Wireless Homes – Until recently builders and real estate agents promoted new homes which were already “wired” for the interconnection of electronics of all sorts. First it was 75 ohm video cable, then also Cat-5 wire – four pairs sheathed in a single bundle, to connect multiple computers and their peripherals thruout the home. Home buyers paid an extra premium for it. Now the goal is the Unwired Home, as the networking/convergence world moves toward completely wireless connections. A wireless media adapter is connected by standard cables to the computer which serves as the home entertainment center. With a wireless router connected to the PC, homeowners can enjoy their MP3 music collection, play CDs, view digital photos and DVDs – anything stored on any PCs can be wirelessly transmitted anywhere within the home to the home entertainment center. The wireless protocol is known as Wireless-B. The cost of the media adapter has come down to around $100 and wireless routers go for $50 or less. It’s wise to look into wireless before paying a premium for a wired new home.
Flat-Panel Displays Top Shopping Lists – A new survey from an online publisher focusing on the interests of affluent home electronics consumers found that flat-panel TVs top the list of purchases planned in the next six months. BIGresearch conducted the survey for Thomas, Townsend & Kent. 14.5% of the respondents plan to purchase a flat-panel this fall and winter. 76% will research product websites before buying and 72% will conduct in-store research. The figure for hi-def DVD players was 6.6% and for home theater systems 13.7%. Top dealers were Best Buy, Circuit City and Wal-Mart.
New Paid Services Aid Frustrated Home Electronics Purchasers – Best Buy and Circuit City both now offer special teams of technicians out of their stores who travel to the homes of consumers having troubles with their home theaters, computers or digital cameras. Best Buy calls theirs Magnolia Home Theater and the Geek Squad. They have special uniforms and a badge and are on call 24/7. Circuit City calls their teams Firedog; they use a Scion truck to drive to homes. A spokesman said with the growing amoung of advanced and confusing technology in the marketplace, their is an increasing need for help with home installation and operation. Charges for the services range from $129 to $349; if users bring their gear to the store the charges are less. Neither chain requires that your home electronics have been purchased from their store in order to get the service. One technician said he finds many people need help installing wireless networks in their homes. “It’s so much nicer to have someone just sit back and let a professional do it with them. And we go one step further – we explain it to them.”
Flat-Panel Displays Top Shopping Lists – A new survey from an online publisher focusing on the interests of affluent home electronics consumers found that flat-panel TVs top the list of purchases planned in the next six months. BIGresearch conducted the survey for Thomas, Townsend & Kent. 14.5% of the respondents plan to purchase a flat-panel this fall and winter. 76% will research product websites before buying and 72% will conduct in-store research. The figure for hi-def DVD players was 6.6% and for home theater systems 13.7%. Top dealers were Best Buy, Circuit City and Wal-Mart.
New Paid Services Aid Frustrated Home Electronics Purchasers – Best Buy and Circuit City both now offer special teams of technicians out of their stores who travel to the homes of consumers having troubles with their home theaters, computers or digital cameras. Best Buy calls theirs Magnolia Home Theater and the Geek Squad. They have special uniforms and a badge and are on call 24/7. Circuit City calls their teams Firedog; they use a Scion truck to drive to homes. A spokesman said with the growing amoung of advanced and confusing technology in the marketplace, their is an increasing need for help with home installation and operation. Charges for the services range from $129 to $349; if users bring their gear to the store the charges are less. Neither chain requires that your home electronics have been purchased from their store in order to get the service. One technician said he finds many people need help installing wireless networks in their homes. “It’s so much nicer to have someone just sit back and let a professional do it with them. And we go one step further – we explain it to them.”
