Home TECHNOLOGY Specialists of America
Article by Adam of Barretts Home Theater
At our most recent annual HTSA Custom Manager’s Meeting we spent a lot of time discussing technologies within the home that go beyond the traditional audio/video model. In fact, during one particularly intense brainstorming session, Richard Glikes, Executive Director of HTSA, suggested the idea of changing our name from Home Theater Specialists of America to Home Technology Specialists of America. Whatever lies in the fate of our name, it became clear to all of us that it is time to shift our focus beyond our audio video roots and reach our clients on a higher level.
That isn’t to say that we’ve forgotten where we come from. We still specialize in audio and video, but that experience is no longer confined to the living room or basement. We’re sending sounds and images throughout the home via media servers and touch screen panels.
But those touch screens are designed to do more than make the operation of your distributed audio and video system convenient and easy. They can incorporate the functions of your HVAC controls as well. The largest energy bills of the year come during the hottest and coldest months when we’re either fighting to stay warm or trying not to overheat. We can program your system to work when you need it to work. For example, we can have it can turn off an hour after you leave in the morning and turn on an hour before you return. That way you can come home to a climate controlled house without having to waste energy while you’re away.
And having one keypad on the wall that does everything can also help avoid what we call “The Wall of Shame.” The Wall of Shame (or WOS) is a combination of your thermostat, security keypad, volume control and light switch(es) all fighting for space on the wall. In other words, it’s an aesthetic nightmare.
And while on the subject of light switches, a home automation system can simplify that too. Your lighting can be programmed to turn on and off to save energy just like your HVAC, but it can also localize your control. It gives you the freedom to turn on the lights in the garden, the front porch, the hallway that leads up to the bathroom, while simultaneously turning off the lights in the living room and basement, without having to run around the house searching for a dozen different light switches (see The Wall of Shame). And if your home was designed to showcase natural lighting from windows and skylights, we offer shade control as well.
As you can see, home technology isn’t just for watching movies anymore, and your neighborhood audio and video stores aren’t just selling TVs and speakers. We’re designing systems to lower energy costs, simplify the control of all the systems in your home, and generally improving your quality of life. We are truly striving to be the Home Technology Specialists of America.
Barretts The Home Theater Store has been a family owned and managed audio and video specialist since the opening of our first store in Oak Park in the summer of 1966. Chicago’s first Mitsubishi television retailer, Barretts commitment to service has been confirmed by the fact that we have grown to become Chicago’s leading Home Entertainment authority.
