Integration is the process of connecting multiple devices that perform different functions so that they may control each other. With Integrated Devices, your Home Security system can talk to your Heating and Air system, or your Lighting system to control them based on certain events, such as arming or disarming the security system, times of day, or even alarms.
Why Integrate your home? Imagine turning off all the lights in your home at night without walking to every room – you can do so right from the Master Bedroom keypad or touchpanel. Better yet, set a night “scene” that turns all the lights off except the hallway light, which gets set to 25%. Or, maybe you want to change the thermostats in your home to 67° when you leave the house for the day. With Integration you can do so, automatically. Imagine the energy savings.

This is somewhat of a tricky question. It really comes down to what content you are displaying on your TV. As of now (and this could change any day), there are very few sources of 1080p content. Blu-Ray is one of them, and some Satellite providers claim their On Demand video content is 1080p (albeit, very compressed.) Most content is actually only 1080i, at best.
So, unless you have a Blu-Ray player, or plan to purchase one, generally a 720p TV will suffice. Although it is now becoming more difficult to find TVs that are not 1080p.

Yes! There’s an App for that! Actually, this App comes straight from Apple. It’s called “Remote” and it works with both Windows PCs and Apple/Macs running iTunes, or an Apple TV. And the best part – it’s absolutely Free!
From the Apple website:
Remote is a free, fun, and easy-to-use application that turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control. So wherever you are in your house, you can control the music in the iTunes library on your computer and your Apple TV with a tap or flick of a finger.
Learn more and download the app here

It’s no secret that everything these days connects to the internet, but did you know that you can also connect your home or business camera system? And view it through your Windows Mobile, iPhone or any internet-conntected PC?
That’s right, even Camera DVRs come with an network connection now, and most of them support mobile phone viewing, but all networkable DVRs support remote PC viewing.

So you have Netflix, you get your movies in the mail and sometimes maybe you even watch a movie on your PC or laptop. But what if you could watch your Instant Que on your TV? Well now you can – with an internet-connected Blu-Ray player. That’s right, manufacturers like LG, Samsung and Sony have started including the Netflix application into their internet-connected Blu-Ray players.
While networkable Blu-Ray players are really nothing new (after all, they need to download information from the internet regularly to keep the software up-to-date), applications like Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, Rhapsody, VuDu (a High-Definition On Demand movie library) are fairly new to the Blu-Ray scene. Many players even include a wireless network connection for easy setup and no need to run wires.

Absolutely! While not as easy, it is possible run wires to many locations. But with new advances in PLC (Power Line Carrier) and wireless technologies, it’s possible to install a security system, lighting control system, or even a full whole-house audio system in any home.
With HAI’s UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) lighting control system, we can install a completely automated lighting system in any home. UPB uses your existing powerlines to communicate with other UPB-enabled systems (including security systems, automation systems, and PCs) in the house.
Russound’s new Collage audio system is a PLC-based whole-house audio system for retrofit installations. It also includes a wireless intercom system for room-to-room communication, and can generally be installed in less than a day. It also includes connectivity to local PCs and online media services to give you an endless supply of fresh, new music.

Maybe you’ve seen the “Multi-Zone Audio” receivers at your favorite electronics retailer? Ever wonder exactly what the “Multi-Zone” means? Well, simply put, it’s like having two receivers in one.
With Multi-Zone Audio you can actually run a separate source (AM/FM Tuner, CD player, DVD player, iPod, etc.) in another room without affecting your main listening area (usually a surround sound area.) The Multi-Zone receiver allows you to select sources independently in each zone, so that you don’t disturb the main room, complete with separate volume control and sometimes even a separate remote control.
This makes smaller whole-house audio systems much more affordable and easy to setup.

So you bought a nice, new Plasma or LCD High-Definition TV. And of course you have to have surround sound if you’re going to watch HDTV. And if you buy a 1080p TV you have to have a Blu-Ray player to really enjoy it. And of course these days you can’t get HDTV from your provider without a tacky box somewhere. So now you have all your HD equipment, where do you put it, especially if you’re TV is mounted on the wall?
Hiding the wires and the equipment is only half the battle, you still have to be able to control the equipment, and most remotes use IR (InfraRed light, line-of-sight) to control the equipment. To accomplish that task we use RF (wireless) remotes and processors.
These systems consist of a remote that communicates wirelessly back to a base station located at your equipment head-end. The base station then tranmits the signal via an IR emitter to the installed equipment. This allows you to hide the equipment in a cabinet, a closet or even in another room, without losing complete control of it.
Using a 1-Button Macro remote, we can also setup activities like “Watch TV”, “Watch a Movie” or “Listen to the Radio” for 1-button access to the activities you use most often.