Stephen Carr, Technical Sales Manager – Monday 20th July 2020
The ongoing pandemic has been a great leveler for the classes, having confined almost everyone to their homes regardless of their importance, influence or affluence. What this has meant is that those who had not seen the true value in home entertainment, specifically audiovisual, have since led a massive increase in enquiries for audiovisual integrators to upgrade the level of fun they can have in their homes.
Integrated Logic, having implemented stringent rules and practices for continuing to work in clients homes during lockdown, have been inundated with enquiries for “home entertainment upgrades”. The most popular of which have been dedicated Home Cinema spaces and Golf & Multi-Sport Simulators, the latter being one of the fastest-growing products in the dedicated entertainment space category.
Home Cinema
The way we enjoy the latest movies is in the middle of a monumental shift that started way before Coronavirus ever hit our shores with Netflix and other streaming services pushing “at home premieres” for a long time. Now, in an attempt to win revenue by releasing some of their titles via streaming services at a premium price point, the major movie studios are allowing that paradigm shift.
Sadly, for many the experience of watching a brand new movie on their TV and soundbar doesn’t quite stir the pleasure centers in the same way that a 40ft widescreen and an immersive 3D surround sound system does. The great thing is that an authentic cinema experience that is just as immersive and engaging as your local cineplex is now achievable at home for as little as the cost of a new Ford Focus…
Golf & Multi-Sports Simulation
Not the first thing that might come to mind when designing or building a home, but with people more than ever focused on how they spend their time at home and gaming now the fastest growing technology market in the world – simulation is one of the natural next steps in residential entertainment spaces. With shot tracing technology commonplace at driving ranges and entertainment venues like TopGolf, golfers that have the disposable income are now looking to integrators to deliver authentic virtual sports experiences in their homes.
Aside from golf, some brands such as High Definition Golf are market leaders in “multi-sports” which put simply, based on the same camera platform as the golf simulators, can deliver authentic and fun games across a multitude of other sports and games, including but not limited to; Football, Basketball, Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, American Football, Clay-Pigeon Shooting, and Bowling.
How Does This Affect Design and Build?
During the initial stages of any home design or build it is important to ascertain from the customer if they plan to have any home entertainment or simulation system installed, not just from a cabling perspective, but also because some of the systems require non-standard ceiling heights (anything up to 3.5m) to install properly. If you require any guidance on designing the right space for home cinema or simulation, please get in touch with our Home Cinema & Simulation expert Stephen Carr on +44 (0) 7936 748 795 or email him at Stephen.Carr@integratedlogic.co.uk.
