Tech Talk

SONOS Play 1: New all-in-one speaker

Posted on No Comments on SONOS Play 1: New all-in-one speaker

SONOS has launched their next innovative speaker. The tiny but mighty little SONOS Play 1. I’m not going to tell you all the specs of the actual speaker. What our customers care about is how does it integrate into their homes? Here’s my take on the value and use of the Play 1…

  1. It is now the least expensive all-in-one speaker in their lineup. At only $219 CAD this is now an easy add on in small rooms.
  2. Unfortunately it still requires power so there is no really cutting the cord.

… Read more SONOS Play 1: New all-in-one speaker

After work fun…what do you do?

Posted on No Comments on After work fun…what do you do?

Cloud 9’s Jeff Gosselin does a little mountain biking.

Ok this is a fun video I did after work. We love having fun and how lucky are we to work in mid town Toronto where we have some of the best mountain bike trails in Canada…yes Canada. I’ve done trails in Quebec, Vancouver, Vail and other big mountain areas. Toronto’s Don Valley “Crothers Woods” has to rank amongst the best trails for single track fun. I bike there from home or the office.

When you aren’t watching TV or listening to Music installed by Cloud 9 what are you doing?

… Read more After work fun…what do you do?

Home Automation using ELAN g! – Hometime TV show 2011

Posted on 1 Comment on Home Automation using ELAN g! – Hometime TV show 2011

At Cloud 9, we offer many great systems at every price point you can imagine. You definitely get what you pay for but one of the great pleasures we have is doing automation for very little money. There are many little tricks out there that allow us to integrate systems for less than some people expect. One of our favourite platforms is Home Automation using ELAN g!

This platform is extremely affordable when compared to Control4, Crestron and RTI. You can easily start by integrating the g!

… Read more Home Automation using ELAN g! – Hometime TV show 2011

Why paying LESS for cabling will leave you with a MESS.

Posted on No Comments on Why paying LESS for cabling will leave you with a MESS.

Does it make sense to pay an AV specialist to rough-in your home when the walls are open for network, TV and audio? It depends who you ask and what you expect. Here are some of the responses I come across from potential clients…

1. My electrician can do it…

Depending on the quality of your builder you will get different attitudes towards using electricians for more than electrical work. The best builders in the business always use specialty trades. They use the best hardwood floor installers,

… Read more Why paying LESS for cabling will leave you with a MESS.

Does Bell Fibe’s Wireless TV Service Change things?

Posted on 10 Comments on Does Bell Fibe’s Wireless TV Service Change things?

Bell Canada recently started marketing their wireless TV service offering. What is Bell Fibe’s Wireless TV really about and what should you think about when planning your home systems?

What’s really wireless about Bell’s TV service?

If you are a Bell Fibe subscriber, you can opt for their wireless set top box. You still have a physical connection between the “box” and the TV via HDMI cable but the benefit is that you can now move your TV around the house as long as you have power near by.

… Read more Does Bell Fibe’s Wireless TV Service Change things?

CCTV Video Cameras do work

Posted on 1 Comment on CCTV Video Cameras do work

Do you wonder if investing $3k to $8k on video cameras for your home is worth it? It depends on if you or someone you know has had a break-in. One of our clients asked us to install cameras after their renovation because of an increase in theft in the neighbourhood. Six months after, they caught a thief breaking into their car in their driveway and 2 days later the police caught him doing it again with the help of the video footage.

Check out this video from that evening.

… Read more CCTV Video Cameras do work

Audio Visual Projects – 7 Stages During Construction

Posted on No Comments on Audio Visual Projects – 7 Stages During Construction

There are 7 stages of a typical home audio visual project. Working with your builder we can take you through every stage of the project.

1. Develop scopes of work

A detailed scope of work is the foundation of every project, taking into account your budget and aesthetic preferences, functionality, energy efficiency and future technological needs.

2. Design and documentation

After liaising with the architect and interior designer, we produce detailed specifications for all electrical and electronic works.

We provide a set of documents that includes:

  • An electrical specification document
  • Electronic systems layouts including audio visual,

… Read more Audio Visual Projects – 7 Stages During Construction

Troubleshooting my universal remote control

Posted on No Comments on Troubleshooting my universal remote control

One of the most important pieces of equipment you will have as a Cloud 9 customer is a universal remote control. These controllers act as your guide for navigating through the complexities of the AV work and simplify the use of your equipment.

There are a few things you should check if you have issues with the remote.

TOP 5 Remote Issues:
1. No response from remote

  • Is the remote responding when you press a button? If not and it looks like it has locked up,

… Read more Troubleshooting my universal remote control

Automated-shades

Cloud 9 Audio Visual TechTalk

Posted on No Comments on Cloud 9 Audio Visual TechTalk

We have started a new section for the website called TechTalk. We will be sharing information with customers and our partners. You can either search from the home page or go directly to the TechTalk page for the most recent articles and posts.

Under the Pro Tips Category, you will find our most common questions and it is a great place to start if you have an issue or question about your systems. We find that over 90% of issues are related to our trusted Bell or Rogers services.

… Read more Cloud 9 Audio Visual TechTalk

Do you want to access US Netflix from Canada?

Posted on 2 Comments on Do you want to access US Netflix from Canada?

Here is a quick breakdown of US content access since we are having clients asking.

There are obvious benefits to having access to US content. Sites like NBC, ABC, etc have streaming content. Services like Netflix have a lot more content available, and many services like Rhapsody and Pandora are not available at all.

There are 2 reliable ways to access US content.

VPN or tunneling service

  • All traffic is encrypted and disguised as coming from a US address.

… Read more Do you want to access US Netflix from Canada?