Article Library
This archive is a compilation of articles published in our eMagazine since inception. The articles are organized by "Subject". Many thanks to those who have contributed to this archive and continue to help it grow by submitting their thoughts and expertise to the magazine.
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Company: HomeToys.com
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| Article Title | Author | Company | eMag Issue | Article Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noventri SF-200 Digital Signage Player | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Apr 2013 |
Last year, I reviewed the Noventri Digital Signage Suite and Player, which included the SF-100e player. I was pretty impressed and have since deployed this in several scenarios. I recently got my hands a pre-release version of their latest player: the SF-200 and took it for a spin. |
| Siri Home Automation Integration from Start to Finish Part 3 - Home Automation Integration |
Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2013 |
This is Part 3 of a three part article. In this part, we'll look specifically at how to integrate Siri with a Home Automation system. In Part 1, we'll cover the basics (using a Linux VM). In Part 2, we'll cover Raspberry PI installation. In Part 3, we'll cover Home Automation integrations |
| Siri Home Automation Integration from Start to Finish Part 2 - Raspberry PI Installation |
Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2013 |
This is Part 2 of a three part article. In this part, we'll see how to install SiriProxy on a Raspberry PI. In Part 1, we'll cover the basics (using a Linux VM). In Part 2, we'll cover Raspberry PI installation. In Part 3, we'll cover Home Automation integrations |
| Siri Home Automation Integration from Start to Finish Part 1 - The Basics (using a Linux VM) |
Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2013 |
I've been wanting to get Siri up and running with my Home Automation system for quite a while. I tried and failed last year, but recently attacked the problem again; this time with great success. Not only did I get it running on 4 versions of Linux (long story), but also on my Raspberry PI. Further, I now have it integrated with my Home Automation system. (The approach I chose for this should work with virtually any Home Automation system.) The instructions in this article will get you up and running--virtually guaranteed--in under 30 mins. If you don't want to start from scratch, you can download a 250MB VMware appliance with it fully installed. All that's required are a few minor config changes for your own IP address. In Part 1, we'll cover the basics (using a Linux VM). In Part 2, we'll cover Raspberry PI installation. In Part 3, we'll cover Home Automation integration. |
| Digital Signage Expo 2013 Tradeshow Report | Brandon Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Feb 2013 |
Digital Signage Expo is the world’s largest international tradeshow dedicated to interactive display technology, digital signage, and digital out-of-home networks. It’s a great way to discover technology that will draw attention to your business, increase sales, generate buzz, help save on overhead, and improve interactions with your customers. |
| Review - IAV LightSpeakers - Wireless Multi Room Audio System | Brandon Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Dec 2012 |
Since HomeToys.com began over 15 years ago we have always had a passion for products we feel are innovative, creative and are helping move this AV industry forward. When I saw the press release for the launch of the IAV LightSpeaker come across my email a few months back I was intrigued. Basically this is a self-contained wireless speaker and lighting system where each speaker fits into your standard 5” & 6” pot lights with standard Edison sockets, no speaker wiring needed. |
| Blowing Hot and Cold with Z-wave and Wi-Fi Thermostats | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Dec 2012 |
Last winter I installed a Z-wave thermostat. Integration was good, but usability was dreadful. The Wife Acceptance Factor plummeted; my own with it. Waking up to a chilly house about a month ago reminded me that it was time to turn on the heating, and replace the thermostat. I was torn between a better Z-wave model and a Wi-Fi unit. Whatever I chose had to integrate with my Home Automation system, and that was the challenge. |
| UltraViolet Update | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
It’s been a few months since we covered UltraViolet, so it’s time to try out the disc-to-digital service and see how things have progressed. |
| Taking the Guesswork out of HDMI switching with InstaPrevue | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
InstaPrevue technology provides the first-ever, live picture-in-picture preview of HDMI® and MHL inputs connected to an AVR or HDMI/MHL switch. Instead of having to remember, or guess, which device is connected to which input of a TV or AVR, a thumbnail of the content makes it easy to identify the source. |
| Sanus CFR2136 AVRack | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
I’ve used Sanus flat screen mounts for quite some time. At CEDIA 2012, I saw their new Component Series AV racks for the first time and was pretty impressed. The build quality is good and the price is very attractive. As such, they’ll suit the pocket book of many DIY installers and offer an opportunity for improved margins for the ever-squeezed custom installer. |
| Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft Pixel Sense | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Touchscreens and interactive control have been around for a few decades. These are being deployed in digital signage, retails and hospitality applications more and more. The Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft Pixel Sense represents a significant leap in the technology. I had a chance to get some hands on and certification training. |
| Mozaex Media Server Review | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Mozaex offers a range of 3D-ready media servers and media players that can be used to distribute audio and video throughout the house. Priced at a fraction of the cost of Kaleidescape, the products do not breach any of the DVD Copy Control Association’s (DVD CCA) contracts. We took a few of their products for a spin and were impressed. |
| Mobile Devices Wired for Sound and Video with MHL | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Apple users have enjoyed streaming of audio and video to big screen TV’s for quite some time. Miracast holds some promise for non-Apple users, but sometimes a wired connection is just better. |
| Miracast – A Challenger to the AirPlay throne? | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Apple has dominated the wireless streaming video playing field for quite a while, but the Wi-Fi Alliance plans to change all that with an open solution called Miracast. |
| Maximize your Video Image | Len Calderone | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Whether you are buying a LCD or plasma television or maybe a projector for your home theater, you will want to get the most out of the video image. Most consumers run their plastic through the store’s machine, pick up their new display at the dock, take it home, unpack it and turn it on. The viewer then plops down on the sofa with a bag of popcorn, and accepts whatever video image that is displayed on the screen. If you truly want the best video image, you need to take a few minutes and make some adjustments to the set. The basic calibration procedure for your television can also be used for a projector. |
| Improving Video Quality with ClearView | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Streaming of videos is growing at a dramatic rate. While the quality is typically acceptable on a mobile device, when displayed on a large screen with technologies such as AirPlay, Miracast, MHL, etc. Compression artifacts and inadequate resolution result in a poor picture. Silicon Image is aiming to lend a hand in the quality department with ClearView |
| Home Theater in a Box Redefined by WiSA Systems | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Home Theater in a Box systems are either dedicated, limited feature systems, or often the lowest-end receiver and speaker combination a manufacturer has to offer. These are attractive to many, as an “easy” route to sound that exceeds those tinny speakers in the ever-slimming TV. The Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA™) Association promises a more practical, scalable, wireless- yet-audiophile-quality solution. |
| HDMI = High Performance | Len Calderone | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) was invented in 2002 by several major electronics manufacturers. HDMI is the first uncompressed all-digital interface that carries audio and video signals. |
| Crestron’s airConnect won’t leave iOS users out in the cold | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Oct 2012 |
Creston’s airConnect is a revolutionary location system that currently utilizes Near-Field Communication (NFC) and a user’s NFC-equipped SmartPhone. The launch of the iPhone 5 without NFC looked (to many) like it would be a no-go ofr iOS users. Turns out the iPhone 5, and new iPods incorporate a key piece of technology and Crestron have had a contingency plan all along. |
| Will the DLNA Premium Video Platform Change the Set Top Box Landscape? | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
It’s almost a decade since the conception of DLNA. Over half a billion devices support it, but none of these are able to play DRM content. The DLNA Premium Video platform changes this, by allowing premium content to be streamed within the home without a set-top box in every room. |
| The Future of Wireless Energy Transfer | Len Calderone | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
Nearly all of our communications are now wireless, but people and devices are still tethered to the wall by power cords. In the not too distant future, we'll be able to enjoy wireless power too. |
| InfoComm 2012 Report | Mark Anderson and Brandon Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
Hot Products from InfoComm 2012 |
| How Poor Industrial Design Loses Sales | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
Features and price are the two most common reasons why companies lose sales, but poor industrial design can also be a factor. |
| HomeToys eMagazine - Special Coverage of CEDIA 2012 | Contributed by | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
Here is a synopsis of the many CEDIA 2012 news and product reports that we have prepared this year. Use these links to browse the coverage from your easy chair. |
| Hometoys - CEDIA 2012 News Report | Contributed by | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
Tons of news from CEDIA 2012 - Almost 200 news announcements at last count and still growing. Be sure to add your own company news to this report - just click the link that says "Click here to Submit Your Free Show News Release" |
| Edifier e30 Spinnaker Bluetooth Speaker System | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
It’s not often that a set of speakers comes to market that is aesthetically striking, produces quality sound and affordable. The Edifier Spinnaker Bluetooth Speaker systems achieves all three. |
| CEDIA EXPO 2012 - Tradeshow Report | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
As expected, CEDIA was full to the gills with cool and interesting products. In the article below, you can read about our take on industry trends and see what products we considered noteworthy. |
| Can a $35 PC really run a full blown HD Media Center? | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
A UK-based project to produce a computer that any student can afford has got the Home Theater PC (HTPC) crowd brimming with excitement. I placed a credit card order with RS Components (across the pond) in May. A few weeks ago, my Raspberry PI had arrived. Did it live up to my expectations? |
| Absolute Zero Home Theater Curtains | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Aug 2012 |
At HomeToys.com, we get lots of hi-tech gadgets to play with, but sometimes, it’s the distinctly low-tech items that make or break a great home theater. Controlling sound and light are critical to a good home theater, so we decided to take a look out some blackout drapes from Ellery Homestyles. |
| When the iPhone Makes a Perfect TV Remote? | Mark Anderson | Hometoys.com | Jun 2012 |
I’m not easily impressed, but on a recent trip to New Orleans, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a case where the iPhone was way better than the TV remote. |
| IOGEAR Wireless HD 3D Digital Kit Review (GW3DHDKIT) | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Jun 2012 |
The WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) on large, flat screen TV’s can generally be improved with more aesthetic placement of said purchase. Unfortunately, this often entails a construction project (negating any WAF gains). The IOGear Wireless HD 3D Digital Kit is a game changer (and WAF Buster). |
| Gefen Wireless HDMI Extender (GTV-WHD-1080P-LR) Review | Mark Anderson | hometoys.com | Jun 2012 |
Running AV cables from a set -top box, receiver or DVD/Blu-ray player to a TV or Projector is not always practical or cost-effective. Recent times have seen a number of wireless HDMI extenders come to market. We took Gefen’s GTV-WHD-1080P-LR for a spin to see how it performed. |
| Eighth Annual Flat Panel Shootout | Mark Anderson | hometoys.com | Jun 2012 |
The three highest end plasmas and LCD’s (in the opinion of Value Electronics) encompassing 55 to 65-inch displays from Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Sony, and Sharp’s new Elite were assembled in a darkened room and calibrated by a team of experts (using professional tools) over the course of 3 days. The calibrated displays were then judged by both consumers and experts. |
| WarpiaTV Review | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Apr 2012 |
There are a number of WirelessHD streaming players on the market. I unleashed the WarpiaTV Wireless Edition - SWP550 with my 50” Pioneer Kuro and got somewhat mixed results. |
| Proactive AV and Home Automation Monitoring | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Apr 2012 |
Break fix is perhaps the worst service model a custom installer can employ. An inexpensive pro-active monitoring system can be an installer's best friend. |
| Mirage MMS-2 Media Server Review | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Apr 2012 |
We took the cloud-connected MMS-2 media server for a spin for a number of weeks. It turned out to be a well-preforming, well-connected device. |
| Beyond Blu-ray | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Apr 2012 |
It seems like only yesterday that I breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the HD format wars. Blu-ray had won and I could safely start building my HD media library. With players under $100, it’s safe to say Blu-ray is now mainstream, but current TV’s and projectors can display content that is not supported by Blu-ray. Good examples include wide-gamut TV’s and 4K displays projectors and AV receivers. It’s time to look to the future. |
| Z-Wave Snowballs to 600th Certified Product | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2012 |
Six months ago, saw the 500th certified Z-Wave product: a goal that took almost 6 years to reach. Today, the announcement of a 600th product indicates rapid growth in Z-Wave. What are the primary factors for the growth? |
| HTML 5 and Digital Signage | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2012 |
One of the most significant aspects of HTML 5 for digital signage is dynamic content. HTML 5 makes it very easy to display real time information such as stock prices, weather, news headlines, sports scores, etc. Much of this can be accomplished with technologies such as JQuery, and there are companies such as GeckoBoard who specialize in delivering business intelligence via the web. Mark Anderson is a long-time home theater enthusiast and lives on the bleeding edge of Home Automation. He will be covering everything related to Home Automation and AV. He is also a regular contributor to avystemsmag.com, where he covers commercial AV and automation.Please welcome Mark to the HomeToys team. |
| Divergence of Content and Display Technology | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2012 |
Current and emerging TV technologies have the capability to display a color gamut far beyond that available in consumer content. Movie studios are not delivering better content that takes advantage of these new technologies and the world seems to be rushing headlong towards lower quality streaming as the preferred deliver method. Surely there’s something wrong with this picture? |
| A Year Without Cable TV | Mark Anderson | hometoys.com | Feb 2012 |
A little over a year ago, I went cold turkey with Cable. I had literally everything that one of the big providers could offer (as my sister-in-law worked there, and we owned a two-flat with her). In this article, I’ll share my experiences and the current state of play with TV in my house. Mark Anderson is a long-time home theater enthusiast and lives on the bleeding edge of Home Automation. He will be covering everything related to Home Automation and AV. He is also a regular contributor to avystemsmag.com, where he covers commercial AV and automation.Please welcome Mark to the HomeToys team. |
| 2012 will be the year of Home Automation | Mark Anderson | HomeToys.com | Feb 2012 |
I know what you’re thinking: another “year of X” prediction that has as much chance of coming to fruition as I have of winning the lottery. (I’m still waiting for smell-o-vision.) So, why am I so keen to stake my reputation on this? One reason: the number of entry level systems appearing on the market. We’ll be reviewing some of these over coming months, but for now we’ll just list some of the major contenders. Mark Anderson is a long-time home theater enthusiast and lives on the bleeding edge of Home Automation. He will be covering everything related to Home Automation and AV. He is also a regular contributor to avystemsmag.com, where he covers commercial AV and automation.Please welcome Mark to the HomeToys team. |
| Review - Boxee Box Media Streamer | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Apr 2011 |
Out of the box, this is one of the simpler setup processes I've had --- bearing in mind that often what I get to test is not really ready for prime time. I'm running it on a wireless network for the test so all I had to do was plug it into a power strip and connect it to my home theater receiver using one of the many hdmi inputs available. |
| LOREX LIVE snap Video Baby Monitor | Brandon Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Feb 2011 |
With a newborn baby on the way, I decided it would be a great time to test out one of these video baby monitors. While this may not be the typical product for discussion on HomeToys.com, I think the technology and application is completely relevant. If you think about it, a Video baby monitor may be a young couple’s first introduction into the world of Home Automation and Home Security. So a positive experience with this simple device could open the doors for the masses into the Home Technology world, which is what HomeToys has always been about. |
| What the heck happened? | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Aug 2010 |
Please designers and marketers, don't focus on mobile devices and therefore limit our future to having fairly good products that do everything. We still want really good products that do specific tasks perfectly. Broadcasters (soon to be renamed Streamers) need to stay with the program too. |
| Part 6 - Weather Station | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Aug 2003 |
Covered in this article: - Powerline Networking - Wireless Network Hubs - New Multi-room Sources .. An old VCR and a PC streaming internet audio. - A wireless weather station with touchscreen display |
| Part 5 - The Lab | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Jun 2003 |
In many cases the hub may be located in a closet or utility room. Planning is extremely important for this location. Bigger is much better. As your system expands and changes ... more room will be required at the hub. Depending on the types of systems and equipment you install ... you may need to provide for working space, ventilation etc. |
| Part 4 - Multi-Room Audio System | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Apr 2003 |
The system that we are working with is the Elan Z-Series. We have 6 zones (rooms) and can select from up to 6 music sources. Five of the zones have keypads for control and the 6th has a VIA! TouchPanel. Initially the sources we are using are an Imerge Soundserver, a Parasound Tuner and an old RCA VCR. |
| Part 3 - Installing Home Theater Equipment | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Feb 2003 |
Most of us already have some entertainment equipment and some of us have a bit of home automation and networking equipment as well. So ... how do we connect it all together and make it work simply and smoothly ... a challenge for sure ... but not as difficult as you may think. |
| Part 2 - The Construction Process | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Dec 2002 |
So ... here we are with a bunch of plans, a bit of equipment, a few miles of wire to run and a mess to make. In this article we discuss the installation of the wiring, the cabinet design and installation, the lab layout and some other considerations to take into account. |
| Part 1 - Design and Preparation | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Oct 2002 |
To recap ... we are building a Demonstration Lab and Home Theater Showroom in an existing building to learn and pass on some of the experiences to those of you who want to enhance your lifestyle by networking your home entertainment, control, data and communication systems. In the introduction I covered some of the concepts and outlined the project. In this article I will cover some of the design considerations and preliminary construction processes. |
| Introduction | Bob Hetherington | HomeToys.com | Aug 2002 |
The time has come to build a demonstration room and lab where we will be able to illustrate not only the equipment and what it can do but also some of the installation and set-up processes. I'm sure there are many readers out there who ... like me ... want to be part of the process but need some or a lot of help along the way. The HomeToys Home Technology Demonstration Project is designed to demystify the processes and products for those who want the technology but need to take part in the process to save money, satisfy their curiosity or just have fun. |
