By Nick Brigulio

Custom Home Theater can be tricky.  What kind of TV do I want?  Do I even want a TV or would a High Definition projector be better for my theater?  What kind of DVD player or receiver.  Do I need an amp?  What is the difference between an amp and a receiver?  This is just the beginning of what starts to swirl through my head as I think of all the different ways to accomplish my goal.  The most ultimate home theater on the block!  A place to watch Monday night football with the boys.  Or watch a race and hear the roar of NASCAR on my surround sound.  I want a place where my wife can curl up in a blanket with just me and a bag of popcorn to watch her favorite documentary.  Or have all her friends over for one of her Desperate Housewives get-togethers.  I dream of a theater that will shock and awe while it entertains my friends and family in the comfort of my home.  Slap a PS3 or XBOX 360 in the mix and it’s the ultimate gaming experience.  Not to mention the internet, Facebook, YouTube and Hulu all at my fingertips.  There are just so many possibilities.  A great home theater room can be an experience on many levels, if it’s done right.  So, how do you do it right?  As I mentioned at the beginning of this article there is a plethora of equipment that can be bought.  Not to mention the décor.  Lighting and furniture can also be a big influence on the experience.

The first thing I would do is find a good partner to advise me on what I need for my Home Theater.  This is where P.E.T.E.S. comes into play.  We want this to be enjoyable.  Home Theater is fun and we are willing to hold your hand through the whole process to make it so.  Here at P.E.T.E.S we have created relationships with the best manufacturers of Home Theater Audio Video equipment and furniture in the business.  We can sit down with you and discuss what your needs are and how to meet them.

The next thing we need to do is develop a budget.  At least put a number on paper.  You can always go back and change this.  I remember a story my cousin told me about putting a budget together with his fiancé for their wedding.  What was going to be spent and where they were going to spend it.  Not days later, after agreeing on the budget, he noticed “they” were spending outside the budget.  He asked his fiancée, now wife, why “they” were spending more than they had budgeted?  Her response was simple, “the budget is wrong”.  My point is this; it can be a work in progress.  There is always going to be compromise and a little give and take when it comes to big decisions.  Home Theater can be an expensive big decision.  Working with a professional can help guide you through this process.

Then it’s off to work.  Like I said this can be tricky.  What’s the size and shape of your room?  Where and how many electrical outlets are there?  Do you want 5.1, 7.1, or the latest in audio 9.2 channels of surround sound?  In-wall or bookshelf speakers and what size tower speakers for the front?  Custom theater seating or a custom couch?  DON’T LET THESE THINGS OVERWHELM YOU.  The relationships we have made here at P.E.T.E.S. will help make these decisions uncomplicated.  Here are just a few names of the top of the line products we carry for custom installation:

1. Receivers:  Integra, Sony ES (Elevated Standard)
2. Plasma, LCD, and LED TV’s:  Sony, LG, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Samsung
3. Projectors:  Runco, Sony, JVC
4. Speakers:  Paradigm, Meridian, Klipsch, Martin Logan, Velodyne, Mirage, Sonance
5. Sound proofing:  Primacoustic, they provide material to sound proof walls, floors, and ceilings.
6. Distributed Audio:  Sonance and Russound are two manufacturers we use to distribute audio through different zones in your house if you want to go that direction.
7. Remote Control:  Control4, Rti, and URC.  There are 5” and 7” LCD touchscreen remotes that control your entire entertainment system.  No more fumbling around with 2, 3, or 4 remotes now you just have 1.  These can control a lot more than your Home Theater, but first things first.
8. Furniture/Décor :  Sanus, Bello, Image Improved.

Feel free to visit any of these companies websites for ideas but when it comes time for design and implementation rely on P.E.T.E.S.  We are here to make your life easier and we are working on home theater projects daily.  P.E.T.E.S. is a one stop shop that offers consulting on room design, product selection, and complete installation.  Technology changes so quickly now, you have to be prepared for what is coming down the road.  The best way to prepare is to talk to a professional and have a partner in the business, P.E.T.E.S.

The problem with aluminum wiring does not lie in the wiring itself, it lies in the connection made to an outlet or switch.  The connection issue is caused by a few different properties of aluminum wire.

The main issue is called “Cold Creep.”  When aluminum heats up it expands more than copper and when it cools down it contracts more than copper.  Over time this can cause a loose connection at the outlet or switch.  Additionally, it is harder to make a tight connection with aluminum wire in the first place because aluminum wire has to be a thicker gauge wire than copper to carry the same electrical current.  All metals also oxidize over time but there is a primary difference in how copper oxidizes compared to aluminum.  When copper oxidizes it forms a conductor which creates no threat.  When aluminum oxidizes it develops as a resistor which causes a major threat.  Resistance causes heat which could lead to the outlet or switches burning up and possibly catching on fire or the insulation melting around the wire causing additional fire risk.  To make matters worse, if an outlet or switch meant for copper connections was used it causes oxidation to accelerate when the two unlike metals come in contact with each other. 

The US Fire Administration reports that of the 800,000 residential fires in the US yearly, about 11-12% of them began in the electrical system.  Here are some warning signs that you can look for ahead of time.

Outlets that spark

Smoke from outlets of switches

Lights that flicker when on

Cover plates around outlets or switches that are warm to touch

Melted insulation at connections

Smell of burning plastic

Blown fuses or breakers that trip

Light bulbs that burn out fast or are really bright

Have us come look at your electrical systems and we can make recommendations on the best way to handle your situation and give you a risk assessment. 

What you need to understand about HDMI is that your system is only as good as your weakest link.  As an example if you wanted to have the best sound possible, you would want to have product that has HDMI 1.3 because it has the new lossless audio formats on it.  Lets say for instance you went out and bought a new home theater receiver that had version 1.3 on it and hooked up your Blu-ray player that was a couple of years old into it.  That Blu-ray player since it is a couple of years old, only has HDMI version 1.2.  It would revert back to HDMI 1.2 because the Blu-ray player is not capable of the new audio formats supported with 1.3.  This all gets a bit confusing for most clients and with good reason but hopefully this helps you understand it a little bit further.  HDMI is here to stay and it truly adds functionality and ease to your system.

So as many of you may have heard, recently many products started to ship with a newer version of HDMI called HDMI version 1.4.  So you may ask yourself why did the manufactures need to upgrade to another version?  The simple answer is broadband convergence or networking capability of audio/video devices.  Here are a few statistics of upcoming products: 24% of all consumer electronic devices will requires Ethernet, 100% of game consoles and digital media adapters will have network capability, 80% of Blu-ray devices will have network capabilities, and 72% of PVR/DVRs will have network capabilities.  Consumer electronics are finding new ways to integrate with network content delivering much more capability to you the customer.  Here is what HDMI 1.4 adds specifically:

HDMI Ethernet Channel- Consolidates HD Video, Audio and Data in a single cable and supports speeds up to 100Mbps.  This is bi-directional so it means that it eliminates the need for separate Ethernet port and cable required for enhanced devices.  It allows internet sharing and networking of all you home theater devices with one cable.  If all your products have version 1.4, you would simply plug an ethernet cable into one of them and they would all be networked together through the HDMI cables that connect them instead of having to add additional Ethernet connections for each device. 

Audio Return Channel-Simplifies the audio connection between the TV and A/V Receiver.  In the past if you pulled local TV stations in via antennae you would have to get that audio signal down to the receiver via an audio cable even though you had a hdmi cable plugged in between the TV and Receiver.  With Audio Return Channel it will now send that audio signal to the receiver via the existing HDMI cable eliminating the need to run an additional cable.  This becomes really important when you are mounting your TV on the wall above your equipment because it makes one less cable that needs to be ran within the wall, saving time and money.

3D support-Soon there will be a lot of different content available at home in 3D.  In order to take advantage of this new and exciting technology at home, you will need to have product that has HDMI 1.4 in it to carry the 3D signal.  This is considered the most advantageous part of HDMI 1.4. 

Support for 4k x 2k resolution-Today’s TV’s support a resolution of 1080.  This new resolution is the same resolution as many of the state of the art digital theaters and is 4 times the resolution of 1080p.   This will be the wave of the future and HDMI 1.4 has the capability to turn this into reality.

Real Time Content Signaling-Enables the TV to optimize picture settings based on the content type.  This will enable simple, automated picture setting selection without you having to change any settings. 

Support for Additional Color Spaces-in short, enables the TV to reproduce the rich, natural, lifelike colors from digital still camera and increases the accuracy and consistency between the 2 devices. 

Micro HDMI Connector-Many small portable devices are becoming sources of HD content.  Such as cell phones, pocket cameras, and other portable devices where connection space is a premium.  The new connection will be roughly half the size of the existing HDMI Mini connector.  It will have the ability to carry all the features in a much smaller cable. 

Automotive Connection System-It is designed for in vehicle HD distribution.  Includes an interlocking connector for internal connections and is able to withstand the rigors of an automotive environment. 

HDMI 1.4 certainly packs a punch and has a lot of new capabilities that will benefit you for years to come.  To find out more about how to best setup a new system or take advantage of some of these new features, give us a call.  We are here to help you and we provide full sales, design, and install services. 

References: HDMI.org

More information with illustrations please visit HDMI.org

Here the good news, there is now product out there that improves your cell phone signal at home and while traveling, and it really works.  Here at P.E.T.E.S., we have been a zBoost cell phone signal booster dealer for a couple years.  We have installed quite a few systems since we became a dealer and recently we have been getting a ton of calls on cell phone boosters.  These boosters work with smart phones, cell phones, and even aircards.  Many consumers in rural areas pay quite a bit of money for a landline telephone with long distance and internet service because they do not have many options where they live.  Even in larger cities like Missoula, often times cell reception in a basement can be a problem.  With zBoost, you may be able to improve your signal to be able to rely on your cell phone as your primary phone and eliminate extra costs and in addition zBoost is very affordable and we can install the product for you.

Here are some benefits of zBoost:

• Increases inddor cell phone and data card coverage up to 2500 sq ft
• Supports multiple users simultaneously
• Extends phone battery life (uses less power when signal is stronger)
• Works with all cell phones and U.S. carriers
• Protects the carrier network using patent-pending technology
• Easy set up
• Office applications available up to 10,000 sq ft

Stop being frustrated with your cell phone signal and give us a call today for a free consultation.

Roger and Sherry Petersen, owners of Palmer Electric Technology Energy Services, Inc. stand on the roof of their business next to solar panels supply energy to their building. P.E.T.E.S., Inc. has diversified to accommodate a more broad electrical service. “It’s hard to take a picture of a philosophy,” says Roger Petersen.

Power of One Article

Roger and Sherry Petersen on roof of P.E.T.E.S. Photo by Kenneth Billington

Energy Savings Chart