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May Newsletter – This Isn’t 2003, Upgrade Your Screen Game

We sat down with Tim Stevens from Just Video Walls to talk about why “entertainment centers” aren’t cutting it. This month, Tim Stevens, Director of Business Development at Just Video Walls, highlights the newest AV breakthroughs and reveals how video walls are swiftly overtaking the old‑school box TV as the ultimate sleek, modern display. 5 Signs

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The Art of Simplicity and the AVA Cinema Remote

I’ve been frustrated in recent years with the lack of innovation in the handheld remote category. It’s as if consumer electronics manufacturers think we’re all perfectly happy using our smartphones and a bunch of button-riddled plastic candy bars to negotiate the endless audio and video options at our fingertips. If anything, 2024 should be a renaissance

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Leon Mera Sound Sconce Review: A Bold New Approach to Home Ambience

I love it when design and function merge seamlessly. The new Leon Mera Sound Sconce is a great example of blending these elements by combining sound and lighting in an attractive wall fixture effortlessly accenting whatever’s around it. I had no idea something like this existed until my gaze was recently transfixed at a trade show. After much

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Reviewing the new Sonos Arc Ultra and Companion Sub 4

Sonos has taken it on the chin lately. Admittedly, some of it is well deserved. From the unforced error of fixing an app that wasn’t broken to a solidly tone-deaf response, it’s been hard to root for these guys lately. That being said, I’m still a big fan of the Sonos hardware ecosystem and have covered

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April Newsletter – Lighting That Transforms—For Every Season

Secure your home. Set the mood. Lighting for every occasion. This month, we spoke with Mike Brinson from LightScapes and Steph Vaughan from Hill Residential Systems. Together, they highlighted how lighting transforms your home—inside and out—improving both function and beauty. Why Lighting? Why Now? Spring is here—freshly cut grass, sizzling grills, and bonfires with friends. When

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Security Starts at the Street

The latest home security products stop would-be burglars before they get into the house. Electronic security systems have been in our homes for over 100 years. For much of that time, it has been based on the same foundational principles: bad guys break into your house, a siren blares, and, if monitored, the system calls for

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Reviewing DMF Artafex 4″ Integrator Downlighting

While lighting innovation is moving at a dizzying pace, the age of LEDs has sent us reeling backward a bit in our ability to experience light quality inside that mimics the outdoors. Ever since the demise of incandescent bulbs, manufacturers have been chasing the elusive color rendering index (CRI) score of 100. While most builder-grade LEDs

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Debunking Smart Power Myths: What Homeowners Need to Know

If you’ve been following the news (especially here in Central Virginia), you’ve likely noticed a steady stream of reports on severe weather, aging infrastructure, and rising utility costs. With increasing strain on the power grid, many homeowners are left wondering: Is there a better solution? The short answer? Yes, there is. Smart power is all about

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What I Learned from Using the Savant Power System Demo Kit

The Savant Power System is all about catering to a desire for energy independence through alternative energy sources and time-of-use (TOU) power schedules As more energy and lighting options are flooding the market in recent months, it’s starting to resemble one of the AV world’s original “raisons d’etre”: Replacing coffee tables of clutter with universal remote

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