Discover the best televisions for sports viewing with our expert guide. Explore top features like high refresh rates, 4K and 8K resolution, and OLED vs. QLED technology for the ultimate game-day experience.

A Deep Dive into the Best Television for Sports Viewing

Discover how video wall panels are transforming commercial and home displays with stunning visuals, seamless integration, and scalable solutions. Learn about their benefits, applications, and key considerations for installation.

How Video Wall Panels Are Revolutionizing Commercial and Home Displays

Explore an expert's guide to the best rated home stereo systems. Compare top models, features, and sound quality to find the perfect setup for your music and entertainment needs.

An Expert's Guide to the Best Rated Home Stereo Systems

Discover the home theater design process in Winston-Salem, NC. Learn how experts turn your vision into a custom entertainment space with tailored audio, video, and smart control solutions.

The Home Theater Design Process in Winston-Salem NC

Get expert tips for perfect outdoor TV mounting, from ideal placement and weather protection to professional installation. Learn how to create a safe, high-quality outdoor viewing experience.

Pro Tips for Perfect Outdoor TV Mounting

Discover the essential factors for selecting outdoor speakers customized to your needs. Our guide offers insights to help you make the perfect choice for your outdoor entertainment area.

How to Choose the Right Outdoor Speakers

Consider installing a projector and screen in your outdoor space for a fun and unexpected twist on entertainment and décor.

<p>Outdoor projectors are a great choice for social gatherings, offering convenience and portability, not to mention a safer way to enjoy a movie with friends or family in an open-air environment. Paired with a good-sized screen and some comfortable chairs or loungers, the sky&rsquo;s the limit for entertainment value.</p>
<p>The following are a few things to take into consideration when looking for an outdoor projector and screen.</p>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-projector-and-screen-header.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<h2>Aspect Ratio</h2>
<p>A projector&rsquo;s aspect ratio is the ratio between the width and the height. A 4:3 ratio is a squarer image, whereas 16:9 is standard for most films and other modern content and is generally the preferred option. It&rsquo;s also the ratio that almost, if not all, TVs are made with. Knowing the aspect ratio of your projector lets you find a screen that will suit the projection.</p>
<h2>Lumens</h2>
<p>The term &ldquo;lumens&rdquo; refers to the brightness of your projector. In a dark room with no windows, 1,000 lumens can be sufficient, but outdoor spaces are different. Typically, outdoor spaces require a projector with at least 3,000 lumens for good screen visibility; and if you plan to watch content outdoors during the day, you may need to go higher, up to 6,000 lumens or more is recommended.</p>
<h2>Bulb Lifetime</h2>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-projector-and-screen-bulb.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Many projector light bulbs advertise a lifespan anywhere between 30,000 and 70,000 hours, but in reality, your viewing time will likely never reach that amount. So don&rsquo;t stress about the lifetime of whichever bulb you choose; chances are it will be more than enough. Even if you do end up having to replace your bulb, they are relatively inexpensive, and you&rsquo;ll likely be ready to upgrade to something newer by this point.</p>
<h2>WiFi Capability</h2>
<p>WiFi capability in projectors is the latest advancement in the projector world. WiFi ensures you don&rsquo;t need a wired internet connection and opens up the world of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu through your projector. You&rsquo;ll want to be sure your outdoor space has a strong internet signal to avoid lagging and buffering issues. Also, WiFi projectors tend to be more expensive than traditional ones but are worth it if you want to stream your content without purchasing additional devices. This is more often found on multi-purpose projectors whereas higher-end projectors focused on picture quality might not have this.</p>
<h2>Speakers</h2>
<p>Most multi-purpose projectors have built-in speakers but tend to be a little underpowered for the purposes of an outdoor space. Adding external speakers or a soundbar will definitely improve sound levels and quality. You have a choice of wired or wireless speakers, whichever is better for your application. Installing weatherproof speakers is a great way to enjoy music at any time, not just sound for when you watch movies.</p>
<h2>Type of Screen</h2>
<p></p>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-projector-and-screen-audience.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>There are many different types of screens that pair with an outdoor projector, such as hanging, retractable, standing, and even inflatable screens. The stability of the screen is imperative for a successful viewing experience, as you don&rsquo;t want it moving around or falling when you&rsquo;re trying to watch it! This also comes down to the design of your environment. A motorized screen at the end of your infinity-edge pool will blend in better than a big inflatable screen in the middle of your yard.</p>
<h2>Screen Placement</h2>
<p>When choosing a screen, consider where you&rsquo;ll be placing it in relation to both your projector and the surrounding outdoor space. You&rsquo;ll want a long throw distance &mdash; the distance from the projector to the screen &mdash; at least six feet is recommended. A covered or shaded area is recommended for your screen, making it easier to see, especially during the daytime or at night if you&rsquo;re competing with ambient lighting from cars, streetlights, or other interferences.</p>
<h2>Call or Visit Us</h2>
<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for help choosing an outdoor projector, screen, or sound system for your next movie night or game day, Carolina Custom Sound has you covered to create the perfect outdoor entertainment space. <a href="https://www.carolinacustomsound.com/contacts/" target="_blank">Contact us</a> at Carolina Custom Sound to learn more about our products and services.</p>

Choosing the Best Projector and Screen for Your Outdoor Space

Find out how motorized shades let you decide when to let sunshine in and when to enjoy more privacy.

<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-motorized-shades-header.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>While it&rsquo;s probably safe to say that most of us enjoy spending time in the backyard when the weather is nice, that can quickly turn miserable if you end up just baking in the sun. Motorized shades not only add shade to your outdoor environment, but also give you the flexibility to control when, where, and how much shade you want. No more messing around with trying to get the umbrellas in just the right spot. No more turning cranks until you can&rsquo;t feel your arms. Just flip a switch, grab a remote, or open an app on your smart device and <em>voil&aacute;</em>!</p>
<p>Motorized outdoor shades have several convenient options, such as different levels of opaqueness for controlling how much light you want to come through, or a centralized control panel for home automation integration. They can be controlled via a remote or direct wall control, and you can even set a schedule for them to automatically transition at different times of day. Some motorized wall shades are Bluetooth-enabled and can be controlled from your smartphone or another device.</p>
<p>As well as the obvious shade in your outdoor environment, many people enjoy the extra layer of privacy that a shade affords &mdash; especially if neighbors or other people are visible from your yard or patio. Some motorized shades feature automatic sensors that can detect harsh weather conditions such as wind and rain and adjust their position accordingly. They can also keep out insects and other pests.</p>
<p>In addition to these practical benefits, motorized shades are visually pleasing. There are no hanging chains or cords in the way, and there are options to style them to match your home&rsquo;s aesthetic.</p>
<p>There are two (2) main options for motorized outdoor shades:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Battery-powered:</strong> These are simple and affordable as they don&rsquo;t require extra wiring. They&rsquo;re also the least disruptive to existing home infrastructure and are great for areas that may not be close to an outlet. Battery-powered shades are reliable and can last up to three years before needing a battery replacement.</li>
<li><strong>Hard-wired:</strong> These require a bit more effort to install depending on whether the shade location has been prewired for power. If not, a wire needs to be run to your home&rsquo;s electrical supply. Once connected, you&rsquo;ve eliminated the need to ever change batteries.</li>
</ol>
<p>You can also install motorized outdoor shades on the exterior of your home to prevent the sun from entering your house through the windows, which helps to keep your house cool. It&rsquo;s nice to have the convenience of a motorized shade you can operate from indoors, and that doesn&rsquo;t take up any interior space.</p>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-motorized-shades-outdoor-space.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<h2>Call or Visit Us</h2>
<p>If you&rsquo;re thinking of extending your smart home technology to encompass the ease and comfort of motorized outdoor shades, or just to learn more about them, <a href="https://www.carolinacustomsound.com/contacts/" target="_blank">contact us</a> at Carolina Custom Sound to hear about the various options and benefits.</p>

Adding Comfort to Outdoor Spaces with Motorized Shades

Every smart homeowner needs to know these tips on how to set up a connected home designed for efficiency inside and out.

<p>Today&rsquo;s home building and design processes tend to be more focused on the interior of the home. People often don&rsquo;t give a lot of thought to the exterior until much later in the process. That is especially true when it comes to outdoor technology. If you want to add tech to your outdoor space, it&rsquo;s best to plan for it at the same time you&rsquo;re thinking about indoor tech. That way, you get the correct wiring and infrastructure in place, and everything can be integrated to work together.</p>
<p>Distributed audio is the most requested feature that we get at Carolina Custom Sound for outdoor spaces. Whether you&rsquo;re spending time on the patio, by the pool, or working on your landscape, having a great audio system serving up your favorite playlist makes your time outdoors even better.</p>
<p>When planning for an audio system outdoors, the first things to consider are WHAT do you want to listen to and WHERE do you want to hear it?</p>
<h2>WHAT Do You Want to Listen To?</h2>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-home-audio-music.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>When asked this question, the most common answer is, &ldquo;I want to play music from my phone through the outdoor speakers.&rdquo; There are two ways to accomplish this &mdash; wirelessly stream the music from your phone to the audio system OR use your phone to tell a media player located connected inside what to play.</p>
<p>Wirelessly streaming music from your phone can be done. But it may be problematic if you don&rsquo;t have good WiFi coverage everywhere in your yard. There can also be issues with wireless interference or dropouts and interruptions due to incoming phone calls, texts, and push notifications. Oftentimes, the better option is to have your technology integrator specify and install a media player that can stream your favorite music services (Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, etc.) or access your music library. You can use your phone, tablet, or remote to tell the system what to play and not have to worry about disruptions.</p>
<p>But music isn&rsquo;t your only option here. If you have a TV on the patio, we can route the TV audio through your outdoor audio system instead of relying on just the TV speakers. Some systems will also allow paging to the outdoor space or the ability to hear the front doorbell when you&rsquo;re out by the pool.</p>
<h2>WHERE Do You Want to Hear It?</h2>
<p><img src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-home-audio-header.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>When we plan for audio on the inside of the house, we generally specify which rooms we want speakers in and the quality of sound we desire for each space. Outdoors is no different. Even though one might think of the backyard as one big space, it makes sense to break it up into sections or zones.</p>
<p>Some of those areas might be semi-enclosed, like a screened-in patio. Others like the pool area have no ceiling or walls that direct or contain the sound. The characteristics of each zone will significantly influence the type of speakers that make sense for that area.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Covered Patio:</strong> This is a perfect spot for in-ceiling speakers. While you can use the same speaker model that you might use indoors, some manufacturers offer in-ceiling speakers designed explicitly with components that tolerate humidity, are capable of withstanding extreme temperature variations, and are resistive to dry rotting and corrosion.</li>
<li><strong>Uncovered Patio:</strong> The most common choice here is to install two or more wall-mounted outdoor speakers. These will generally provide a full-bodied sound at a reasonable &amp; economical price.</li>
<li><strong>Pool Area:</strong> If you are relying on patio speakers to carry all the way out to the pool, you are likely to drown out any conversations happening by the house when the music is loud enough to be enjoyed at the pool. This is where landscape speakers and subwoofers make a lot of sense acoustically and aesthetically. Landscape speakers look like small yard lights staked into the ground and can virtually blend into the backdrop. Their low-profile appearance allows you to distribute several speakers around the pool perimeter so that everyone is close to the music without having to crank up the volume (unless you want to!). Another advantage is the directionality of a landscape speaker&rsquo;s sound. You can place them on the far side of the pool pointed away from the neighbors, reducing the chance of your music becoming a nuisance.</li>
</ul>
<p><img alt="woman lounging by the pool with her smartphone" src="https://d6y5eqdcxq8w3.cloudfront.net/assets/blog/blog_electronics/ci-outdoor-home-audio-pool.jpg" width="700" /></p>
<p>Breaking up your outdoor system into different audio zones provides a few advantages. Each zone can listen to the same thing (music everywhere) while setting the volume independently. Or you can have an independent source like TV audio on the patio and the kids&rsquo; Spotify playlist out by the pool. The more flexibility you build in, the better you can customize your listening experience for family and guests.</p>
<p>While the examples above are pretty standard, you are certainly not limited to those suggestions. Manufacturers and integrators have gotten very creative over the years with both the types of outdoor audio products and how to use them. It&rsquo;s not unheard of for speakers to be incorporated into retaining walls, pergolas, or even landscape lighting. We&rsquo;ve even brought the theater experience outside with full Dolby surround sound. The sky is the limit!</p>
<h2>Call or Visit Us</h2>
<p>If you have questions about what makes sense for your outdoor escape, bring us your plans and ideas so our team at Carolina Custom Sound can help design a system that is right for you. We can help figure out the best options that will sound great and be easy to operate. <a href="https://www.carolinacustomsound.com/contacts/" target="_blank">Call us today</a> at Carolina Custom Sound and we will make sure you have a great experience.</p>

Building a Home That’s Smart, Inside and Outside

Default Dev Script Validation

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Default Header After Global Promotions

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Pro Tips for Perfect Outdoor TV Mounting

How to Choose the Right Outdoor Speakers

Choosing the Best Projector and Screen for Your Outdoor Space

Adding Comfort to Outdoor Spaces with Motorized Shades

Building a Home That’s Smart, Inside and Outside

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