Our Blog
Our Blog
An ongoing series of informational entries
An ongoing series of informational entries
Tips For Creating An Impressive Home Theatre
Tips For Creating An Impressive Home Theatre
Tips For Creating An Impressive Home Theatre
February 23, 2022
Home theatres used to be only found in millionaire mansions, but today, innovative technology has made it possible for home theatres to become standard in many homes across the country. Now a hub for family entertainment and fun-filled evenings with friends, home theatres provide all of the thrills of the big screen enjoyed from the comfort of your home.
The affordable technology and easy setup of home theatres make them possible for mainstream use in various applications. However, suppose you want to create a theater in your home that rivals the cinematic experience of the traditional commercial movie theatres. In that case, there are some things you should consider in your planning.
Here are some tips that will assist you in creating the home theatre of your family's dreams.
Create A Special Space For Your Home Theatre
While you can use a projector in any room, a proper home theatre should have its unique designated space. To fully enjoy your home theatre, choose a space that feels isolated from the rest of the house. For the best cinematic viewing experience, ambient light and noise should be restricted as much as possible. The size of your movie theatre space should be adequate to accommodate your family and friends comfortably.
Consider the setup of your movie theatre space before installing the projector and speakers, and determine the type of seating and its arrangement you will use. You should also consider adding extra items like a mini-refrigerator and snack section that make movie viewing and game time more enjoyable.
Choose The Right Kind Of Sound System For Your Home Theatre
Once you've chosen your home movie theatre space and planned its arrangement, focus on choosing the right kind of sound system for your area. High-quality video and audio equipment are essential to achieving a home theatre that delivers optimum entertainment.
Your audio system should adhere to the dimensions of the theatre's room. A small space may only require a simple speaker system, while a more in-depth audio system should be used for a larger room. Installation considerations for home theatre audio equipment are speaker positioning, frequency, and sensitivity.
Video Projecting Quality Is Vital To Your Home Theatre Experience
Once your audio equipment is chosen, you should focus on installing the video projection equipment in your home theatre. Budget and space will play a role in your video equipment choice, but consider the setup of your theatre as well. Often, homeowners use professional residential automation services to help them determine the best video and audio set up for their home's theatre to ensure the equipment and installation are high-quality.
Arrange An Opening Night
Once your home theatre is completed, it's time to arrange an opening night for a viewing of your premiere feature. Gather family and friends and host a memorable movie event in the comfort of your new home theatre.
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
Outdoor Lighting Can Make Your Home More Secure
Outdoor Lighting Can Make Your Home More Secure
January 21, 2022
Home security is vital to keeping your property and your family safe. While home security systems provide valuable peace of mind, there is another aspect of home security and safety that many people fail to consider. The effectiveness of monitoring systems depends on adequate lighting as poorly lit exteriors can hinder a security camera’s ability to capture video.
Proper exterior lighting is not only vital to your home’s security system’s effectiveness, but it also aids in security in other ways. Let’s look at how outdoor lighting can make your home safer and your property more secure.
Outdoor Lighting Makes Coming Home More Safe
A dark entrance to your property and home isn’t only unsettling; it can be unsafe. Outdoor lighting provides more than just curb appeal for your home; well-planned exterior lighting helps you see your way at night. Consider adding lights around pathways, stairs, and doorways to ensure you can safely navigate your way.
Choose Lighting That Illuminates Your Property Sufficiently
While some outdoor lighting products offer ambiance only, use products that illuminate entire stairs, walkways, and exterior spaces of your property. Not only will this type of outdoor lighting lessen your chances of falls and mishaps, but it also helps to keep burglars at bay. Studies show that burglars are less likely to try to enter a home or property that is well lit as their chances of being detected significantly increase.
Plan Your Outdoor Lighting Strategically
To plan your security lighting, observe your home and property at night. Knowing the dark spots and hard-to-see areas is essential for successful outdoor lighting installation. Proper landscape and security lighting should ensure that your entire property is illuminated so that you can see every corner of your home.
Choose A Variety Of Lighting Effects
Illuminating your property doesn’t have to mean only using floodlights that may detract from your home’s attractiveness. Floodlights are helpful for driveways and lighting up large outdoor spaces. Choose a variety of lighting effects to accomplish security goals while adding to your home’s curb appeal. Fence lighting, pathway lights, and tree uplighting can all increase visibility and ambiance without detracting from your enjoyment of your exterior spaces.
Hire Experts To Install Your Outdoor Lighting
While many do-it-yourself lighting products are on the market, it is best to hire experts in outdoor lighting to ensure your systems are correctly installed. With the proper outdoor lighting, your home and property can be beautiful as well as safe and secure.
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
Secure Your Homes Effectively
Secure Your Homes Effectively
January 18, 2022
Gone are the days when we could left the doors unlocked as we stepped out for a walk or went to get groceries. Now, even sturdy locks don’t seem to be enough to keep robbers or vandals away. People have become used to spending money on security cameras placed in different locations around the property to monitor unwanted activity. What’s more, a single camera at the gate of the property does not seem to suffice. Advanced technology also seems to have given way to an increasing number of smart cameras, including on garage doors.
Garage doors are the entry point to most homes and, just as easily, the entry point for burglars. It is because garage doors get opened and closed more times throughout the day. A good home security system would include a smart garage door sensor that can identify break-ins promptly. With a good home security camera, you also get professional monitoring through instant alerts to the authorities.
Maximum Protection From Garage Security
There are some tips you can take to maximize protection.
•Reinforce the garage doors
•Frosted windows can make the contents of the garage less visible
•Secure the door with padlocks when on vacation, or use one with an eclectic lock
•Change the security codes and remote-control frequencies
Home security involves security hardware on the property and personal security practices. Doors, locks, alarms, motion sensors, camera systems can all help. Each property has different security needs, and getting a customized security system is essential.
What To Consider When Installing Security Cameras
•Decide on the number of closed-circuit television cameras you need for the property.
•Decide on how the system will be monitored. You will need internet connectivity and ethernet cables to transfer the information and an IP address.
•Where will you position the cameras, and where will the DVRs be secured.
•Ensure uninterrupted power supply or power backup in case of power failure.
•Decide on how to maintain the CCTV cameras to avoid potential problems.
Get Help From A Dedicated Professional
Installing security cameras can be daunting. It needs equipment, wiring, cables, and, more importantly, professional expertise. Finding contractors to come in for a consultation and taking their input can be more efficient than finding the information yourself.
Companies, such as Low Volt Expert, can do more than just an installation of cameras. They can also be contracted for regular services such as upgrades and maintenance. Moreover, they are likely to offer the best guidance on security measures with their expertise in security and familiarity with the region.
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
Smart Home
Smart Home
June 11, 2020
You hear the turn smart home referred to all the time. People want their homes to be smarter and smarter, but does everyone really know what that entails. When experts refer to a smart home, we think about automation and system design. To better help you understand what a smart home is and how you can have one, we put together some helpful information for you. Here are the most important reasons to start making your home a bit smarter.
Saving Money
Of course, there is some initial investment involved in making your home a bit smarter, but you will recoup this investment faster than you may think. A smart thermostat can do wonders for your electricity bill. You can stop wasting electricity at times; the system does not need to be running. Your smart thermostat can also sense patterns and trends and work with you to help you lower your electricity bill.
Other ways to save money include lighting that can be powered down when not in use and when you can adjust levels to be lower when full capacity is not needed. Overall smart homes will save you more money than they cost you.
Safety
Unfortunately, the days of leaving your back door unlocked at night are long gone. A home security system is a must these days. With a smart home security system, you can monitor your home from anywhere in the world. You will even be alerted should there be any unusual activity. Since there are so many options for monitoring the pricing is getting more and more affordable. It’s hard to put a number on what it should cost to protect your number one asset, your family.
Time-Saving
Do you want to start the laundry before you get home so that you can switch it to the dryer on your arrival? With a smart laundry machine, this is a reality. Things in our life our complicated, the intelligent additions to your home are to try and help simplify life not complicate. That is what makes smart home design so important. If you do not have your smart home designed by a professional, you may have a mess on your hands. Professionals can help make all systems work together so that things don’t get out of hand.
Entertainment
Smart homes can allow you to enjoy your favorite music, television shows, or movies from various locations and in very high quality. If you have not thought about home theater systems, now may be the time to do so. The pricing on electronics has become quite fair, and with all the integrations into the sound systems, you can easily set up both an indoor and outdoor system that works for your entertainment needs.
The bottom line is that you should not be scared of a smart home. Having a smart home and creating the system that will work for you and your family is an investment you won’t regret. In addition to all of this, adding smart home capabilities to your house will absolutely increase the value of your home. The only problem is that you won’t want to leave after we are finished setting it all up for you!
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
How Access Control Fits Into Your Security System Planning
May 13, 2020
The security of residential and commercial properties may differ in regard to meeting specific needs. However, access control remains a central component of any successful security system. Having an effective access control system or systems in place is one of the most reliable ways to protect your property, business, and personal or operational and intellectual information.
Understanding Access Control
Access control, when it pertains to protecting physical or intellectual property, means allowing controlled access as well as preventing unauthorized access to restricted areas. In terms of security, this can mean a variety of methods ranging from preventing access to high-security areas to developing a controlled way for employees and visitors to gain access with minimal barriers.
Just as an electronic gate system, alarm system, security cameras, and keypad entries can control the access to personal properties by limiting who is permitted to enter the property, commercial access control systems can restrict movement inside and outside of a facility as needed.
Controlling Physical Movement
Regulating movement around your facility through interactive access control systems allows you to not only keep control over access, but it can also provide valuable information through audit trails and documentation of who was where and when. Access control systems can provide you with information that allows you a better situational awareness of your business as well as protects your interests.
Integrating Your Security Systems
This security can be either software or web-based in management applications, giving you access to freely manage your system as you see fit. Through state of the art technologies, access control systems can also be integrated with video surveillance systems, intrusion systems, human resource databases, and more, giving you a platform for which your other security systems can be based.
Covering All Of The Bases
Having the right amount and the correct type of security and access control systems for your personal or commercial property is paramount to controlling your physical and intellectual interests. Through these systems, you can better regulate movement in your facility as well as collect important data that can benefit your organization in a myriad of ways.
Trust Experienced Security Professionals
At Low Volt Experts, we pride ourselves on delivering the most innovative security systems solutions to both residential and commercial clients. Our experience has provided us with an understanding of what systems will meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our clients. For more information on access control systems or security systems in general, contact Low Volt Experts today.
3 Tips For Making Your Dream Home Theater a Reality
3 Tips For Making Your Dream Home Theater a Reality
April 14, 2020
On average, American consumers spend approximately 4% of their property’s total value on home improvement projects each year. Choosing the right improvement projects will require some time and research. If you love watching movies and listening to music, then having a home theater is a must. Some people think a home theater is a dream and too expensive for them to make a reality.
Constructing a great home theater is a lot easier and more affordable than you think. Having success with this home improvement project will require the help of experienced professionals. Attempting to handle the wiring needed to power your home theater’s audio and visual equipment can lead to lots of mistakes being made. This is why paying professionals to do this complicated work is a must.
Read below for some helpful tips on making your dream home theater a reality.
1. Choosing the Right Room to Set Up Shop In
The first decision you have to make when trying to set up a home theater is which room in your home to use. While this may sound like an easy decision, it is anything but that. One of the main things you need to consider when looking at the rooms in your home is how much sunlight enters them. Ideally, you want to choose a room with a limited number of windows.
The more windows you have in your home theater, the more glare you will have on your television. This glare can severely tarnish the home theater experience, which is why choosing a room with few windows is crucial. If all of the rooms in your home have lots of windows, you will need to invest in blackout curtains. These curtains will help you control the amount of natural light in the room.
2. A Strong Internet Connection is a Must
For the most part, DVDs and VHS tapes are a thing of the past. Modern consumers use the power of streaming services to keep themselves entertained. When trying to decide which room to set your home theater up in, consider the strength of the Wi-Fi signal. Choosing a room with a low signal can result in a lot of buffering when trying to stream movies.
There are a number of products on the market that can help you increase the strength of your wireless connection. Investing in a booster is a great way to fix these issues. Be sure to consult with home theater experts when trying to find the right products to address this problem.
3. High-Quality Components are a Must
Once you have chosen the right room to set up a home theater in, it will be time to start picking out components for this addition. Skimping on the quality of the television and surround system you get for your home theater will come back to haunt you. The price you pay for higher-end electronics will be worth it considering the experience they will provide.
Need Help Hooking Up Your Home Theater?
The best way to avoid problems when hooking home theater components is by hiring professionals. Contact the team at Low Volt Experts to find out more about the home theater installation services we offer.
Three Questions for Purchasing Security Cameras
Three Questions for Purchasing Security Cameras
March 16, 2020
If you're buying security cameras for a home or business security architecture, customizing your project is important. Every business and every home has different security needs, and getting the right fit involves a decent amount of research and due diligence.
Here are some of the things you should be thinking about if you are looking to install a home or business security camera system.
Security Cameras and Screen Resolution
CCTV and related systems have vastly differing qualities of resolution that determines the level of detail that they can offer in terms of analysis.
Some cheaper system have a lot of the pixelation and blocking of the earlier systems – and for some projects, that's okay. If you only need the security system to identify activity, and not identify individual people, that type of image may be fine.
However, high-resolution CCTV and security camera setups can be extremely useful for all sorts of discovery. Companies with higher liability, sensitive assets or a higher bar for security will want high-quality high-resolution camera results. Some might even spring for facial recognition features now standard on some camera technologies.
Linking Security Cameras to Architecture
These days, there's a lot more that's possible with security camera setups. Up until just a few years ago, manual review was the standard. People either employed security personnel to watch in real time, or had these employees watch recorded footage later.
Today computer vision and image processing are quickly developing areas of the technology world. That means that security camera footage can be fed into a number of algorithms to come up with insights and results. For example, look at the practice of business license plate tracking that identifies vehicle traffic in new ways. All of it supports more capable analysis by businesses, although some aspects of facial recognition and other vanguard technologies have gotten some criticism from privacy advocates.
Security Camera Placement
It's also important to put your cameras in the most effective places. As a trusted and established security service, Low Volt Experts can come in and consult on where your cameras are going to be most effective, as well as all of the other questions above, and more.
Low Volt Experts is a premier security vendor around the great bay area and the Sacramento metro area. We handle doorbells, smart garage doors, biometrics, CCTV, smart home integration, and much more. Take a look at our services and call us with any questions about upgrading your home or business security according to the most cutting-edge technologies available now.
January 18th, 2022
Outdoor Lighting Can Make Your Home More Secure
Home security is vital to keeping your property and your family safe. While home
security systems provide valuable peace of mind, there is another aspect of home
security and safety that many people fail to consider. The effectiveness of monitoring
systems depends on adequate lighting as poorly lit exteriors can hinder a security
camera's ability to capture video.
Proper exterior lighting is not only vital to your home's security system's effectiveness,
but it also aids in security in other ways. Let's look at how outdoor lighting can make
your home safer and your property more secure.
Outdoor Lighting Makes Coming Home More Safe
A dark entrance to your property and home isn't only unsettling; it can be unsafe.
Outdoor lighting provides more than just curb appeal for your home; well-planned
exterior lighting helps you see your way at night. Consider adding lights around
pathways, stairs, and doorways to ensure you can safely navigate your way.
Choose Lighting That Illuminates Your Property Sufficiently While some outdoor lighting products offer ambiance only, use products that illuminate
entire stairs, walkways, and exterior spaces of your property. Not only will this type of
outdoor lighting lessen your chances of falls and mishaps, but it also helps to keep
burglars at bay. Studies show that burglars are less likely to try to enter a home or
property that is well lit as their chances of being detected significantly increase.
Plan Your Outdoor Lighting Strategically
To plan your security lighting, observe your home and property at night. Knowing the
dark spots and hard-to-see areas is essential for successful outdoor lighting installation.
Proper landscape and security lighting should ensure that your entire property is
illuminated so that you can see every corner of your home.
Choose A Variety Of Lighting Effects
Illuminating your property doesn't have to mean only using floodlights that may detract
from your home's attractiveness. Floodlights are helpful for driveways and lighting up
large outdoor spaces. Choose a variety of lighting effects to accomplish security goals while adding to your home's curb appeal. Fence lighting, pathway lights, and tree plighting can all increase visibility and ambiance without detracting from your
enjoyment of your exterior spaces.
Hire Experts To Install Your Outdoor Lighting
While many do-it-yourself lighting products are on the market, it is best to hire experts in
outdoor lighting to ensure your systems are correctly installed. With the proper outdoor
lighting, your home and property can be beautiful as well as safe and secure.