So what does this mean? I think it signals two things - the first is that people are starting to get comfortable enough to start making larger purchases again. This could be helped by the fact that many 1080p front projectors are now under $2000. 

The second thing I see is that homeowners are spending more time at home instead of going out. This is a trend that we have followed for a while. People are re-investing in their homes instead of buying newer or larger ones. Many people are spending more time as a family and I can think of no better family activity than "Movie Night." 

Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. If you would like to add a home theater or improve your current system - let us know!

In what seems like a never-ending battle to make the thinnest TV, LG has announced a new prototype that is 2.6mm in dept. That is about 1/10 of an inch! The TV reportedly only weighs 8.8lbs (in a 40" model). This one will be hard to top, but who knows - maybe someday we will be rolling up TV's and shipping them in poster tubes! 

So what does 2010 have in store for us in the field of home technology? 

1. TV prices will stabilize overall. Technology, such as LED TV's will keep the prices about where they are, on average, next year. (LED's are about 40% more expensive than traditional LCD TV's)

2. More internet connectivity. We are starting to see services such as VUDU and YouTube built into DVD players. You will see more TV's with these features built in from the factory. This is great news for TV buyers - VUDU, Pandora and NetFlix are all great services!

3. Speakers will become even more concealed. New technology, Called Edge Motion, from Emo Labs will greatly improve the sound quality of flat-screen TV's and computer monitors. Look for major manufacturers adopting this technology in 2010. You can read more at Electronic House. 

4. I expect to see a move to less robust, but more mainstream, home automation. As a product category, home automation has traditionally been priced where the majority of homeowners cannot afford it. As all things technology related, home automation has become less expensive but not so much less that it is mainstream. Manufacturers like Crestron, the leader in home automation systems, have come out with more budget minded product lines. Crestron Prodigy is an example of just that. Unlike standard Crestron systems, Prodigy is limited to how many zones, thermostats and light switches it can control but for 80% of homeowners it should be more than enough to scratch the home automation itch. 

5. Going Green for more than the sake of being Green. In 2010 I foresee a shift from "environmentalist" reasons for going green to a dollars and cents rationale. In the past, going green has meant adding huge costs to a project. These costs were often sunk - there was no return on the investment. In 2010 you will see a shift to technologies that have faster return on investment, such as LED lights. LED lights, now being found in flat-screen TV's, use about 85% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and 40% less than florescent lights. In 2010 going green will be associated with more than saving the planet - it will be associated with saving money. 

I want to wish everyone a safe end to 2009 and prosperity in 2010. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year to all of our customers, employees and industry friends. We are all thankful for the awesome people that support us and allow us to continue to do what we love. 2010 will be a great year and we are looking forward to it! Thanks again!

A Harley Lover's Man Cave

Electronic House, one of the industry magazines I follow, just did a story on just this subject. They profiled 10 of the "Manliest" Man Caves they have come across.

You can check out the article here.

If a Man Cave is something you have always wanted, or maybe it's a more traditional home theater, let us know! Digital Home Lifestyles does work in the Phoenix area, as well as through out the country!

Hunter is introducing a ceiling fan, called ConcertBreeze, with a built in 360 degree Speaker. The unit is fed the audio signal wirelessly so retrofit installation are... a breeze. (excuse the pun!) Installation, on the fan side, is no different than a standard ceiling fan. On the Stereo side we simply add a wireless transmitter to the existing system.

An unlimited number of ConcertBreeze fans can be added to a system, as long as they are within 300 feet of the wireless transmitter. There are also 4 seperate frequencies incase you want different sources available.

Interior Designers and Homeowners alike are going to love this product! Everyone in Arizona has a ceiling fan on the patio, and in most other rooms of the house. This is an excellent way to add sound to a room that otherwise would be very difficult to deal with. Great job, Hunter!

Available where Hunter fans are sold - the package includes the ceiling fan, light kit and speaker kit - with wireless transmitter for $499. A seperate retro-fit kit is also available for existing Hunter fans.

If you are interested in this product for your home, please let us know!

Samsung has just announced the worlds slimmest (thinnest?) LCD TV at a stunning 3.9mm. (about 1/8 of an inch) I will not be surprised to see the mounting kit on this one include a couple of picture hangers and penny nails. Of course with the slimmer design comes energy savings in the form of lower transportation costs, warehousing costs and even better - lower energy consumption! This is a win, win, win. I can't wait to see these in person soon!

I still think we'll be able to paint a TV on the wall some day - imagine Glidden or Sherwin Williams selling "TV Paint"?

Digital Home Lifestyles is committed to the design community. As associate members of ASID we understand that form is just as important as function! If you have a project that requires some technical assistance, please get in touch with us!

One product that doesn't get nearly the spotlight of the IPOD is the Apple TV.

Not only can you connect (wirelessly or wired!) to your home computer to stream your iTunes collection, you can download movies, TV shows and Podcasts. You can even view your pictures (again, from your computer) and surf the Internet - right on your TV! The AppleTV itself stores 200 hours of video, 36,000 songs or 25,000 pictures!

This little device (roughly 8" x 8" x 1.5") packs quite a punch!

Hookup is fairly simple, and it can even be integrated into a home control system such as Crestron. In fact, Autonomic Controls just released a two-way control interface that makes AppleTV display on touchpanels! You can check out an online demo here.

If you are interested in adding AppleTV to your system, let us know. Simply fill out our contact form and a member of our staff will contact you right away.

The post is titled "The Ten Benefits of Lighting Control." Anyone interested in lighting control, energy efficiency or home technology should check it out:

http://greenlifesmartlife.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-ten-benefits-of-lighting-control/

Source: The Ten Benefits of Lighting Control (http://greenlifesmartlife.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/the-ten-benefits-of-lighting-control/) by castercomm

Please contact Jason or myself should you need anything!

Invites for the next seminar will go out in November. Thanks again! Have a great weekend.

Save the Date Wednesday, October 7 2009

EDUCATION SEMINAR

“Affordable Home Automation” 

Real Home Automation without breaking the budget or the bank!

 If you think home automation and lighting control are out of the budget of your projects, you need to see the latest from Crestron called Prodigy. Prodigy was designed to put more automation into more projects. We will have a fully functioning Prodigy system on display as well as staff from Digital Home Lifestyles and Crestron to answer your questions.

 Click Here to RSVP