The (High) Definition

With the new age of technology, the newest in high-definition television screens have taken over. HDTV is a high-resolution video that has one to two million pixels per frame—that’s about five times more than the average resolution we used to watch!

Choosing a TV can be tricky, especially when you have to wade through endless technical expressions and options. One of the first things you can put to the test is the blackness of the screen. Some screens seem to still glow while others look inky black, which is what you want for supreme picture quality and sharpness.

Another item on your list should be the angle. Can you see the TV from various angles to the side (say where your guests might be sitting)? Wider viewing angles are more beneficial for viewing pleasure, so the more you can see from off to the side the better.

A third pointer is to check the static and motion resolution. These are finer details, like being able to see individual strands of hair or catching specific, things like a person’s feet while they’re running, even though they are blurred. When you are moving up from a regular quality television, to an HD screen it’s easier to spot these differences instantly. If you’re not too sure, then come see us at Tha Media Room and we’ll help you out!

Centering your Media

We all deal with it. Stacks of CDs and DVDs all over the house, some of which we aren’t even certain what they are anymore. Music files spread across everyone’s computer hard drives and don’t get us started on the family photos—they’re likely to be found on digital cameras, USB plug-ins, hard drives, CDs, prints and more. How does it get so out of hand?

Take control and get organized with a digital media center. It’s the perfect accessory for your home and for your media room. It stores all of your digital media files—photos, music, everything—into a central digital media center. It can then share these files throughout your home, meaning someone can watch their favorite movie in the media room while you show off your latest family vacation photos on the living room TV. There’s no user limitation, so the digital media center is able to service everyone’s needs at once without confusion. Plus, you can stop using that Iron Man DVD case as your coaster.

With any digital media center, comes the server. It’s the heart of the system where all your files are stored and accessed. Now smaller and sleeker than before, they can be easily hidden in closets or compartments. Some can be connected directly to your desktop computers or laptops to download and update data, while others can simply be inserted with CDs and DVDs and upload the material directly from those. Your digital player is sort of like a small cable box and will connect to your TV. So with the help of your remote control, you can click it on and access all your media files through an easily navigated on-screen menu.

Getting organized never felt so good! Contact us at Tha Media Room to help you get your digital media files under control and into your media room where they belong.

Good Projections

Projectors are anything but lost on media rooms these days. In fact, they can often be preferred over other media outlets for their ability to accommodate multiple forms of media and produce a larger image that’s easy to move around. We take a look at the latest crop of projectors from LG and some basic points you need to know.



Projectors are based on an LED-digital light source, which helps eliminate motion blur and color break-up. They are also capable of producing a superior picture quality with the LED technology, delivering a wider color range and deeper color saturation. LG’s projector lamps are also designed to last up to 30,000 hours (when played an average of four hours a day for 20 years). That’s some serious shelf life!

Additionally, projectors are able to view various files like power point presentations or excel files. All you have to do is plug in your material via the USB connection and you’re up and running. They typically come with an HDMI, RGB, video and audio connectivity options. Lastly, just because it’s a projector doesn’t mean it’s outdated when it comes to the latest versions of high-definition movies and media. LG’s projectors play HD content in DivX format right to the machine.

Whether you have questions about your own projector or are considering in investing in one, contact us at Tha Media Room and we’ll walk you through the technology and help you select the right option for your media room.

The Big Screen

Do you really want to do your media room right? A big screen that contains the highest technology available today might be best suited, then. Something crisp, clear and picture perfect. Okay, okay, we’ll get to the good part—here’s the details you need to know about Viera’s latest 3D HDTV!

Their 55-inch Class Viera GT30 Series HDTV is any media room enthusiasts dream come true. It’s full high definition 3D technology makes you feel like you’re right there in the picture. It’s flush design and sleek trim with an infinite black 2 panel (which delivers deep blacks and minimizes reflections for a superior image quality) is just what your media room needs. It also comes WiFi connect-ready, meaning you can enjoy all of your technology on one great screen.



The TV uses Panasonic’s full-HD Frame Sequential technology to create the 3D effect. This means images are recorded in 1920 by 1080 pixels for both the right eye and the left eye. Then they are alternatively flashed on the screen at a super fast rate of 120 frames per second. When viewing the screen through those fashionable 3D glasses we all know and love the active-shutter lens on the glasses open and close each lens in synch with the alternating images, thus producing a stellar HD 3D picture that looks so real you can reach out and touch it.

Sound like something you’re ready for? Drop by to see us at Tha Media Room and we’ll get you seeing 3D before you know it!

'Pioneering" the Way

As a proud provider of Pioneer Electronics, we couldn’t wait to tell you about the new audio/video receiver they’ve debuted: the VSX-1021-K. It’s ideal for home theatres, because of its AirPlay feature. This means you can connect the receiver to your home network through your Internet connection or the receiver’s wireless adapter and stream your iTunes music from a connected Apple device or home computer or laptop.



But that’s not where the good news ends. The USB connection means you can instantly plug in other electronics like the iPad, iPhone or iPod instead of having to incorporate a second dock and whole other set of chords. The receiver also comes equipped with five HDMI inputs, making it easier for you to enjoy the new age of entertainment like 3D video content.

The VSX-1021-K is the industry’s first audio/visual receiver that’s designed to accommodate the iPad and it’s network capability for Internet radio and other devices makes it hard to pass up for home theater and music lovers alike.

Ready to get plugged in? Come visit us at Tha Media Room today and we’ll have you singing a sweet tune in no time.

Back in Black

Black is a clean color for any design purpose, and it’s easy to match so most shades of black are, well, black. So when it comes to decorating your media room in this particular hue, you can choose to keep the entire room monotone with black sofas, walls, chairs, furniture and accessories, or you can break it up. Silver and white are soft accents colors that, when used minimally, aren’t too harsh. But you can also brighten your media room with a sharp color as a single focal point to break up the black—think along the lines of a bright red sofa, or a pair of electric blue picture frames on the wall.


You can also accomplish a bit of variety by using an assorted selection of grays, or even extremely dark colors like midnight blue or an ebony-like purple. Sometimes it can be hard to avoid that “dark hole” look if there’s an over-abundance of black in your media space, so don’t be afraid to include an item simply because you like its shape or color.

Whatever your choice, rest assured your media room will serve just as great a purpose whether it’s decked out for the Green Bay Packers or the Star Wars trilogy. Call Tha Media Room today and we’ll make it happen!

Out of the Dark

Most people tend to think of in-home media rooms as windowless, dark places to watch movies and blast the surround sound through muted walls. However, Tha Media Room is here to break that mold and introduce one of the new modernized versions of media rooms. These are more spacious and, most importantly, interactive.

No longer must it be a requirement to have the walls painted a dark color to absorb any wayward flecks of light that might find their way into the space. Dark fixtures, chairs, limited lighting—it’s all a thing of the past… if you want it to be! It’s perfectly acceptable for your media room to be a space designated for multiple activities. Think pool tables, wet bars, multiple TVs in one area for sports watching, a project screen and lounge seating in a separate area for movies and entertainment. If you don’t have a wide-open space to spare or it’s one large room instead of multiple areas, use heavy curtains to separate the “movie watching sector” from the rest of the space. They can be opened, connecting everyone when activities are being enjoyed, and then closed off when movies are engaged. Of course, this also helps block out some light so you’re not squinting at the screen!

Ready for your new-age media room? Contact us today and we’ll work with you from step one to the finished product to produce a space you’re 100 percent happy with.

Blueprint Media: Part 3

Once you’ve lent some thought to all the basics involved in creating a media room—like the TV, speakers, furniture, space and so on—there’s a few more technical components to consider. A control system is pretty much a requirement with today’s media room, thanks to advanced technology that comes with TV screens, media centers and cable and entertainment systems. Universal remote controls were a groundbreaking in this arena, and now there are universal control pads similar to an i-Phone’s technology that allow you to play music, flip channels, dim the lights and do just about everything but pop your popcorn with a press of a button! Tha Media Room stays current on all these system options and can guide you toward selecting one that you feel comfortable with and that is compatible with your system.

Another fine detail with your media room is the wiring and audio and visual system needs. You’ll want to be sure that your home entertainment system is correctly hooked up, thus ensuring it’s compatibility with your universal control and all other components of your media room, from speakers to playback devices. Again, don’t worry about the sight of all those wires! Tha Media Room is capable of handling this for you, but it’s still a factor to consider when selecting your technology and planning on what media center or entertainment setup arrangement you’ll use.

Lastly, when all is said and done and it’s time to enjoy your new media space, you’ll need one more thing: entertainment! From Netflix and Google TV to cable and Starz, there’s a host of entertainment sources out there that can cater to your media watching preferences. If you’re a sports fan, than a deluxe ESPN package might be in your future! An avid movie watcher? Boy, have we got some suggestions for you! There’s no skimping when it comes to the choices available and we can help steer you in the right direction to be sure you’re not only satisfied with not only the look of your media room but what’s on the screen as well.

Now that you’ve got all the basic considerations down, give us a call at Tha Media Room today to get started!

Blueprint Media: Part 2

As we outline some of the top details to consider before launching your in-home media room project, today’s post focuses on some of the must-have items, like the TV! Most folks have the same mentality when it comes to selection their screen of choice: bigger is better. There is certainly no shortage of choice when it comes to picking out the television screen you’ve always dreamed of. Even projector screens are valid options depending on the size and design of your media room. We can help you compare prices and brands to land on the best fit for your space.

With any good TV, comes a good set of speakers. It’s not nearly exciting to watch your favorite movie on a stellar screen without being able to clearly hear all the sound! Your choice of television screen will, of course, come with speakers but this is usually not enough to fill up the space involved in a dedicated media room. If you’ve chosen to install a projection screen, then you’ll definitely need an audio system to go with it. Speakers come in a variety of shapes and sizes and capabilities. There’s basic surround sound, which is placed around the room for maximum sound immersion. These systems generally come with a subwoofer to add some “oomph” to your base!

You always have the option to add as many subwoofers as you’d like, or you can rely on speaker bars. These are smaller-sized speakers that come in the shape of a long narrow bar and can be mounted on the wall or placed on an entertainment center underneath the screen. They can pack a punch without taking up too much room. Speakers and audio systems are certainly our expertise, so once you’ve decided on how much sound you want in the room, Tha Media Room can help you tailor just the right setup.

Our next post, the final part of our Blueprint Media, will address the remaining components to consider when planning your media room and then you’ll be ready to get started!

Blueprint Media: Part 1

At Tha Media Room, we walk our clients through every step of creating their ultimate at-home media space. This includes a variety of packages, ideas, options and building steps to completing the space that’s perfect for you. If you’re currently considering an in-house media room, there’s a basic outline you can keep in mind to lay the groundwork for creating and installing a super space that’s exactly what you want. Enjoy our three-part series on some of the key points to consider before designing your new media space!

First, consider the space itself. It can be a specific room in the house that you wish to convert into a media room or it may already exist and you’re simply looking to improve upon its current condition. It’s also not uncommon to consider using just part of a room if space is an issue or even converting a former garage into your desired media room.

Next up is furniture. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate setup. It can a simple arrangement of recliners and a sofa or it can be an over-the-top installment of theater-grade chairs in a stair-step tier. Give some thought to the type of furniture you’ll ultimately want in the room and how you might like to arrange it. This will give you a good blueprint to work from as you assemble the various facets of your media space.

In part two of our post, Tha Media Room will cover some of the big tickets items like your TV and a speaker system, so come on back!