Home Theater Blog

Here’s a cute cottage home in Newport Beach, CA that we installed a 42″ LCD in. The side speakers on the LCD TV were more than enough for this petite living room.

Looking for something similar? See our LCD TV Installation page for details and pricing.

Here’s an LCD TV Installation at one of Orange County’s most popular public golf courses.

Looking for something similar? Visit our Commercial TV and DIRECTV Installation page.

Here’s a completed installation of the popular Sony Bravia LCD TV.

Did you recently purchase a Sony Bravia and now need it professionally installed? View our Sony Bravia LCD TV Installation page for pricing details.

Elegant but comfortable sitting with TV bezel to match room decor.
A perfect living room setup for the summer.

(note marks on wall around TV; Bose speakers have been removed for new
flush in-ceiling speakers)

Would you like to schedule a courtesy sight survey to see about installing something similar in your home? Visit our Home Theater Design & Installation page too view our most popular home theater packages.

Example 1: Bedroom TV enclosed in rich wood paneling.

Example 2: Living Room fireplace and TV fully surrounded in rich wood paneling

Do you have a similar installation request? See our TV installation page or contact us to request a courtesy sight survey.

Interactive Masters Coverage in High Definition

Beginning April 10, DIRECTV will be airing exclusive HD coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament played at Augusta. Special coverage will include 3 additional HD channels, an interactive leaderboard, video/highlights On Demand, and the Masters Mix Channel which will integrate all the content on one channel. (click image to see larger version) The additional HD channels includes the “Amen Corner” which will provided complete coverage of the most famous stretch – holes 11, 12 and 13 – of Augusta National Golf Club.

LCD TVs continue to be the preferred flat panel technology amongst consumers, and research is showing that LCD TVs will be 90% of the television market by 2010. Consumers should expert flat panel prices to continue to drop as the always less expensive plasma TV continues to drive prices even lower in order to compete with LCDs.

Where to Locate?

Interstar can mount your TV on-the-wall or over-the-fireplace (same price), just select the location you want as the focal point of the room. Over-the-fire-place is our most popular location as is “hiding” the TV cables inside the wall for a clean “picture on the wall” look.

Wall Mount Types:

We have all sizes mounts on our service vans or we can use the mount you purchased with your TV. We feature the slim, low profile design mounts so you don’t see the wires behind the TV and all our mounts feature a concealed locking security bar. Tilting mounts are also available but are seldom used in a residential home. The TV is far more attractive flat on the wall like a picture. An exception might be over a fireplace with very high mantel and close to TV seating. Another mounts are articulating, to allow the TV to pull out from the wall and swing left and right up to 90 degrees. Sounds great but these expensive, bulky mounts are not very practical for home use. Call us on this one.

How Best Mounted?

We use only wide base mounts that allow attachment to at least 2-inside wall vertical studs for strength and security. For brick fireplaces we use special masonry fasteners selected for the type of brick or stone. When mounting in an open TV alcove or recessed area over the fireplace, we can construct a custom frame to support the TV mount. Regardless of the wall, we can install your new TV.

How to get the Best Sound?

New TVs come with dual speaker systems for high quality sound, not like the side of the box mini-speakers on old tube TVs. You enjoy great stereo sound right out-of -the box. However, to enjoy movie sound effects and concert hall realism, you will want to add a room sound system with built-in speakers. . Most of our customers install the TV first then decide on a sound system later. We can advise on a system or go directly to our special value Packages. Then call us at 1-800-833-8080.

Flat screen TVs have become the most important part of any home entertainment system with prices now within everyone’s reach. Here are our recommendations for buying a new TV:

What Size?

Bigger is not better on the new flat screens as the picture resolution is very clear and can be viewed closer than conventional TVs and at extreme angles. Look for a 42″ size screen for the average size room and 52″ for a larger room.

LCD or Plasma Screen?

Plasma screens are promoted as providing the best color intensity; the LCD as free from annoying light reflections. Today there is little difference in picture quality between the two but reflecting light can always be a problem. If you have a room with windows, especially along the side or rear of the TV, you should select an LCD. LCD screen sizes are typically 40′, 42″, 46″ and 52″. Plasma sizes 42″, 50″ and 58″.

What Else?

The best picture is with the High Definition 1080p picture protocol, which is becoming universal on new TVs. Do not buy a flat screen unless it clearly advertises High Definition 1080p. Also, select the TV bezel color that best goes with the room; silver, shinny black and mat black are most popular. Will a black TV or silver TV look best over your fireplace? You will also want to consider ordering professional plasma tv installation from InterstarTV.com

Do I Need HD Programming?

A new High Definition TV must have HD programming service to work. You can get HD programming from your local cable company, DishNetwork satellite or DIRECTV satellite to enjoy a photo quality picture in wide-screen movie format with digital surround sound audio. The movie theater is now transformed to your living room but you must first subscribe to an HD service. We recommend up-grading your cable service to HD or subscribe to DIRECT which offer the most HD channels, over 100+ channels as of early 2008. We make sure your new TV is correctly connected to your TV service, regardless of service provider. For DIRECTV, we can install at same time with the TV installation. Just let us know what you need.

We are currently writing some very useful ‘how-to’ articles. Please check back soon.

If you have any questions that you would like one of our home theater experts to answer, send them to contact@interstartv.com