

Amplifier with AUX in and speaker connections.

Wi-Fi connection

AirPort Express

Stereo to RCA cable or an Optical Cable

Saw for your speaker hole, screwdrivers, cutter, electrical tape or soldering iron

Speaker Wires

Steps:

1.     After determining where you will install the speakers, cut the hole using your jigsaw.  Your speakers would usually come with a hole template that you can follow to get an accurate hole size.

2.     Prepare the speaker wires.  Measure the length that you need from the mounted speaker down to your amplifier.  Give an allowance before cutting it.  Strip the ends of the wire and connect it to your speaker and the other end to your amplifier (later part).  Solder the wires to make connection more stable.

3.     Mount the speakers.  Tighten the screws and make sure that your ceiling board is flushed with your speaker.  If your speakers came with a speaker grid, then push it to cover the speakers itself.

4.     Now you can connect the speaker wires to your amplifier.  Attach your AUX cable to the AirPort Express' AUX output and the two RCA plugs to the amplifiers INPUT.

5.     Set up your AirPort Express by powering up the amplifier and the Airport Express itself and launch it on Windows or on Mac for configuration.  Make sure that you are connected to the Internet as you do this.  Check stability of your signal to avoid error in launching.  This is where you would also name the wireless network as bedroom, patio or kitchen depending on the location of your speakers.

6.     Launch your streaming applications.  You can test your speakers by going to your iTunes window.  You can simply play a song, click the small quare box at the bottom right of your iTunes screen and choose which speakers would run (bedroom, kitchen or Patio).  If this is working, you can now enjoy streaming your favorite music to any part of your house.

Having an elegant in ceiling speakers plus an AirPort Express device from Apple will surely seal your music experience inside your house.  Buy one now and enjoy your favorite iTune music playlist.

Effects Of Soothing Music While Having A Massage

Having a massage now a days is quite normal.  It used to be a luxury before with its high prices and specialized professionals and elegantly designed spa rooms.  Most of these spas or massage centers have these elegant looking in ceiling speakers and in ceiling radios as part of their interior design.  These speakers are used to play soothing music while giving a massage to their clients.

Why is it that massage has become so common in today’s’ generation?  Does it mean that people of this day and age are more stressed and anxious?  Or has it become a lifestyle?  No matter what you’re reasons are for a massage, bottom-line is to relax and rejuvenate your body. 

Music on the other hand has a positive effect not only to our brain but also to our psyche and body.  This is also the reason why there is a growing demand for music therapy.  Music relieves us from the stresses of life.  While stress can kill, music can bring back our body to life.  Certain kinds of music actually lower blood pressure and heart rate, normalize breathing and lessens cholesterol.  That is why music is essential when exercising.  The faster the music the fater the heart rate, the slower the music the slower the heart rate.  If you want to burn more fats, you listen to fast music while running. 

Music makes your body younger.  Music can uplift our soul.

Combined together, Music and Massage will definitely revitalize your body.  Listening to a relaxing music whilst experiencing a massage creates a balance for the mind and allows a reconnection to the body.

Listed below are some of the known effects of music while having a massage.

1.     Reduces Stress.  The reason why you are having is to relieve your body from stress.  Listening to soothing music while having it will also help relieve you from stress.  Music relaxes any tensed muscle helping you to release the tension that your body is carrying from a hard day’s work.

2.     Power sleep.  While having a massage and listening to a soothing music, your body tends to relax to the point of getting a short deep sleep.  Studies show that taking a power nap (15-30 minutes in the afternoon) would increase your productivity.  Having a massage while listening to good music will also normalize your sleep in the nighttime.

3.     Listening to music while having a massage regulates breathing.  Breathing becomes slower and deeper.  This activates the body to produce more serotonin, which can calm the body thus aiding in regulating blood pressure.

4.     Mental alertness is one effect of music while getting a massage.  While music has direct effect on the way we think and process things, combined with massage, it has greater effects on our mental alertness.  Because music relaxes the individual and relieves them from stress, they become more productive and alert at work.  Common sense would tell that if you don’t have excess baggage running on your mind due to stress, you would be able to think well.

Listening to music while getting a massage has indeed a beneficial effect to both the masseuse and the one getting the massage.  Massage enhances a sense of harmony between body and mind and Music soothes away mental and emotional stress.