• Design a Room Optimized to Get the Most Out of Your Technology• Receive Expert Advice on What Works Best for You• Find Equipment that Matches Your Stylistic Preferences

 How Does a Custom Home Theater Differ From Retail Options?

A custom home theater system is an immersive entertainment experience. Every inch of your room is planned out to get the most out of your technology and space. We find the best equipment for the room, optimize it for sound and visual quality, and even work with you to design a unique theme. Below we take a look at some of the benefits of a professionally installed home theater.

Figuring Out the Layout for Your Room

The success of your Maui home theater system comes down to having the right layout in place as well as the right technology. Below we take a look at some of the things you need to consider when designing your brand-new entertainment system:

• What kind of screen do you want in your home theater?
  • The size of your screen will affect the seating arrangement for the room, which will then determine where to place your speakers:
    
    • Screen Size: As a rule of thumb, for a 120" screen you want to be at least 12 feet from the images to reduce strain and to see the picture clearly without having to move your eyes.
    • Screen Viewing Cone: Image quality will diminish as you move away from the center of the screen. Once your screen is installed, we ensure all seating is neatly placed within your screen viewing cone: this signifies how wide you can go before you start seeing a drop in image quality.
  • What kind of surround sound do you want in your home theater system?
    • This will determine how many speakers you’ll have in your room and where they need to be located. We ensure all speakers are equidistant to the viewers, so no one is stuck with audio that is too loud or too low.
      
      • Traditional Surround Sound: These systems include five or seven speakers and one subwoofer. Speakers are installed in front, to the side, above, and behind the viewer.
      • Dolby Atmos: For the best, most –realistic sound you should upgrade to a Dolby Atmos system.
        
        • Separate sounds into distinct objects so they can move within a 3-dimensional space:
          
          • For example: Hear a plane literally flying overhead as the sound travels from speaker-to-speaker above the viewer.

Expert Advice on What Equipment Works Best For Your Space

Once we have a general idea what you’re looking for in your home theater system, we help you find the right equipment:

• Choosing the right screen:
  • Depending on your room's limitations, we help you find the right size, color, and texture for your screen. For example, in places with a lot of ambient light, you want to go with a darker gray or black screen. If you want a discreet option, we can offer motorized screens that retract into the ceiling.
• Choosing the right speakers:
  • We offer the latest state-of-the-art technology when it comes to your speakers. Invest in Dolby-Atmos enabled speakers for truly realistic sound and, if you have space restraints, we also offer in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.

Don’t settle for a second-rate discount theater from your local electronics store. Contract Pacific Audio and Communications to create a truly immersive entertainment space in your Maui area home.

• Save Energy with Timers
• Harness Sunlight with Sensors
• Adjust Lighting Levels with Dimmers

Enhance Oahu Home Design with Smart Lighting

Any interior designer knows the importance of having proper lighting in each room to illuminate the artwork, décor, and other design elements throughout the space. However, not every designer knows about the versatility that comes from implementing a home lighting control system in that space. We work with interior designers, architects, and homeowners throughout the Oahu, HI area to create a seamless lighting design that enhances the architecture and décor of the home.

To learn how you can use home lighting control technology to present home décor at its best, read on.

Timers

Timers ensure that the home’s décor is well lit with no extra effort for the homeowner.

• Perfect Timing: A home’s lights should be tailored to the lifestyle of the homeowner. Use timers to automatically turn lights on and off at the times that make sense for each room.
• Energy Savings: Timers save on energy costs by only lighting areas when they are needed.
• An Automatic Process: Homeowners don’t want to waste time walking into each room to turn the lights on during the day and then off again at night. Timers avoid that manual hassle.

Sensors

Make the lighting throughout the home react intelligently to certain trigger events.

• Occupancy Sensors: Keeping spotlights lit up throughout the home can be wasteful, spending excessive amounts of energy when nobody is there to admire the artwork or sculpture being illuminated. Occupancy sensors solve this problem by turning on lights whenever someone enters the room, then automatically turns off the lights after everyone leaves.
• Daylight Sensors: A daylight sensor detects how much sunlight is entering the room. On sunny days when the room is well lit, the sensor can automatically cause the dimmers in the room to lower the amount of artificial light to keep the room from being washed out with brightness. As the sun starts setting, the lights will brighten to ensure the room always has just the right lighting levels.

Dimmers

Dimmers allow interior designers to set the perfect lighting levels throughout the day for each space and activity.

• Time of Day: Using dimmers and timers together, the lighting levels can adjust from morning to afternoon to evening.
• Room: For interior rooms without much sunlight, the dimmers will keep rooms bright, but in rooms with windows, the dimmers will adjust to save energy by harvesting natural light.
• Activity: Most rooms have multiple purposes, so the lighting designer can create “scenes” for each occasion that optimize the room’s lighting for that specific activity, such as enjoying a candlelit dinner or reading a book on the sofa.

 
These three home lighting control technologies are just the tip of the iceberg of how smart home automation can enhance interior design.  Contact Pacific Audio and Communications to learn more about our process for working with interior designers to optimize lighting in the Oahu area.

• Check in with Family and Friends
• Manage Energy Use
• Simplify Access to Your Home

Go Beyond Security with these Home Monitoring Uses for Your Maui Home

A home monitoring system is an excellent way to enhance your security system, going beyond cameras and alarms. However, home monitoring is useful for more than just security. Below, we’ve covered three ways that you can use a home monitoring system throughout your daily life in Maui, HI.



Check in with Family and FriendsA home monitoring system doesn’t just detect intruders. It can also be used to keep track of pets, children, elderly family members, and more.

• Keep your pet off the furniture with smart sensors that alert you whenever your cat or dog is feeling adventurous.
• Have a room in the house where your children aren’t supposed to go? Receive a notification if they enter the pool area without you or exit the home at an unusual hour.
• Check in on elderly family members with cameras and motion sensors that let you know whenever they need assistance, when they take needed medications, and more.

Manage Energy UseThe same sensors that keep your home safe can also cut down on unnecessary energy costs:

• Lighting Controlo Use sensors to automatically turn lights on when someone enters a room, then off again when that person leaves. This keeps you from wasting energy on lighting rooms that aren’t in use.
• HVAC Controlo Use intelligent monitoring to optimize how your HVAC system operates. On sunny days, your smart home automation system can lower motorized shades to cut down on sunlight heating your home.
• Device Controlo There’s no need to run all of the electronic devices throughout your home when they aren’t in use. Cut down on your energy bill by controlling TVs, gaming systems, surround sound speakers, and more from your remote tablet.

Simplify Access to Your HomeMake it easy for people to gain access to your property, whether you’re on location or not.

• Prep for Delivery/Maintenance Workerso You don’t have to stick around the house all day waiting for the cable guy to show up. Instead, receive an alert whenever the worker arrives, then give them access to your home straight from your smartphone or tablet. With the sensors placed throughout each room, you can ensure that workers only enter areas where they are supposed to be.
• Accommodate Unplanned Guestso If a family member decides to stop by while you’re not at home, you can still give them access to your residence so that they can wait for you to arrive in comfort. Simply unlock the gate and front door right from your phone.
• Avoid Dealing with Physical Keyso Physical keys are one less thing you have to worry about with a home monitoring system. The gates and smart locks on your home can be unlocked with the press of a button so that you always have easy access without having to carry jangling keys in your pocket.
  o With security codes and access cards, you can keep track of who comes and goes at all times.

Home security, energy management, access control, and more – a home monitoring system is a comprehensive solution for your smart home. To speak with us about the possibilities for your Maui home, call 808-870-1619 or fill out this quick online form.