We offer all sorts of cool stuff you could put in your home! For pricing, see our package deals. Please write your desired home system below. For example, if you want a game room, what sort of quality TV would you like and which type of audio, etc.

Networks are the connections between devices like computers, iPhones, and even home systems like a home theater or a full-house audio system.

Typically networks are brought into a home through a cable, phone line (DSL), or by satellite dish. Now this feed is connected to a modem/router which can then spread out the internet to multiple devices by a cord or through Wi-Fi. The receiving devices (computers, etc.) will be able to use this data and, based on what the user does, send data back into the internet.

An internet connection’s speed, how quickly web pages and files can be shown and downloaded, has a lot to do with which type you use (quick reference guide here). A wire has the fastest capabilities of any internet connection. There are many different kinds of wired connections including OC3 (the fastest, highest priority connection) and T-1 connections. The next fastest type of connection is through a satellite connection, obviously slower than a wired connection because the data must be sent into space, bounced off of a satellite, and returned to you – all wirelessly. Satellites are generally cheaper than wired internet connections because no wires need to be installed from your house to the ISP and, as stated before, the connection is slightly slower than wired connections. Finally, the dial-up connections. These types of connections are set up so that the computer dials a phone number given to you by your ISP through your phone line. These are the slowest of connections because they use analog technology (non-digital) in order to send and receive data.

After getting past that rigmarole, one can decide on how to distribute the network in their home or business. Firstly, small cables called Cat5 or Cat6 can be attached to the router and to computers (as well as some TVs) for the fastest connection to the network. Secondly, a router can be purchased to distribute the network wirelessly throughout an area.

Tips For Networks:

• Networks can only be as fast as your internet connection, however they vary in efficiency
• Network speeds are measured in mega bits per second (Mbps) and sometimes giga bits per second (Gbps)
• Get a router that looks good because it will often be in an open place for the best access to it
• Do not use switches because routers have surpassed them in network speed and are much cheaper as well as being more adaptable

Now one should know that the router industry can be difficult to navigate, so with that in mind, greatly consider the following questions and follow the advice for possible answers.

•  What sort of range do you want for your wireless router?  Routers have the capabilities for very long range wireless internet but you should only choose the router with a reasonable range. Objects in-between the router and the computer/device will slow the network speed down for that device or stop it completely, so keep in mind that even powerful routers can’t beam through half of an office building. In this case, boosters will be necessary to further distribute the signal (from the same router), otherwise the network will be wired farther into the building and another router hooked up.
• How many devices would be connected with the router at any one time? This is very important so that you don’t get completely through your purchases and realize that having all of the devices connected to the router is slowing down the internet speed for all of the devices. A good router can handle all of the devices, delivering all of their information to the devices without slowing down. The best of routers deliver this quality and allow for great HD quality streaming like VUDU and Netflix movies as well as Pandora music streaming. Netgear and Linksys often make the better bang-for-the-buck routers, giving you the higher performing and cheaper routers.
• Do you live in area almost completely filled with stray signals? If so, you might want to consider what is called “dual-band.” Dual-band allows a frequency that won’t be cluttered with common household appliances and certain devices can access the faster internet signal. The dual-band, if handled effectively, can be very beneficial for many devices in a household to allow the fastest internet possible for the devices.

Using a Network

For a wired network, take the Cat5 or Cat6 cable and insert it into the port on your computer. The other end is attached to the router, modem, or port on your wall (some cable companies make it possible to attach it to the phone line). For a wireless network, you have to be sure you have a router connected to your internet connection and it is set up properly. Make sure the router has a password on it so not everyone in the neighborhood can connect to it. Also be sure that your computer you wish to connect to the network has a Wi-Fi certified network adapter. On the computer, navigate to your internet connections (settings) and add a wireless network. Select your network which will be broadcasting with the name you chose and type in the password. Congratulations, now you have finished setting up the network.

The router is one of the primary objects in a network, making computers and wireless internet devices work cohesively.

Put simply, home automation is the installation of systems in the home in order to make life easier and more enjoyable. These systems can be just about anything at all! We offer a vast majority of them for wonderfully low prices (find some for your home here). A “smart home” is simply a home with one or more home automation systems installed.

Want to Know More?

The links below will direct you to more information about the services we provide. Here are some examples of home automation:

• Lighting Control (also heating, ventilation, and airconditioning control)
• Home Theater
• Whole House Audio
• Intercom Systems
• Networking
• Security Camera Systems
• Universal Home System Integration

Our customers rave about their home automation systems! The systems are user-friendly and make life easier. Take hold of the ability to command anything in your house with the push of a button.

For Example, Security

With home automation, your house could be viewed on your phone with cameras, monitored with motion/audio sensors, air pressure sensors, window opening detectors, and detect fire, gas, or water leaks. You could even set up a medical alerting system so that if a problem arose with someone’s health, an ambulance could be on the way instantaneously. A security system can also be set up to turn lights on and off randomly, at certain times of day.

Universal Control

Any number of the services listed above can be installed into any home, but the real kicker is when you use system integration to bring the entire house under your control. Believe it or not, you can control the entire household with your iPad or iPhone using Control 4. Many options are available for system integration including the ability to access the home from a website URL or mobile app. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

REST ASSURED

Home automation doesn’t have to be a pain as some companies make it out to be! It is literally a phone call away. Often people are concerned about high costs and massive equipment or possibly having wires all over the place. With Smarter Homes of Austin, we’ll walk through the process with you, and our professional installers are the best in the industry. You can pick out parts and view examples of our equipment at our selection store in Austin.

It can take compressed, uncompressed, LPCM audio, and auxiliary data. It also supports uncompressed HD video from a TV and PC video format, including standard, enhanced, and 3D video signals. It can handle up to 8 channels of compressed or uncompressed digital audio, an Consumer Electric Control connection (CEC) and an ethernet data connection.

The CEC allows HDMI devices to control each other when necessary and allows the user to operate multiple device with one remote control. Because HDMI is electrically compatible with the CEA-861 signals used by DVI, no signal conversion is necessary, nor is there a loss of video quality when a DVI-HDMI adapter is used.

The rapid expansion of this cable started in 2003, but soared in 2006 when it began to be marketed as ports on camcorders and digital cameras. This massive growth has been attributed to the consumer electronics market. All future development of the HDMI cable will be handled by the HDMI Forum.

So you want a home theater? Fantastic! We will guide you all the way to find exactly the one you want. Continue reading to determine what exactly it is you want out of your new home theater. We will ask you questions so you can get the right idea in mind and follow it to the end of this article.

Ask Yourself

Ask yourself, “How many people do I want this theater to seat?”, “What kind of screen do I want?”, “Do I want surround sound? If I do, how good of a quality should it be?”, “Is this room going to be used for anything else?”, and “Will a game system be cool to include with the theater?”. If you have any questions, please contact us.

After helping you answer these questions, hopefully you will keep us in mind when picking out your home theater.

“How many people do I want this theater to seat?”

For many people this is an easy decision to make, but they may have overlooked some important aspects to consider.

1. How much space do you have in your designated room? Optimally, you would want your seats to be spaced 3 feet apart if they are in rows to allow for comfortable reclining and the best view of the screen for the entire audience. The chairs should also not be any closer than 3 inches to the walls of the room, again for the comfort of the audience. If you would like the seating to be a home theater sectional (sections of a couch-like chair which can be arranged to suit your needs) then the space is determined by how large the furniture is and the size of the room as well as how many rows you would like. Spacing guidelines are the same as the above chair arrangements (except sectionals are pushed together on the sides).
2. What type of seating would you like? This decision is very important to the comfort of your audience and the quality of sound the audience can hear. The best seating is that of the correct seating height so that there is an optimal sound heard by the movie-goers, the right balance between keeping the audience awake from a firm chair and plushy comfort, and a lower back chair won’t warp the sound. It is also important to note that chairs with speakers inside them do not provide very much difference in sound unless you want that system as your surround sound system (not recommended).

“What kind of screen do I want?”

It is also important to note what type of TV you would like in that room. Here is hierarchical tree:

> Projector Screen
- Permanent Screen: The permanent screen is basically installing a screen directly onto the wall, meaning that room should probably be only used for the home theater

- Pull Down Screen: This kind of screen can either be manually pulled down or there can be motors enabled to lower and raise it remotely (recommended for ease-of-use and customizability)

- Portable Screen: These screens can be the pop-up type or a sort of collapsing frame

- Screen Material: The screen material can vary greatly, and depending on the typical atmosphere of the room for the home theater, one should choose the best type for the best price. The different types allow a greater view quality on some because they reflect more light.

> Television
- LED TV: PROS uses less power than LCD, is the thinnest type, has improved picture quality on some TVs; CONS expensive; SIZES 15 to 60 inches (recommended for picture quality, and size)

- LCD TV: PROS consume a lot less power than plasma TVs, common screen sizes, very thin no matter the screen size, works in bright rooms; CONS: not as good a viewing angle as plasma TVs; SIZES 15 to 60 inches

- Plasma TV: PROS unlimited viewing angle, thin; CONS reflection on screen in a bright room is distracting; SIZES 42 to 65 inches

- Rear-Projection TV: PROS largest screen sizes, 3D capability, cheapest TV; CONS large in depth as well its screen size, you need an adapter to connect to 3D Blu-Ray players to view in 3D; SIZE 65 to 82 inches

“Do I want surround sound? If I do, how good of a quality should it be?”

Surround sound is a fantastic option for any home theater. The different types of surround sound theater speakers are 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1. These numbers may sound complicated but are quite simple: The .1 of the numbers represents the subwoofer and the number before the decimal means how many other speakers there are. If you still don’t know how any of these would sound, come on over to our selection center in Austin to listen to a 7.1 surround sound system. We offer a variety of the best speakers available and we will help you pick the best ones for your needs.

“Is this room going to be used for anything else?”
“Will a game system be cool to include with the theater?”

We have made several homes into transforming rooms so that they, for example, could go from a library into a home theater with dimming lights and motor lowered screen. If you are interested, we can incorporate game systems with the theater and surround sound for the full effect. With a simple HDMI cable, one can bring 1080p HD video with surround sound into any room from practically any device these days. (read more about this cable here)