Our Company is proud to be a Control4 Premiere Gold dealer for 2007 and 2008.
Horizon Install Group Inc. is your authority for:
- Consultation by Dave, Design, Sales & Installation
- Recognizing our customer's individual and
unique needs.
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Offering top quality products at competitive
prices.
Creativity
Applied to Technology
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Welcome to our May e-newsletter. Please see new information in Dave's Corner at the bottom.
Due to a large number of requests, we offer a primer on Internet Networking this month.
We hope you enjoy our continuing newsletters. Please remember that we are a full service video/audio dealer offering the latest TVs, music systems, and surround systems with expert design and installation. Our vendors are offering pricing specials on TVs and AV components.
Did you buy an HD DVDs and want Blu-ray discs instead? Warner Bros. is offering a trade in program for Warner HD DVDs for a nominal fee. Please see below.
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We sell Sony, Samsung, Sharp and Panasonic TVs. Call us for the latest pricing and feature information.
 Sony's flat panel TVs go beyond normal 1080p TVs with the amazing Bravia Engine and even have available high speed 240 Hz Motion Flow for clearest viewing from all video sources. Internet ready? Of course with BRAVIA™ Internet Video. Enjoy one of the largest collections of premium and free on-demand entertainment directly to your HDTV. Call Horizon Install to ask about your next TV and wiring for that TV Internet connection. From 19" to 70" class, we have them. Want to go larger? Sony Bravia front projectors are incredible and can even do 2.35:1 "Cinemascope" wide images. Please call us to discuss your TV desires.
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How's your Internet connection?
Did you know we provide networking setup for
your home? Before you call Geeks or Work guys, call us!
We've had a lot of requests
lately for upgraded Internet and connection questions so we offer this
information. If you are a "power"
Internet user, you probably know most of this but we hope this answer questions
for the rest of us. One of the most
important things to do with your Internet connection is to provide security
from outside intruders. We can
set up the proper levels of security to help protect you from outside computer
hackers. Please read on regarding
Internet security below.
The reason we need higher speed Internet is because more and
more home devices need an Internet connection.
Besides your Mac or PC, the newest Blu-ray DVD players get their updates
via the Internet. Some of the newest
players also do Netflix "On Demand" movies.
If you have DirecTV HD DVRs for your TV source, connecting the network
jack on these machines allow you to have DirecTV's "On Demand" service with
thousands of programming offerings via your remote control. If you have a Control4 entertainment and
automation system, Rhapsody "On Demand" music is available with the newest
Control4 HC300 or HC500 controllers.
If you'll note, "On Demand" is one of the newest desired features
in home entertainment. Consumers are
used to getting information immediately from the Internet so why not
entertainment also? What do we need for
these services:
Today's home typically has a broadband, high speed
connection to the Internet. Compared to
the dial up connection from some years ago, the broadband connection offers
speeds at least 10 to 100 times faster than dial up. Remember the warbling tones that gave you a
"lighting" speed of 37 kilobits per second?.
Downloading something from a web site let us have a cup of coffee while
waiting.
But what do we need to take best advantage of the
Internet today? It depends how you want to use
your Internet connection. If you
typically just check web sites for general information, banking or purchases
from on line vendors such as Amazon.com or iTunes, you can most likely use a
slower speed connection. A 768 kilobit per second average
DSL connection will work for you. If you
want to download videos from sites such as hulu.com, you will want to take advantage of
a higher speed connection. We recommend
a broadband connection with a minimum 1,500 kilobits (also called 1.5 megabits per second) connection.
How to check your current Internet speed:
Go to Google.com. In the Google search box type "speed test"
then select "Speakeasy." Click on the Los Angeles server. You will then see your download and upload speed.
The services available to you depend on your location. DSL or "Digital Subscriber Line" service
comes over a standard telephone line.
The internet portion rides on the voice line but you can use the
telephone at the same time. A DSL filter
connects to the phones in your home to insure the phones do not interfere with
the Internet signal. DSL speeds range
from 300 kilobits per second to about 5,000 kilobits/second depending on the
level of service you receiver from your DSL company. Typical basic quotes are for speeds up to 768
kilobits per second. Your telephone
company can offer you DSL or you can subscribe to services from companies such
as DSL Extreme. Rates vary depending on
the service level you purchase. Another factor
though is your distance from the phone company's central office. The longer the distance, the slower the speed
you receive. Typical DSL is called
"asynchronous DSL" meaning information you download comes to you faster than you
can send information out. Unless you
send out large files, typical "asynchronous" DSL is the norm.
The next type of service is from the cable companies. You can subscribe to broadband Internet
services from a cable company or simply Internet only. Internet cost is higher if you don't
subscribe to cable TV services. Cable
service typically give you about 5,000 to 12,000 kilobits per second for downloads. This is
must faster than typical DSL speeds.
You must remember that cable broadband is a "pipeline" and will slow down when
your neighbors use the service also. So
at busy times when everyone is downloading video, using Facebook, UTube, etc,
you may get slower response. DSL does
not do this.
Fiber optic lines from Verizon's FIOS and AT&T's UVerse
service offer even higher speed broadband Internet plus TV and phone
services. To obtain these services you
have to be in an area where those companies have installed fiber optic lines. FIOS brings a fiber optic line directly to
your home. These newest types of
services are coming to more areas. Check
with your local service provide to find if your home is eligible for such
services.
After you have the high speed connection, how do you
distribute this to your home's Internet hungry devices? You'll get a modem from your Internet
provider. This typically has a plug for
your computer. To distribute the
signals, you will need a router. The
router allows you to share that signal to more devices. One of the router's most important features is
the firewall. A router's firewall helps
stop intruders from accessing your computer.
We can provide wireless routers
that also send secure, wireless signals to your laptops and other wireless devices. We offer a full selection of Wireless routers,
Switches to add additional devices, Luxul whole house signal boosters and setup
for your home's high speed secure network.
After
you have your secure high speed network, please remember that PC viruses can
come from attachments to emails and selecting information from web sites. We highly recommend services such as McAfee Anti Virus and the most important thing:
don't click on unknown attachments to e-mail. Always have your PC automatically get updates
from Microsoft to keep protection current. Please call us at 818 898 7705 for any questions.
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Sony's versatile Home Share system - One of our best Home Entertainment systems is now in everyone's reach
Sony's new HomeShare system with
affordable high definition multi-room and intercom. Our systems include
our line of ES™ components, designed specifically to be integrated with
our BraviaŽ HDTVs. From a home theater to HD video in virtually every
room, you can now have an entertainment system that's designed for the
way you live. Watch your favorite game on a BraviaŽ HDTV, set the music
and lights at your next big party, or check a live video feed from the
front door. Sony has raised the standard in home entertainment. Just
think, now you can increase the quality of your home while maximizing
your quality of life.
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Warner Brothers swaps HD DVDs for Blu-ray DVDs
For those who have
a stack of HD DVDs in your collection. You might still have an HD DVD player as
well so here's a great way to upgrade to a Blu-ray player.
Warner Brothers an offer that lets you swap Warner HD DVD titles for Warner
Blu-ray titles:
For more info, visit the Red2Blu website. See our Quick Links section for further information.
We can provide a new Blu-ray player for as little as $299
plus $149 for installation.
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Control4's iDock - a great addition to a Control4 system
 Easily access your iPods, navigate your
playlists, view music cover art, and
manage your music from any Control4
on-screen or touch-screen interface.
This new iDock works with your iPhone, iTouch or iPod. That iPhone or iTouch can also operate your Control4 system when not playing music with a Control4/Apple license available from Horizon.
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Time Warner to provide analog local channels
 When we asked last week, Time Warner cable advised they are currently keeping analog signals for those with older TVs not connected to a cable box. If you have another cable TV service, contact your cable provider about any
additional components, like a digital set-top box, that you
may need to watch digital broadcast programming. If all of your TVs are on satellite, you are ready. Let us know if you have any questions regarding the transition for your home's TVs. Call Horizon at 818 898 7705.
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Dave's Corner
Hi and thank you for reading our latest newsletter.
In the interest of helping the economy, we recently subscribed to Blockbuster.com for DVDs by mail. Netflix is a great service also but we picked Blockbuster because there is nothing like going to the store occasionally and talking to someone who saw the movie already. Blockbuster's exchange program lets you trade in a movie received in the mail at the store for another without waiting for the mail. It seems to be the best of both worlds. So far, we return a movie in the morning mail and the next one comes the second day. Great service from Blockbuster.
If you have a Netflix capable Blu-ray player Netflix must be your choice. While downloaded movies are available "quickly", be aware that the quality of downloaded movies is dependent upon your Internet connection and does always even look as good as a standard DVD.
Please be sure to ready our above article about networking information that can improve your Internet experience all around.
Please call us at 818 898 7705 for further questions on your electronic needs.
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Sincerely,
Phone: 818 898 7705
E-mail: dave@horizonav.com
CA License 696425
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