Saving Time, Money, and Energy through Home Automation

The topic today is about Home Automation! What used to only be for the rich, is now available to most hardworking homeowners. The best part is that you can save time, money, and the environment by integrating your home. Home automation would be defined by Neuwave as the act of interconnecting your everyday functions into one system.(TV’s, Lighting, Temperature, Music, Movies, and Security) Think about your day: you wake up, turn off the alarm clock, turn on the lights, maybe turn on the morning news, go to the bathroom and turn on those lights, maybe turn on music or news in the bathroom, turn down the heat, get the kids up, arm the security system, and head to work; and that’s just the morning! What if you could have your house set to your lifestyle instead of your life set to your house?



Since money is the most pressing issue of the day, let’s start by how to save money with home automation. Your number one cost to run a home is of course……energy. By integrating your lights, you are able to make sure when you leave that every light in the house is off, or when you come home that not every light has to be on. Also, lighting control allows you to set the levels of each light when it comes on and you don’t have to burn it at full strength. We have seen people save $50-$100 a month just by adding lighting control. By integrating your thermostat, you are able to adjust your temperature from your remote control or even your computer if you are away.



Time is money, and more and more people don’t have “Time”. What if you could have extra time added into your life? Most of us end up in bed reading or watching TV; what if you could press one button and have your house “go to sleep”? No more getting up to turn off that pesky hallway light, or making sure the security system is armed. How nice would it be to wake up, and have the temperature just right, the coffee brewed, the news on, the weather report ready and the kids out of bed without any effort? Neuwave Systems can give you the time, it up to you what to do with it.



As you can see, by cutting down on energy consumption you have done your part to save the world. Every little bit helps and, and the best part is how easy it makes your life! When we design an Automation system we typically use Control 4; a very affordable system that allows you to be as simple or intricate as you would like. The best thing is that you can add more control as you go and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to learn the system. From Grandparents’ to Grandkids’ anyone can control the system. If you are wondering, the entry level package is $700, and that will control TV’s, Movies and Multiple Music sources with on screen navigator and a universal remote with LCD read out. If I can answer any questions, give us a call!

A Great Team is the Key to Success

Wheather it is sports or business having a great team is the key to long term success. This is also true in remodeling or upgrading a home. If you are in the process of moving, remodeling, building, or upgrading your home there are keys to building a successful team.



First you must define what your role will be. Do you want to be the CEO or the General Manager? A CEO would most likely hire one person to be the General Manager or "coach" of his team. i.e.-hire a contractor who has all of the resources you will need. If your role is going to be the General Manager it will be up to you to form a "Team of Deliverables" that will exceed your expectations.

If you are like most people these days you will lean towards a GM role. It will save some money and allow you to have more input in the details of the project. As someone who just finished a remodel on a 1924 Bungalow(i was the GM), I found it invaluable to have the right players. An example is an interior designer. The upfront cost of having them design the kitchen and bathroom layout (about 1500) saved me from having to make changes throughout the project. Design Lines, an interior designer in Raleigh, NC, was great to work with. My wife has great taste and knew what look she wanted, but she needed someone to paint the picture. The did the CAD Drawings and elevations and the end result was perfect. The money I saved by being the GM also allwed me to upgrade my Audio and Video in the house. Of course I used Neuwave!



This brings up the next recommendation. Having your A/V System designed early in the process will also save you many headaches. Unless you truly understand low voltage wiring, there are a lot of mistakes that will cost you. For example, if you want to have IR control(infared) with a universal remote you will need Cat5e wire pulled to the correct locations. Also, do you want in ceiling or in wall speakers? The speaker wire needs to be pulled before the walls get painted. This is a very common problem that ends up costing the homeowner big. Drywall Repair, painting, plus double the labor to fish the wires. Also, planning your sytem early will allow you to know your budget better. A/V can add up, so have a consultation and set your expectations.




I think design is key with any project. To often people do not think a project all the way through; and that is why I think it becomes necessary to have the right players in the game at the right time.

Which Flatscreen is right for you?

In the evolution of Television over the last 10 years, an age old question has just gotten to be more complicated. Which flatscreen is the right one? This entry is to help you make a more informed decision.

Obviously, cost plays a factor in any purchase, and I would always recommed setting a budget. Just remeber it is not just a TV you are purchasing. If you are trying to upgrade your picture you will need HDMI cables(79-199), a mount (99-599), and someone to hang it(250-500). You may also need a receiver to process the different siganls you want to send to the TV(DVD, Video Games, iPod, Family Video). Bottom line, understand that you may spend more on getting the TV to "look right" than you spend on the TV.

With Flatscreens running between $600(40") and $6000(65") it can be hard to navigate all of the subtleties of each brand, size, and features. So let's start with brand.

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There are many different brands to choose from: Sony, Samsung,Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba, LG, Phillips, and many more. If you are trying to buy a TV, I feel starting with the right brand is crucial. It is like buying a car. If you haven't heard of the company, there is probably a reason why. If you were looking for a compact car, would you go to a Yugo dealership or Honda? Also, there are may companies trying to make TV's these days, trust ones that have been doing it for years! An example of this is Olevia. They hit the marketing hard a couple of years ago and popped up in Sam's Club and Costco's accross the country. Where are they now? Out of business! But I promise you some people saved $100 from the comparable Toshiba, to bad if it breaks there is no one to call.

So now you have chosen your brand, next is size, and size does matter here! How big is the room the TV is going in? How far away will you be sitting while watching the TV? How high up on the wall will it be going? The standard height is 65" to the center of the TV from the floor, but in some cases(over a fireplace) that might be hard. You do not want to strain your eyes and neck to look at the TV. If your room is Narrow, bigger may be pixilated. If you buy a 40" and you are 15 feet from the screen it may be hard to see. I would receommend 40" from no more than 10' away, 46" for 10-15', and 50+ for 16' or more.

I have saves the best for last. Once you have narrowed down the brand and the size, the toughest choice is which model. I will document one brand (Sony) to explain the differences between the Sony at Wal-Mart and the Sony you could buy from Neuwave or Best Buy. Yes, wal mart sells a Sony TV and no it is not less expensive just because it is at Wal-Mart. They sell the lower end models. In this case the S-series. It differs from the one you could buy from Neuwave. We tend to sell the V-series and the W-series the most. Here are the differences. TV's are like computers. If you want a computer that has a fast processor, great programs already installed, and one that will not be obsolete in 2 years you pay extra. It is the same for TV's. The s-series has the Bravia 1 engine, less contrast ratio, less HDMI ports, and no network capabilities. Compare that to the W-series that has the Bravia 3 engine, 4 HDMI ports, internet connectivity to rent movies directly from the TV through Amazon, and 120hz processor. Sure they look similar on the outside, but we know it is what is inside that counts, especially for home electronics.

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Welcome to the Neuwave Blog

Hello and welcome to the Neuwave Blog. We have just moved to Blogspot from Wordpress and we are excited to to launch the most informative Custom Electronics blog in North Carolina. We will cover TV's, Speakers, Lighting Control, Home Automation, Central Vacuum Systems, Receivers, Digital Media, iPods and much more! The purpose of our blog will take on 3 major functions.

1. Consumer Empowerment- we want consumers to be informed about new and evolving technologies for their homes and business'. We will provide timely and accurate information for consumers in order to help them understand what, how, and why to buy all kinds of products. From flat screen tv's to home automation systems, you will finally be able to comprehend the ever complicated world of consumer electronics(CE). In this changing economic climate making an informed decision is more important than ever. Trust the Neuwave Blog as your source for reliable and valuable information.

2. Current Projects- follow Neuwave and your neighbors. See what people in your town are doing to make their house the "coolest" on the block. From lighting control and home automation to ip camera systems and home theaters, see the latest technology in real world applications. We will clarify what the customers goals were and what type of system we used to achieve those goals.

3. Maximize your System- Do you already have a great system from Neuwave or another custom installer? Let us share our knowledge base with you about firmware updates, new ways to use your current equipment, or answer any questions you may have. We have over 60 years experience in the Consumer Electronic industry and we have been recognized by CEDIA as a top dealer and installer since 2003. Our techs are some of the best around and they would love to help you with any problems.

So, go ahead and sign up or just check back periodically. We also run monthly specials on all sorts of cool stuff, so if you sign up to our blog you can receive our monthly special email. (don't worry, it is really only 1 every month or so. I promise not to overload your mailbox with email)

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