Vancouver

gaming room
4K, Acoustic Treatments, Audio Systems/Hi-end Audio, Media Rooms

A Gaming Room with a Competitive Advantage

/

What does it take to create the ultimate in-home space for video gaming? Serious gamers are looking beyond a fast PC to help them compete in the gaming arena. They have come to realize their physical surroundings help them become more immersed in the game environment. Single screens or multiple screen arrays, coupled with acoustical treatments, backlit displays, powerful sound systems and specialized seating, all add to the experience that many gamers are finding enjoyable in an in-home gaming room.

Building for tech-savvy buyers
Automation, Tech Trends

Why You Should be Building Smart Homes

/

Builders: we’re sure you’ve seen your fair share of home design trends come and go – whether it’s a popcorn ceiling or granite overload, there’s always something new. Our latest trend, though, is something that’s probably more the new norm – building smart homes. Building for buyers who want custom and convenient Increasingly, new home buyers are looking for the convenience, functionality and accessibility of smart home technology – whether that’s an all-encompassing high-end system or a few key pieces. Having the ability to integrate smart tech throughout the home with professional systems like Crestron, Savant and Elan or more a-la-carte versions like Amazon or Google, will definitely appeal to your buyers. These buyers want voice control, customizable settings and the ability to set “moods” for climate control, lighting and more; they want technology that is functional but can also easily blend into their decor – whether that’s having a centerpiece like a television that doubles as artwork or a statement mirror, or a system that blends seamlessly into the background, like built-in speakers and hidden wires. By incorporating this tech early in the building process, you can provide a home designed with the necessary infrastructure to add on to as technology and needs change throughout the life of the home. A security system is a ‘must-have’ Whether at home or on vacation, every homeowner wants to be sure their home, family and belongings are safe. With ample technology available to keep your home safe, including cameras, smart door locks, window sensors and other features, you’ll want the infrastructure in place. These features aren’t “add-ons” anymore – they’re part of the standard package. You’ll keep the installers and your buyers happy if you’re able to plan ahead in the design for this highly-desired and necessary feature. Make your model the showroom Your buyers probably know how an Echo works and might even already have a DIY system in place at home. But when building their dream home, there’s so much more to consider! Make sure your model is outfitted with your standard smart home package – and then some. In using your model as a smart tech showroom, you’ll be opening them up to a world of design possibilities that add even more customization and personal touch to their home. Consider an all-encompassing security system, a whole-home audio system, as well as lighting and shade control that can be customized based on the time of day, their mood, and so on. Having an impressive smart home as your “base model” means you’ll be setting yourself apart from the competition – and that’s sure to get any buyer’s attention. Give us a call We have the resources and the pros to help you implement smart technology into your build – whether you’re the builder or in the market to buy a home for yourself. We can help with everything from design, to training staff and your buyers, to connecting you with other tech-savvy home builders. Give us a call today!

Samsung The Frame at LaScala
Automation, Sleek design, Tech Trends

Smart Home Meets Smart Style

/

So you want a smart home, but you’re not sure how to integrate all of the technology you want into the design style you have. Lucky for you, technology doesn’t have to be a hindrance to your style anymore. Instead, choose technology that stands out and doubles as artwork or has the ability to blend seamlessly in so that you won’t even realize it’s there. Design That Changes with Your Mood Think about the way your living spaces are currently configured. There’s a good chance your furniture centers around the television. But what about that space when your television is off? You’re left with a black, blank rectangle on the wall – and that’s a missed opportunity. Consider adding a television that easily doubles as your own personal art gallery, with paintings or photography you can change as you wish, that matches your style and mood perfectly. You can even use your own photographs to add a personal touch to your living space to make your technology work for you, even when it’s off. What’s more, these televisions can be fitted into the wall for a seamless look or come beautifully framed, ensuring your television fits the design, and not the other way around. A Reflection of Your Design Style And it doesn’t stop with just television screens. Adding a smart mirror (or a few) to your home is an excellent way to add connectivity to your smart home without compromising style or practicality. Imagine a customizable dashboard complete with weather, social media updates, your calendar – even voice-control of your home’s systems – all from your bathroom mirror. Smart mirrors allow the perfect mix of entertainment, organization and functionality, while also coming in designs that are sure to enhance your space. Whether you’d like to start from scratch and include a technology integrator from the beginning of your design plan, or need help updating your current living spaces but aren’t sure how to do it without compromising design, consult La Scala Integrated Media to make sure you’re getting the best tech for your lifestyle and interior design.

Samsung The Frame at LaScala
Automation, Sleek design, Tech Trends

Smart Home Meets Smart Style

/

So you want a smart home, but you’re not sure how to integrate all of the technology you want into the design style you have. Lucky for you, technology doesn’t have to be a hindrance to your style anymore. Instead, choose technology that stands out and doubles as artwork or has the ability to blend seamlessly in so that you won’t even realize it’s there. Design That Changes with Your Mood Think about the way your living spaces are currently configured. There’s a good chance your furniture centers around the television. But what about that space when your television is off? You’re left with a black, blank rectangle on the wall – and that’s a missed opportunity. Consider adding a television that easily doubles as your own personal art gallery, with paintings or photography you can change as you wish, that matches your style and mood perfectly. You can even use your own photographs to add a personal touch to your living space to make your technology work for you, even when it’s off. What’s more, these televisions can be fitted into the wall for a seamless look or come beautifully framed, ensuring your television fits the design, and not the other way around. A Reflection of Your Design Style And it doesn’t stop with just television screens. Adding a smart mirror (or a few) to your home is an excellent way to add connectivity to your smart home without compromising style or practicality. Imagine a customizable dashboard complete with weather, social media updates, your calendar – even voice-control of your home’s systems – all from your bathroom mirror. Smart mirrors allow the perfect mix of entertainment, organization and functionality, while also coming in designs that are sure to enhance your space. Whether you’d like to start from scratch and include a technology integrator from the beginning of your design plan, or need help updating your current living spaces but aren’t sure how to do it without compromising design, consult La Scala Integrated Media to make sure you’re getting the best tech for your lifestyle and interior design.

Automation, Luxury Vacation Homes, Media Rooms

Is Your Home Ready for Guests?

/

Summer is in full-swing and the holidays inevitably are approaching. Before you know it you’ll likely be hosting an out-of-town guest or two. You might be ready for visitors – but is your home? Whether it’s a party that requires a reliable system to impress and keep your guests entertained or some in-laws visiting that could benefit from more intuitive controls, there’s a lot to consider! If you haven’t thought about your home’s technology in a while, now might be a good time.  Upgrades to your home automation can ensure your systems are working seamlessly in time for your guests. Home Automation Simplifies Control You might have mastered your control panel, but will your guests be able to figure out how to turn the lights on and off and adjust the thermostat before they go to bed? Is your lighting control is a bank of switches at the front door or are your shades on a separate remote? Talk to us about integrating your systems and simplifying control. It’s crucial to make sure your controls are easy enough for your guests to understand. Service Plan add Peace-of-Mind Maybe you already have all the right home automation tech in place. However, when was the last time you checked your service plan? Having a proactive service plan for your home automation system from a knowledgeable integrator like La Scala helps ensure you’ll always be up and running.  We\’ll be alerted before any potential problems arise. While you’re at it, don’t forget to check your network and make sure it’s robust enough to handle streaming on all your guests’ devices. Regardless of whether you’re entertaining a few or dozens, for a night or a week, make sure you have the right smart home technology and the best service plan in place. Both you and your guests will be comfortable and thoroughly entertained.

Conference Room Design featuring Crestron
Commercial Applications, Sleek design

How Changes in Fixtures and Furniture Affect a Project

/

The AV system was designed to provide the ideal collaborative solution for your team. Perfectly aligned to cast its laser image onto the projection screen while centered exactly on the custom ceiling tile, the projector would descend on a scissor lift at the touch of a button. The equipment order had been placed and the trades were meticulously scheduled. And then, well into the project; a request was made to change the room’s prominent light fixture and consequently, its location. Its new position would place it directly in front of the projector’s path.  It may not sound like a complex issue but repositioning the projector may require either a short or long-throw lens be added, or a longer scissor-lift be specified. The electrical drop may also need to be relocated along with moving any other affected ceiling features. Audio visual systems are integral to any collaborative space and changes to a room’s walls, ceiling, flooring, lighting or furnishings may have a ripple effect that could result in costly change orders and extend your project’s timeline. Typical video conferencing-enabled spaces will feature either a flat panel display, videowall matrix or projection system, along with microphones, speakers, AV equipment and room control device such as a pop-up touch panel. These elements are all part of an expertly engineered system, each with precise locations carefully documented. If, for example, a change is made replacing the specified 2-pedestal boardroom table with an extended 3-pedestal table, additional in-ceiling speakers or microphones may be required. Placement of these components will likely affect adjacent ceiling features including fire sprinklers, HVAC, occupancy sensors and lighting fixtures. Switching from 2 to 3 pedestals also shifts the locations of the floor boxes for power and connectivity. While these issues can be resolved through collaborative redesign and coordination with other trades, they will certainly impact the project’s timeline and budget. Change orders of furniture, audio visual systems, electrical and more happen and for a variety of reasons. Custom items may encounter unforeseen delays. Furniture specified months earlier may be discontinued or the designer or client may have requested a change.  Regardless of the circumstances, collaboration among stakeholders at the onset of change is the key to successful project outcomes.

home media room sports fan experience
Audio Systems/Hi-end Audio, Media Rooms, Outdoor Living, Tech Trends

Here’s How to Get the Most Out of Watching Sports this Summer!

/

This summer is the stuff of dreams for sports fans, with the FIFA World Cup, the US Open and the College World Series all taking over our televisions. But before huddling in your living room around your old TV to cheer on your favorite team, make sure you’re hooked up with the correct audio-video setup for the most immersive, bright and connected viewing experience for you and your guests this season. Regardless of your setup, a few things are clear: for the ultimate viewing experience, you’ll need a large screen with the most clear, bright picture possible, complete with fluid motion displays, a setup with no clunky speakers or wires to distract you from the on-screen action, and strong network capability along with the technical support you need to make sure you don’t miss a play. Should you opt for LED or OLED technology? Or maybe a big-screen 4K projector is more your speed? And which audio setup will deliver that immersive audio experience? What’s more, it’s important to consider which cable or streaming service to use. The options are endless. If you’re ready for the ultimate experience, a home theater with custom seating, a large screen projector and surround sound will help you feel as if you’ve been thrown into the game. If a TV-based setup is more of what you’re looking for, some key features to look for are motion-smoothing technology and color accuracy, as well as a bright picture, since most of the matches are during the daytime. But if you’d rather be outside by the pool, maybe an outdoor setup, equipped with weatherproof speakers and televisions, is your solution. Whether you’re a dedicated sports fan looking for the most immersive and elaborate experience possible or you’re simply hosting your first watch party among friends, you need an experienced team of professionals to help ensure your home is equipped with the best technology and support to make you feel like you and your guests have been transported into the stadium.  

Conference room display size
Commercial Applications

Determining the Proper Display Solution, Part One

/

Effective, productive collaboration is dependent upon the participants’ ability to communicate and engage with the shared content. Content must be clearly visible with displayed text legible from every seat in the room. Designing the space with the appropriate display size, type and placement is key in creating an engaging, collaborative environment. Addressing the space’s technologies early in the planning phase will allow for the most flexibility in design options and provide the best possible outcome. Determining the ideal display will require an analysis of the requirements and goals. Working with the interior designer and project stakeholders to factor in furniture, calculations of the room’s dimensions, viewing distances and angles can be made. Ambient light, available in-ceiling and on-wall mounting locations, control system, budget and the types of content to be viewed will be factored in as well. Viewing Distance Determines Display Type Viewing distance is calculated based on the furthest participant and is a key factor in determining display type.  There are various methods of calculation to determine proper viewing distance and screen size. Our commercial AV industry association, AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, formerly Infocomm), offers the specification “ANSI/INFOCOMM V202.01:2016, Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual System”. This industry standard uses multiple calculations that factor content, image size, font size, viewer positions from multiple locations, ambient light, off-axis viewing, the human eye’s range of sight at various angles, and more. These standards apply not only to presentation spaces, but to more complex applications as well including auditoriums, multi-purpose spaces and large training venues. Content Calculations Calculations using a multiplier factor can provide a close estimation of display size that can help guide the design of small-to-medium size spaces including huddle spaces, board rooms and conference rooms. Screen size and distance calculations are greatly impacted by the content being presented, however, because the type of content dictates the multipliers (or factors) used in the calculation. For corporate environments where presentations including PowerPoint, Excel, Word or Webpages will be shared, a large image will enhance user engagement by allowing participants to clearly and comfortably read the content. To calculate for this scenario, use a multiplier of 6 times the display’s image height (based on 1920 x 1080P resolution) to determine the furthest seating position. If data-rich content such as CAD drawings, Word or Excel documents or Web pages are to be shared, a factor of 4 should be used for added clarity. In rooms using video conferencing (WebEx, Skype, etc.) a multiplier of 4 is also recommended since it is a mixed-use application with multiple windows within the display image. Video viewing is more lenient respective to screen size and distance. Smaller screen sizes or longer viewer distances are acceptable. The multiplier used for general video increases to 8 times the display’s image height. For example, if using a 55″ Monitor (27″ high screen height), the maximum seating distance would be 18’ (8 X 27” = 216”).  In a mixed-content environment, such as a conference room, the text-content calculation would be the default. An alternative offering great flexibility without compromising design is installing both a flatpanel display as well as a recessed projection screen which can provide a larger image when required. The 45° Cone Viewing angles are an important consideration, especially with rooms that are exceptionally wide or where multiple displays may be needed. For ideal viewing, participants should be within 45 degrees from the center of the screen. The top of the screen should ideally be positioned within 30 degrees above eye level. AVIXA’s standard is more exact, but this general guideline will help set the expectation of screen size and positioning for design purposes. Aspect Ratio and Scaling Widescreen aspect ratios of 16:9 and 16:10 are prevalent, with 16:9 becoming the go-to. Laptops have standardized on 16:9, but most new displays and projectors can properly scale a 16:10 image to 16:9 and visa-versa. Any incompatibilities in native resolution can be addressed by the system designer. Providing a screen that maximizes your content will keep your participants engaged and allow for a successful, productive meeting. Do you have a collaborative space that could benefit from a more engaging video solution? Call us for a complimentary on-site assessment of your space!  We’ll do the math!

Acoustic Treatments, Commercial Applications

The Misnomers of Sound Masking

/

Noise is a critical factor affecting room design but, unlike lighting or climate control, it is often overlooked. Effective control of environmental noises and distracting conversations can significantly increase worker productivity while creating privacy from common areas.  These noise control methods can take different form and accomplish different types of noise control. One such method, sound masking, is an effective way to eliminate the distractions, as well as privacy concerns, of overheard conversations but how it works, is often misunderstood. The ABCs of Acoustics The ABC’s of acoustic design, as architects refer to them, are a variety of elements that can be employed to address noise control and speech privacy. These include solutions that absorb, block, or cover sound. In any given space, the right solution may include involve one method or a hybrid off two or all three. Sound masking systems cover noise and fit into the C category. We’ve learned that acoustic treatments absorb noise.  Sound masking, on the other hand, is the addition of sound.  It is an ambient sound, created by digital generators,  that are specifically engineered to the frequency of human speech to target conversational noise rendering it unintelligible and therefore, less distracting. Sound masking does not eliminate all noise or cancel sound in an environment; it simply reduces how far conversations can be heard and clearly understood. Sound Masking: What it is Not! Sound masking is often referred to as “white noise” but its frequency varies significantly. Unlike white noise’s irritating static, sound masking is engineered to match the comfortable frequency range of the human voice. When designed and installed properly, the “whoosh” of sound masking will fade into the background of a workplace while simultaneously making speech more difficult to hear and, more importantly, to clearly understand. Sound Masking Success Implementation of a sound masking system will be far more successful if activated when workers are not present. It’s simple, human nature to hear something when it’s first flipped on and be overly aware of it. Instead, if your staff were to walk in while it’s already on, they would be less likely to notice it, if they noticed it at all. Ongoing, systems can be controlled manually or automatically, set to activate and deactivate based on staff scheduling. Auto Correct If an environment has widely varying noise levels, an “active volume control” can be added to improve effectiveness. Special microphones (emitters) would be installed to measure the conversational speech levels and adjust the system’s output as the noise levels rise and fall. With the system staying in-sync with the environmental noise, the occupants wouldn’t detect a change. Often a complement to sound masking, acoustical treatments provide barriers and sound absorption, lessening overall noise levels and reducing reverberation from hard surfaces. What’s the right solution for your space? Call us to request a consultation today.

Audio Systems/Hi-end Audio, Automation, Media Rooms, Safety & Security, Tech Trends

Feature-Rich and Trouble Free! How to Optimize Your Enjoyment of Your Home’s Technology Systems

/

We’ve recently talked about getting together to assess your home’s technology systems. It’s always a good idea to make sure you’re abreast of the latest technologies available and how to implement new devices both now and in the near future. The other key to satisfaction with your technology systems is ensuring their technical health. Simple things, such as cleaning components in the equipment rack, go a long way in preventing equipment from overheating. Part 2 of our annual Tech-Up addresses the advantages in having a preventative maintenance plan that would include a visit from one of our technicians. Proper Digital Health Requires a Regular Check-up and Some TLC While everything may be running smoothly, it’s possible you’re due for a firmware or software update that could potentially activate new, desirable features. We’ll put your network and systems through a thorough test to ensure functionality and make necessary security updates. We’ll also check to make sure everything is properly connected to your network, preventing trouble down the road. We suggest you make a note of any questions you’d like to ask during the service call and be sure to advise us of any new devices, features or systems you’re interested in learning about or adding. An Ounce of Prevention To optimize your enjoyment and satisfaction and to prolong the life of your system we offer our LaScala Client Care Plan. The Plans offer proactive monitoring and maintenance of your systems. Our goal is zero system downtime and 100% client satisfaction. We understand that from time-to-time, equipment will fail. The goal of our Plans is to be able to discover problems before they occur. Healthy Network, Happy Home       All La Scala systems are backed by a Lifetime Warranty on workmanship without exception and our annual service programs ensure years of uninterrupted enjoyment of your system. A proactive service visit with a LaScala Client Care plan would typically include: Thorough check of network, AV and Smart Home systems, testing each system through a complete operational check to ensure functionality. Firmware, software and security updates installed as needed. Minor programming and personalization improvements. Analysis and tweaks of audio and video performance   Your home technology is a part of your everyday life. We want you and your family to get the most out of it and we want you to know we’re here to help. We’d love to hear from you – please call or email us with any questions or to schedule your maintenance visit today!

CONTACT US

We are always happy to help.

Get in Touch
La Scala Integrated Media Solutions © 2024