Home automation systems are what a security system should be. They offer protection plus additional benefits of remote access, energy management, and lighting control. With your home automation system, you have these benefits and more:

For those of you that saw our ad in the most recent edition of Cityview Magazine, you may have noticed we referred to our custom theaters as Home Entertainment 10.1. We finally decided to give our practice a name after 25 years of specialized service in East Tennessee.

Want to simplify your life, but not sure how with a house full of electronic devices and countless remotes lying around? You don't have to get rid of your devices, but instead just take control of them. The RTI T2X remote control allows you to take charge of all your A/V devices, lighting, security, and more with one sleek universal remote control. The T2X remote features a flush edge-to-edge LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Lithium-Ion battery, and its own personal docking station.

You may be a fan of home automation because you love technology and the idea of being able to control your entire home with the touch of a button, but did you know that it can actually save you lots of money? Many of us rush out the door in the morning and forget to adjust the thermostat or turn off all the lights. What if you could control aspects such as lighting or thermostats right from your smart phone? Or even better yet, what if your devices could learn from you? You may have heard of thermostats that learn your patterns such as when you go to work or when you're home on weekends. These are great options to save money and these types of thermostats can pay for themselves in a year.

Tis the season! Before you pack up the kids and head over the river and through the woods it's important to make sure you're leaving your home secure and out of the eyes of thieves. Almost 400,000 break-ins occur in the US during November and December, according to the FBI. The last thing you want to worry about during the holidays are burglars. Fortunately, home automation is a great tool to keep your home safe and sound while you're away enjoying the holiday season.

Have you recently decided to install the home theater of your dreams? Before you get started, we have some design tips to ensure the final product is exactly what you hoped for.

Work together with installers and the interior designers. Installers want the room to function and sound great. Interior designers may focus more on the design of seats and furniture placement. By working together, everyone will be on the same page and reduce the risk of miscommunication about the design. What may look best to an interior designer may not be optimal for home theater sound to an installer. By working together, both sides can achieve a beautiful and fuctioning home theater.

Ever wondered what automation can do for your home or business? I know I have wondered how a lighting system could change my space or how whole house audio would be perfect for my next get-together. Sometimes it's hard to envision things if you don't really know that much about them and exactly what they can do. That's why we decided to create a way to help you see what your space could be like with automation.

With the new year in full swing and winter beginning to melt away (finally), we are getting a better view of the top design trends on the horizon. Let's take a look at the list!

 Have you ever wondered what it would be like for your home to become a work of art? Or more importantly ever forget to turn off the kitchen light after you just laid down for the night? I know I have. Lighting control can help you with creating scenes to display your home the way you want or turning that light off you left on in the kitchen.

 The Secured Home, The Green Home, and The Connected Home are three packages we are introducing to homeowners as well as builders. Each option is designed to each client’s specific needs and budgets.

Summer is finally here and at iSS we would like to take a moment to give you a few ideas for some good summer fun activities.

A few fun activities around here in East Tennessee would be:

Have you ever thought that your own kitchen could alert you if the refrigerator door was left open? Or have your motorized shades or blinds be automated with the seasons? Have movie ambience with one push of a button? There are so many possibilities that home automation systems can do for you, which have not been fully recognized until now!

In our previous blog, we discussed how a home theater is a great addition to any home and can bring the family together. There are so many possibilities you could do with a home theater. So this week we want to discuss some great screens and projectors that can complement different areas within the home and provide amazing home entertainment.

When it comes to protecting our families, we all want to have our bases covered. Knowing how to react ahead of time to any situation is the best way to remain safe. With home security and automation, you can truly protect your family from any situation that may arise.

It is that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas straight ahead. This Thanksgiving you may have your family and friends over for dinner or you might be joining someone else at their table. No matter what your Thanksgiving Day plans are, it is nice to have an extra helping hand around the house on such a chaotic day. A home automation system can make it easy to take care of your home while you are focused on good times, good food, and being thankful for what you have.

Spending time with family and loved ones is what Christmas is all about. You may have to travel this holiday season and leave the comfort and security of your own home, but with a whole home automation system you do not have to worry about a thing.

In our previous blog we provided some 'winter tips' to prevent frozen pipes. If you haven't read it, please do....it is suppose to be a chilly Valentine's weekend and next week! Now, these tips may not be 'winter tip' related, but they are some GREAT tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins to your home.

Now, if you have not read Part 1, we urge you to do so....These are some awesome tips to help prevent thefts and break-ins, and we want to make sure you have them all!

Tip 6: Stay Vigilant

While it may seem like a symptom of paranoia, keep your identity and any travel plans on the down low. For instance, only put your street address on your mailbox. Give away your last name, and someone could find your phone number, work place and other stats with a few mouse clicks. Before you jet off to a nice vacation, try not to openly talk about it in public because a sinister stranger could be taking note.

 The desire to have home automation is often a complex decision for any homeowner. Some may want their home to showcase exceptional technology or to entertain guests. While others may want a powerful experience that helps to ease the actions of their everyday lives. However, most commonly, users of home automation systems want one thing: to feel safe and secure in their homes.

Speakers are actually relatively simple devices. You should understand at least the basics of how speakers work before incorporating them. Basically, you have an enclosure (typically a box) into which speaker drivers are attached. The drivers are the round elements that many people call the speakers (they’re not). Speaker drivers look like cones or horns (or even ribbons or domes), and in fact, the large surface area of the drivers is called the cone or diaphragm.These surfaces move back and forth to make the sound. If you have ever pulled the front screen off your speakers or have seen speakers without their front grille on, you’ve seen speaker drivers au naturelle.