Tom Brauser

    A home theatre projector is the best way to super-size your home entertainment experience. It will provide the biggest bang for your buck as it is the most economic way to get over a 100” jaw-dropping picture at home. The projector isn’t the only thing you will need to make your home entertainment system hum – here’s what else you need.

Denon makes some of the best mid-range electronics on the market. I particularly like their gear because it isn’t overly pricey but yet is extremely well engineered to sound great and is built to last. I have had Denon in my home for a long time and it has proven to be excellent value. Now I am thrilled to see that they have come out with a new wireless speaker system, Denon HEOS. I recently got my hands on all three Denon wireless speakers to test them out and I loved everything about them – the look, the features, the quality, and most importantly the sound.

  The Internet of Things will ultimately change all of our lives for the better, and the Philips HUE lighting system is a great place to start. Imagine being able to control every aspect of your home with your Smartphone or tablet, and even have aspects of your home control itself based on a set of rules that you can customize. Philips Hue can take you there and do much more. It makes your lighting fun and convenient, while adding a lot of utility that can make your house more secure.

  A back to school essential for those going to university is a decent sound system for the dorm room. The room is small so you don’t really need a huge system and for maximum flexibility a wireless system is by far the best way to go. It avoids unnecessary wires hanging around and can give you the ease of using it in the lounge or elsewhere. There are a lot of excellent wireless systems available, in a variety of price ranges depending on your budget. In order to help short-list the myriad of choices, I am providing my top 5 picks ideal for the dorm room.

Blu-Ray players used to be just that, able to only play Blu-Ray discs. Blu-Ray players today come with a myriad of additional capabilities and Samsung’s BD-H6500 is no exception. It is fully loaded and is 4K Ultra HD ready so if you have a 4K TV or plan to get one in the future this is the ideal Blu-Ray media player. One of the great things about this player is that it will upconvert HD content to be much closer to UHD resolution. It is loaded with other features too. Although it costs a little bit more than most other Blu-Ray players, I got my hands on one and given all its features and capabilities it is a great buy.  

Monster manufactures high quality accessories that are needed for any TV & Home Theatre system. You know, cables and surge protectors that you typically just take for granted or simply buy as an after thought. They are extremely well made, but with that typically comes a higher price. You get what you pay for, but with these relatively mundane accessories is it worth spending the extra dough? You just bought a fancy new HDTV or better yet a shiny stunning 4K UHD model, so do you need high-end cables to make sure you get the best picture?   I had the opportunity to try out a couple of excellent Monster HDMI cables and a Power Surge Protector so I can give you my first-hand perspective on why you may or may not consider them for your system.

    You may be thinking it will be a little while before you can afford an upgrade to a stunning 4K UHD new technology TV. That time may be closer than you think with LG’s new 4K 55” 3D Smart TV (55UB8500). They have priced it very aggressively while keeping all the excellent features that you could want in such a TV. It is one of the lowest priced 4K TV’s on the market and comes as a WebOS powered Smart TV, an IPS panel, and passive 3D. This is probably the best value 4K TV on the market.

With so many two-income families at work each day, home security is important. It can even provide safety for families that are at home. Someone tried to break-in to my home while we were asleep, and fortunately I woke up in time and was able to scare him away. That was before I had a security system! A security system is an excellent deterrent as there are so many unprotected homes burglars generally won’t  risk a protected one. I particularly like camera systems because they not only deter thieves but also vandals who get some sick joy out of destroying property.   I already have a Q-See Surveillance System installed in my house, but recently got a chance to test out a couple of Lorex Wireless Security Surveillance Systems and see how they compare. In fairness, the 2 Lorex packages that I tested out were smaller configurations, but with the same primary function – cameras that can monitor and record activity. All three systems have some significant differences that are worth knowing about.

  I have always been a big fan of Denon electronics, having several Denon components in my home today. I find Denon to be great value with high quality equipment that is at a reasonable price. They are now launching a new product line, HEOS, which is a wireless multi-room speaker system that is poised to compete with the likes of Sonos and Bose Soundtouch. It is great to see Denon enter this market as they are a formidable competitor that will force everyone to continue improving their products. Here is the lowdown on their new HEOS line.

I have always thought smart home gadgets are a bit gimmicky, until I broke down and installed a few. I am now a convert as they are not only practical but so convenient they can actually improve your quality of life. For instance, I have a keyless lock in my home so I never worry about carrying around keys that I can lose. If I have friends or family that arrive when I am not there, I can let them in remotely until I show up. It’s great!   HUE is Philips line of smart home products that is all about lighting that can be controlled using your Smartphone or tablet. It brings the Internet of Things to reality and there are so many excellent ways to use HUE lighting products. Let’s explore just a few to give you an idea how they can improve life at home.