Top 5 questions we get asked…

Top 5 questions we get asked…

Ask an expert – Grand Designs Live

Matt Josling, one of our founding Directors here at Seven Integration will be at Grand Designs Live next week as a “Technology Expert”. Here are the top 5 questions we expect to be asked…

What’s better, plasma or LCD? 

It’s a question we’ve been answering for a decade now. We always respond to this question with another question (annoying I know) “What is the environment you want to put the screen in like?” Generally, for most people, if it is a large open plan area full of natural light then LCD will probably be the better option for you. If however it is a “TV Room” where you can dim the lights and close blinds, we would suggest a plasma screen.

How big should my projector screen be? 

There is a temptation to make a projector screen for a dedicated home cinema as big as possible. Please don’t! There are calculations relating to seating position distance from the screen, aspect ratio of your screen and performance level of your projector.

The Control4 MyHome app

Can I have one system to access my heating, lighting, security…?  

Absolutely. Why wouldn’t you? Being able to access you cameras while on the move is as easy as picking up you smart phone and opening your Control4 MyHome app, select “security” and hey presto, there are your camera views. As well as cameras, we can integrate door sensors, proximity sensors,  door locks even tiny motion detectors for a jewellery box so if it gets lifted my the “less than honest” Nanny, you will know about it. Lights and heating are also simple to integrate and make living in a large house simpler and reduces your carbon footprint.

Can I play the music on my phone through this system?

Like it or loathe it, streaming music is here to stay and being able to play music from you phone without the need to use various docks is what everybody wants. There are many ways this can be done, Apple’s Airplay probably being the most common, but there are alternatives.

It's unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little

Can you do it cheaper?

To those who ask this, I refer them to a quote by John Ruskin that goes something like this… “There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” John Ruskin.

If you are involved in the design and construction of homes then please contact us to discuss your ideas, we would be glad to help.