Living win Home Cinema Of The Month October 2020 with exceptional design and some great teamwork.
Is this the end of commercial cinema?
One of the most stark and extreme effects seen on any industry during the recent pandemic, has been that on the Hollywood film industry. Of course every studio, whether TV, film or otherwise will have closed down and seen at least some impact, but if you’re in the business of making multi-million pound blockbuster movies destined for the local cineplex, this impact is huge. Have we seen the end of the traditional trip to the cinema?
With Universal Studios taking the plunge by streaming their ‘Trolls’ sequel direct to our homes, the genie was certainly out of the box. Even more so with the move netting them a cool £80million in the first few weeks! Universal has since released statements with a tone that suggests this could be the new way to get their content to us, rather than the traditional commercial Cinema route, this is indeed ominous news for Cine World and their like.
In tandem with this, we have seen a significant uptick in-interest for our Home Cinema service since gradually returning to work in June/July. We believe this is at least in part due to our clients deciding to invest more in their homes in-general, not just with home cinema of course, but in their gardens, living rooms, anywhere that makes our homes more comfortable to be in. We’ve all spent so much more time at home over the recent months, more than ever before in most cases, so we’ve had lots of time to make plans. We’re really excited to see so many film enthusiasts making the move, taking advantage of 4K projection, Dolby Atmos ‘3D’ surround sound and much more. Their has never been such an exciting time to operate in the Home Cinema industry, home cinema has truly come of age. What does this mean for commercial cinema? Our hope is there will be a new balance struck between streaming new releases and watching them at the local cinema complex. After all, part of the experience is the going, the grabbing of popcorn and a beer and enjoying the movie with fellow movie goers, we really are a social animal when all is said and done (where else would we go for a first date as a teenager?). So when this new balance is struck, we hope you’ll have a Living cinema in your home, it’s an investment that will keep on paying you back, day after day, year after year.
Our Home Cinema service is unique. With our design service, we are able to site a cinema experience in any space you have, without pulling your home apart in the process! Over the last 15 years we have transformed living rooms, bedrooms, garages, studios, loft spaces and garden rooms into a Home Cinema. We have packages to meet most budgets and even offer finance options to spread the cost.
It really is time to get that quality time with family and friends, in the comfort of your own home.
CEDIA Tech Council - Asks Us For Help
CEDIA our Industry Standards body, have asked one of our Directors Luke to sit on 3 of their Tech Councils. We will be advising on topics such as the latest exam requirements, website and market research. CEDIA recognising the amount of industry knowledge we have within our company, and tapping into that knowledge base to further improve our industry.
“It’s a privilege and compliment to be asked to volunteer on these Tech Council groups. Together with other market leading companies, we can further improve the CEDIA membership journey”
We are also supporting the new CEDIA strong campaign, in light of the recent struggles due to COVID19. We fully support our whole industry and together we are stronger.
#CEDIAstrong
Intelligent Access Camera Launch
We are excited to launch ‘HYGEA’, our automated facial recognition system that senses C-19 temperature irregularities (37.5C) as well as the number of people that have entered the controlled area, ensuring they are all wearing face masks in the process.
With the country slowly getting back to work, we can now offer this solution for private homes, hospitals, sports facilities, care homes, building sites, commercial offices, hospitality and education environments. Easily control and manage who enters your premises from a simple interface, limit your risk with restricting people entering without a mask or high temperature.
We offer outright purchase of the system or leasing of the system with a small monthly fee, maintenance fully inclusive.
Speak to us today to learn more, fully installed and technical back up from the Living Home Tech team.
Main Features
Facial Recognition
Body Heat Detection
Mask Detection
Body Count
Our Favourite Lockdown Movies!
Here we have put together some must watch movies in your Home Cinema set-up during lockdown. With the latest technologies such as 4K and Dolby Atmos, Home Cinema is now the best immersive experience on offer. Even average movie titles come to life with the right set-up! Remember streaming is not always the best option, talk to us if you want to discuss how you get your content. Stay safe
Joker
Mad Max
Avengers - Endgame
The Greatest Showman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Lion King (2019)
1917
Ready Player One
Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Gravity
Remote CPD Offer
In these troubling times, we have decided to offer a remote CPD session to try and fill your day with some education points.
Book now this free online CPD, presented by Living Home Tech. Use this time at home, learning about designing the connected home in today's developments. Online presentation with Zoom conference call to allow interaction and questions.
Living Home Tech work with specifiers to help homeowners get the most from their living environment.
This RIBA & BIID Accredited CPD (Continuing Professional Development) will help you understand the basics, so you can talk intelligently with the client and the other members of the design team. It will show you what is possible, describe some alternatives and explain how to incorporate the various systems without detracting from your design. You’ll have a good grasp of modern best practice for low-voltage systems in the home, and feel more confident specifying these systems.
This CPD has been accredited with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects & the BIID (British Institute of Interior Design).
Zoom details will be sent to each delegate prior to the meeting.
Learning objectives:
To learn the vocabulary and key phrases related to the Smart Home
To enable delegates to know when to call the experts
To learn basic design principles
To better understand what is required to cable an 'Integrated Home'
Please email info@livinghometech.co.uk with any further questions.
Smart Home ROI 101
We’ve put together some easy pointers to help developers improve their ROI when it comes to including Smart Home Technology in their specification. Get it wrong and you’ve just loaded a house with kit end users will seldom use; get it right and it can help your property sell faster and for more money: win-win!
Living Home Technology has been involved in the high-end residential market since 2005. During that time, we’ve learnt a thing or two. Here’s our quick fire guide to getting it right.
1. Pick your market and act accordingly
Are you developing to sell for £1m or £10m (or yourself)? It may sound like common sense, but if it’s the former, you wouldn’t expect a 20-seater home cinema in the basement, so please don’t try and make it fit.
2. It’s said that headlines sell newspapers: this is true of property too
Whilst we can’t move your next project to that perfect street or postcode, we can help make sure you have some key headline ‘features’ that will appeal to your chosen market (see point 1).
3. Make it easy
Even in 2020, you would be surprised by the number of customers that have little or no experience with smart home technology and this goes for your potential buyers as well. So don’t opt for uber complex systems that would scare even the most tech savvy among us. Keep It Simple!
4. Ask ‘why?’ (often)
When looking at what you would like to add to your development, the first, middle and last question you should ask yourself is ‘why?’ If the ‘smart tech’ adds value to the property, it will also likely simplify or improve some element of the end user’s life. If you can’t answer the why, it probably doesn’t belong.
5. Get a design
A design gives you fixed pricing. A design gives you a start, middle and most importantly an end to your project. Without a design, you’ll be flying by the seat of your pants, all the way to a more expensive installation that will likely miss out most of the above points as well.
AFC Bournemouth Sponsorship
We had a great day supporting AFC Bournemouth, as their main programme sponsor v Watford. Shame about the result, but our clients and us very much enjoyed the whole day. It was a great way to get to know our clients more, listen to their feedback and plans for their 2020 projects. Thank you to everyone who made the effort and gave up their Sunday, to spend it with us.
Control4 Upgrade Program Extended for 2020
We have extended the Control4 Upgrade Program for 2020!
Smart Home OS 3 provides our customers with a state-of-the-art, highly personalised smart home experience, and we want everyone to be able to experience it!
We’ve developed an upgrade program designed to incentivise our customers to get rid of their older equipment that can’t be upgraded to OS 3. When you elect to participate in this program, you will receive a 15% discount off of dealer pricing across the board on all Control4, Pakedge, and Triad equipment that we install for your update to OS 3. Get in contact to start the process today.