Podcast #813: Whole House Audio, Z-Wave and Smart Speakers

Use the freedom and flexibility of any Bluetooth speaker(s) to create your own, DIY multi-zone audio system. Z-Wave is making installation easier with SmartStart - this may just be the year of home automation. If not, it certainly is the year of the smart speaker, and for some reason October was the month of the big reveal.

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Podcast #804: Wired vs Wireless Home Audio

We recently read an interview with some home installers discussing wired vs wireless solutions for home audio. We have always said that nothing beats physical wires for reliability and speed. However, times have changed and and wireless has come a long way. So what do these experts think about the subject today? Note - these are the views of an A/V Installer and dealer.

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Podcast #776: Whole House Music with Chromecast Audio and Grace Digital CastDock X2

We’ve been on a quest for DIY whole house music for nearly a decade. Going all the way back to the Squeezebox from Slim Devices. We even tried a digital media player with a built in FM broadcaster we could pick up on our old school radios throughout the home. Over time, Braden settled in on Sonos while Ara landed on an Airport Express solution. There are other options, though, so we decided to check out what Chromecast Audio from Google can do.

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Podcast #756: Home Theater News and Talk

Today is a bit different. We cover current news and events in Home Theater and Home Electronics, but with a twist. Two special guest hosts join one of our regular HT Guys to fill in for a missing HT Guy. Hope you enjoy.

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Podcast #754: Plex Server on the Nvidia Shield

Since close to the beginning of our podcast, a video server has been high on the HT Guys list of gear that everyone should have in their setups. Back then there was a product that did exactly what we wanted but it cost upwards of $50,000! The Kaleidescape was THE video server we all wanted. It had a great user interface with best looking experience.

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Podcast #752: Connect with FireConnect

Since almost the beginning we have been looking for ways to ditch wires. They are a pain to run across rooms, create unsightly bulges in carpet or even require drywall cutting. There are a few technologies that have been out for some time now. We have AirPlay by apple, Chromecast by Google, Bluetooth, and few other lesser known technologies. They all work pretty well and have support from various receiver manufacturers.

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