Home Theater: Broadening Your View

摘要

You're Familiar With The Concept Of The "Smart House," which is in the third generation of development. Their computerized electrical systems open garage doors, program lighting schemes and operate home-security systems. Some even turn on the coffee pot. Totally integrated systems now include security cameras located in several locations that allow parents to keep an eye on toddlers and intruders. These days, systems are integrated with a home entertainment system so residents can watch ESPN in many locations at the same time. As long as we have silicon, the smart-house industry will expand and increased competition will bring prices down. Surprisingly, despite the vagaries on Wall Street, the market for home theater entertainment centers continues to expand as upwardly mobile families with a penchant for self-indulgence discover this new technology. It is characterized by large sums being spent on systems and installation: a $100,000 bundle of components is commonplace and a $1.5 million system is not considered an earth-shattering purchase. One dealer-installer with whom we talked was completing the installation of $1 million of audio-video equipment in a specially constructed room that had a $600,000 price tag and looked like the bridge of Capt. Kirk's starship.