Which is more important: your TV screen or your speakers? It’s a battle that’s been raging for ages.

Speakers are a big deal. Take them away, and your setup might as well be a screen in a dentist’s office somewhere. They’re the defining quality of a home theater, and make episodes of Columbo that much more gritty by adding some nice reverb on his grating voice. Speakers make environments come alive.

That being said, when your guests come over, the first thing they’ll be drawn to is the screen itself. Unless you have tech-geek friends or auditorially-attuned visitors, their eyes will wander to your 48” plasma—not  your subwoofer. So, in the realm of impression, a big screen wins hands down. That is, until the lights go down and true immersion begins.

We suppose that the only correct answer would be that both are important. That’s why we offer both at www.elysiumav.com  — screens that make movies pop and speakers that bring you into the action. We can’t decide which we like more. Any thoughts?

Imagine it, if you will—a world without speakers, subwoofers, or (gasp!) television screens. It may seem like a home theater enthusiast’s worst nightmare, but strip away the tech from your oh-so posh setup, and what you’re left with is esthetics. How you construct your home theater space, the designs you use, the materials you surround yourself with, can truly make your home theater environment cinematic.

So what would the ideal home theater look like? Simply stated: pretty darn awesome. Even without the boxes, a home theater environment would appear complete and attractive. Your couch should be the focal point, with comfortable fabrics that won’t stick to your skin or be impossible to clean. Likewise, it should be large enough to let your visitors kick back alongside you—without your elbows rubbing together. Your space should be clutter- and distraction-free. Consider fabric along the walls to absorb stray sound and give your home theater a truly cinematic feel.

So what makes a home theater special for you? What is the one element you wouldn’t be able to live without in your own setup?

The high-stakes, no holds barred world of business requires an equally powerful technological advantage. Here are 3 audio/visual installations no office should be without.

Digital signage. Every person that walks through your facility is a potential customer. Hook them early with large LCD screens that rotate your custom message. You can set these screens yourself and display anything from PDFs to webpages, and in some cases, light video.

Video conferencing units. The ability to communicate instantly is essential in today’s business world. New units put in you in face-to-face contact with associates and partners from around the world. Conferencing systems range from Polycom’s basic screen and speaker to large, wall-mounted screens and Internet-based data transfer.

Projectors. They come today in all shapes and sizes, and can dazzle the guests at your next meeting. They range in capabilities and can handle small office demos and auditorium-level presentations alike.

In honor of Mother Nature, we’re taking a look at some quick tips to save the planet. The latest gadgets aren’t just for popping you eyeballs out of their sockets, or blowing your eardrums to kingdom come—they’re built to sip electricity. That’s Earth-friendly, and frankly, more affordable for you.

Upgrade your TV. Ditching the CRT can save you hundreds in electricity costs. Modern plasmas, and especially LCDs, are made to require less electricity to paint an even more beautiful picture image than older tubes.

Go EnergyStar. You can find the energy star logo on anything from speakers to refrigerators. Look for it when you purchase, and you could help keep the planet green and fossil fuels stored safely in drums.

Turn off equipment when you’re not home. Power adapters and televisions plugged into the wall, even when they’re not in operation, continually drain energy. Keep them on a power strip and flick them off and on when you’re not ready for some home entertainment.

For those advanced home theater owners looking to add a little class to their audio setup, a sound bar could be the right answer. A sound bar lets you enjoy a better quality of sound without hooking up speakers around your couch. Here’s how it works.

A sound bar is a perfect compromise for those not ready to invest in the expense of true surround sound, but grow weary of the ever-tinny sound that comes out of factory television sets. Most models include built-in sound amplification—meaning you don’t have to connect to a receiver. Less mess, less fuss. Many varieties emulate surround sound—not perfectly, mind you—but it’s a far cry from the clump of sound TV speakers put out.

The best part about sound bars? They’re good looking. Wires tuck neatly underneath or behind. They go especially well with flat-panel TVs, and can be installed underneath your setup.

Movies are doing it. TV is headed in that direction. Next up… video games? With the advent, celebration—and some may even argue, over-doing—of three-dimensional effects in popular media, gaming is hopping onboard.

With the recently announced Nintendo “3DS”, mainstream 3D has come a little closer to home. However, unlike the 3D you’ve experienced at your local theater which had you strapping on goofy glasses like a spaceman from the 70’s, this hand-held video game system is rumored to use parallaxing technology. This works by changing actual images on the screen in line with your eye and head movements, thus creating a “shadowbox” effect. You could be able to tilt explore a 3D environment on your new game system.

Here’s how it might work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_P4gyjf5tQ&feature=related

What does this mean for your home theater setup? A consumer push towards 3D becoming both realistic and economical. Look to new video product releases being aimed for the at-home theater buffs. Sweet.

From songs to cinematic sensations, you love audio. You only have two ears, so why not make your home theater experience as pleasant on them as you can? Here are 7 tips on how to squeeze that extra oomph out of your current setup and make the trip from “fine” to “fantastic”.

1. Upgrade your wires. Moving up to the higher-end cables could make a noticeable difference in quality.

2. Buy matched speakers. If you cobble together your own setup, you could be in danger of selling your capabilities short. Speakers meant to go together just sound better.

3. Add a separate power amplifier. If you love turning those tunes up, you could be coming up against a quality wall. Add a little more juice to keep your boxes from straining themselves. Then sit back and enjoy!

4. Buy brackets. Noise rattles speakers. Rattling speakers looses quality. Lock them down to the floor, cabinet, bookshelf, or other furniture with some quality brackets made to improve, well, quality.

5. Check your settings. Look through your speaker settings, and adjust appropriately to your particular environment. Do it, YES, even if it means reading the manual.

6. Adjust speaker placement. Your front speakers should go at ear level. Keep your back speakers equidistant from your command chair.

7. Let us help. We at ElysiumAV can go over your setup, set power and configuration levels, optimize quality, and generally give you a more pleasant audio experience. Forgive the plug, but hey, this is a business blog, not a charity!

When building any speaker system, it pays to know the 101. Whether you’re wiring up your den to deliver a cinematic experience, or decking out a corporate conference room, you need to be familiar with some basic speaker terminology—specifically the speakers in your neighborhood. Here’s a quick rundown of speaker types and how they can deliver an audio-rific experience.

Tower. This tall, free-standing model is truly the workhorse of the group. It’s capable of reproducing a wide range of sound—from . And since looks matter, this speaker sounds great and lends an air of sophistication to your space.

Satellite. Truly great sound is 3-dimensional. Satellite speakers can be used both as front- and rear-channel speakers, lending the ability to reproduce surround sound. As these are compact for the necessary, inconspicuous placement, they don’t do bass so well. Rely on subwoofers for that booming sound we love so well.

Subwoofer. Speak of the devil! Subwoofers are big, hollow, and deliver pounding bass we can feel in our guts. They typically live as one unit, usually located out of sight.

Center channel. This specialized speaker is horizontally oriented, and is designed for crisp, accurate sound reproduction—that is, it’s made to reproduce dialog. You’ll find one of these when it comes to any home theater setup.

Presto! Your living room is now a home theater. It takes more than magic spells and clever blog openings to transform your living space into that all-hallowed state of being: the home theater. And there’s a difference between home theater and simply a nice setup where friends can gather. It’s a certain amount of prestige, and the difference between simply relaxing after a hard-day’s work, or slipping into a warm pool of ultimate entertainment. What makes the difference? When can you claim the title? Here’s what separates the big boys from the wannabees.

It’s all in the cushions. And as an aside, comfort is king. A home theater is more than equipment, it encompasses the space surrounding that area. Overstuffed, plush seating (that recline, of course!), space to set your drink, pleasing decorations, curtains to absorb excess noise—these are the ingredients that spell the difference.

Utility. How are you using the space? Are you grabbing a few minutes of Jeopardy while whipping up a batch of Rice-a-Roni, or is it a shrine you use to treat yourself to great gulps of entertainment? If you’re casual, it’s a living room. If you’re using your space to treat guests and family to quality entertainment, you just may have a home theater on your hands.

 Speakers. Any shmoe can plop down a giant 72” TV, but what reclassifies giant screens as a home theater ingredients are quality, surround sound speakers. Whether you go 5.1 or 7.1, engulfing yourself in the sound of your screen helps you take in the experience—and yes, that means you have a bona fide home theater on your hands.

40 years ago, we would have been content to sit quietly on a carpeted floor to watch the black and white Adventures of Lassie on a state-of-the-art, 12” black and white TV. Not any more. Not only has television technology advanced by leaps and bounds, it’s also diversifying. Read on for the latest trends.

Laser TV: While still far away, Laser TV research and experimenteurs like Sony and Mitsubishi are already developing prototypes that aim to render 3-dimensional movies like Avatar in a whole way. And, come on! They have their own website already. http://laser-tv.org/

OLED: In a nutshell, OLED technology works based off of the principle of LED, only this time paired with an emissive electroluminescent layer that’s composed of a film of organic compounds. This layer of organic semiconductor material is formed between two electrodes, with one end opened, creating the visual effect. Where you can get one? Well for only $2500, you can pick up Sony’s sweet, sweet 11” XEL-1 TV by scrawling your name on their waiting list. Needless to say, the technology still has a long way to evolve to the point of practicality. But we’ll be watching. Oh yes, we will be watching.

Holographic TV: Not since Darth Vadar bowed down the the shriveled visage of his emperor has holographic technology been so far in the realm of science fiction. However, companies are beginning to investigate means to project images in 3-dimensional space—with some success. The Cheoptics360,  Developed by Videa, is a technology utilizing four hologram projectors to project an outbound image. It can be seen from all angles, and has surprisingly good contrast. Check it out here: http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/02/cheoptics360-the-future-of-3d-video-is-here/

ElysiumAV stocks the latest television equipment. If you’re looking for the latest, drop us a line.