This shouldn’t be news to anyone, but your average home contains more “smart” devices than ever before. Nest thermostats may have brought the trend to the mainstream, but Alexa, HomeKit, Sonos, and others have taken that momentum and run with it. You might think that adding a few of these devices would take you to the pinnacle of the “Smart Home,” but is there anything that is missing from these consumer or DIY devices that is available in the professional systems like Control4, ELAN and Savant? Let’s take a look.

Who ever said bigger isn’t better has never walked the TV area at CES, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Reporters and news programs can give a misleading view of what CES has to offer, as they tend to focus on the ‘concept cars’ rather than the ‘production cars’ of technology. Last year, the stories about LG’s rollup TV and this year’s Samsung's swing-into-portrait-mode Sero TV fell into that bucket. Yet underneath all the hype, we find some real changes coming to TVs, and many of them are available today.

I often wonder “Why do we welcome technology more in our cars than in our homes?” After all, let’s go back to the last time you approached your car:  You probably pressed the button on a remote that unlocked the door and disarmed the alarm.  As you pull back on the door in your car, the light conveniently comes on for you inside and the seat moves back.  When you sit down, and either put your key in or press start, the seat moves forward as the steering wheel moves down and towards you.   As you take a drive down the road, your favorite music is just a single button press away on the six presets.  Why doesn’t your house do all this? 

In our homes, thousands of products are available to give you the same experience as in your car; people just don’t know about them.  For example, there are ways to install a remote on your keychain that unlocks your door and disarms the alarm.  It’s also rather easy to install a simple keypad beside your entry door.  These six buttons act as “presets” for you and your home.   Much like the 6 buttons on your car stereo, press the #1 or “Welcome” button, and your house takes on the setting that you prefer, like having the lights illuminate the path to your bedroom closet, your thermostat change to “comfort mode,” and your favorite music to start playing throughout the house.

Does calling for help on your smart home problems give you Technical Support Derangement Syndrome?  It’s frustrating for anyone, especially when dealing with a luxury custom integration company, that all you hear is:

• “I’m sorry. The person you need to speak with isn’t in the office at the moment. Can I have him give you a call back?”
• “Let me make a few calls and get back to you as soon as I can.”
• Or the dreaded “Hold please,” only to be left hanging for an inordinate amount of time.

If the video screen sitting in front of you is the essential component in your custom home theater, the seats are a close second. BRAVAS provides high-end lush theater seats that are as functional as they are comfortable. When it comes to implementing a seating system in your room, we’ve thought of everything. Therefore, if you’re looking for seats that will enhance your viewing experience, we suggest that you consider the following when purchasing your theater furniture.

Setting up an AV system in a large auditorium can be challenging. You want to avoid having areas where you cannot hear, or areas where the system is overwhelmingly loud. Being knowledgeable about how to set up a commercial AV system in a large auditorium can make the difference between success and failure for your event. BRAVAS discusses the common AV sound issues encountered in large auditoriums.

Few conveniences compare with that of a central vacuum system. Using strategically-placed inlets, these systems make cleaning easier by removing all manner of fine particles from your home’s floor. They then direct exhaust outside your home to keep you from breathing in dangerous dust and allergens. And, as a bonus, they can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars. If you’re looking to benefit from this powerful and easy-to-use home convenience, you’ll first need to consider where you should install it. To help you make that decision,  BRAVAS has put together a short list of considerations for where you should place your central vacuum.

Once a BRAVAS technician installs your outdoor audio speaker system, you’ll love how full and spread out it sounds in your yard. Although our speakers are designed to withstand the outdoor elements, winters are a bit extreme in Minnesota. When the temperatures drop during the cold season, you can take some measures to protect your speakers so that they’ll stay in excellent condition year after year. Below are some tips for helping you to take care of your outdoor speakers.

Sonance Landscape Series is an outdoor speaker system that produces well-balanced sound throughout your entire landscape. Regardless of how big your yard is, you can experience a high-end system that sounds full and has a solid range of equalization from top to bottom. This is why BRAVAS chooses the Sonance Landscape Series. We believe that you will be 100% satisfied with your listening experience from the first time you turn them on.

Many modern homes are now being built with secondary dens or living spaces -- perfect for a family with children. But today's children are tech and internet-savvy, and are far more likely to spend their time on their tablets than with their action figures. Educational and engaging tech features can be the perfect way to entertain children while getting them to interact and play with each other.