We've all heard the adage "If it sounds too good to be true it probably is...". There is a lot of truth to that with today's electronics and on-line purchasing. Unfortunately, most people don't find out why until they have a problem. Unauthorized dealers are the biggest issue with today's on-line purchasing of TVs, speakers, stereos and remote controls.

Unauthorized dealers: In most cases when an on-line price seems ridiculous, there are reasons for this. Many types of electronics (including most lines that we sell) either can't be sold on-line or have to be sold at a certain price point. The manufacturers do this so their clients (YOU) are always dealing with an authorized dealer.

Buying from an authorized dealer (like us) makes sure you don't get:

1) Sold defective gear
2) Sold refurbished pieces
3) Sold used gear
4) Product with NO warranty. If you buy a product from an unauthorized dealer, you DON'T have a warranty, regardless of what the selling company may tell you.

This is a comment from the president of one of our vendors: "This week we have shut down two major offenders on Amazon by buying samples, tracing the source and shutting them down. The results will take a while to have effect as the unauthorized source realizes he can’t fill orders."

If you were to buy a product from one of these "companies" on-line, you would find yourself either out of money or with a product that the manufacturer wouldn't support with a warranty. This is akin to buying your home electronics at the swap meet.

Bottom line: If you buy from a reputable dealer you will get new products with a full manufacturer's warranty as well as the expertise and service that today's product requires. We are authorized dealers for everything that we sell. Wouldn't you rather do business with someone that does things the right way? Give us a chance and see if we can help you out.

UPDATE: We just looked at a certain Niles speaker on Amazon and literally EVERY listed "business" is unauthorized (NO WARRANTY)! Save yourself potential headaches and go with your local, authorized dealer for on-line TV purchases, on-line stereo purchases and more.

What's your favorite movie? For some, it might be Casablanca, Saving Private Ryan or the cinematic masterpiece Toxic Avenger II. For us, we've got to say Avatar. The overall experience of Avatar in 3D at the theater was just unbelievable. Now, we are giving you the opportunity to experience this for yourselves AT HOME.

Until 12/31/2010 or while supplies last, purchase select Panasonic plasma TVs and receive an Avatar package that includes a 3D Avatar Blu-Ray disc, a Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray player and a set of 3D glasses for FREE ($600.00 value). That's something that not even the Toxic Avenger can pass up. Questions? Let San Diego's home theater specialists steer you in the right direction.

Any time we get rain, winds or other weather phenomena, cable boxes all over town go haywire. No need to get bent out of shape as we've got the fix. If your TV exhibits the following behavior:

1) You have picture but no sound.
2) Your GUIDE stops working.
3) Your channel up/down don't work.
4) The cable box shows half an information bar at the bottom of the screen instead of a full one.

Here is the fix. Simply UNPLUG your cable box from the power, wait about 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Once it reboots, you should have your TV back!

Keep in mind that these problems typically happen around weather events so when a storm is coming in (like right now...it's raining and we've been getting cable-box calls all weekend), keep this information in mind.

UPDATE: Sometimes it's difficult to get to the power cord on your cable box. Want to make cable box resets easy? Add one of our BOBs to power-cycle your cable box and other components a snap! See link below.

https://www.airetheaterdesigns.com/blog/item/236-audio-video-troubleshooting-and-help-with-netflix

We are San Diego cable box troubleshooting, audio video selling, technology teaching specialists!

Aww...isn't he the cutest thing? We are referring to the new addition to our family, the individual on the right above. The giant to the left is your standard in-ceiling speaker. The little guy you want to hug on the right is our new in-ceiling stealth speaker. If you are interested in adding sound to areas of your home but you want a seamless look, try taking home this little glob of cuteness.

These Monitor Audio speakers can be used in a surround sound set-up or for background sound in different rooms. Ask our client Alan about the sound...he just put them into his surround sound system and he loves 'em. Interested? Contact one of our product managers and we'll let you know more.

Your local San Diego Home Theater company, Aire Theater Designs, proudly serves all of San Diego County including the communities and cities of Central San Diego County which includes Darnall, Cerritos, Del Cerro, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, Lake Murray, Friars, El Cajon Blvd, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Pt Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo.

As we vote today for various propositions and elected officials, we would like to ask you to make another vote...a vote for Aire Theater Designs with your wallet! Defeat the big-box stores by voting for us.

Here are some of our campaign promises:

1) Greater responsiveness: If you have cable issues, network problems or other problems with your system, we can generally fix your issues much faster than the big-box stores can. In most cases, we remember your set-up or have your programming archived on our servers so we can fix your issue right over the phone. We realize that it is important when your system is down and will do whatever we can to remedy the situation.

2) Great pricing: Due to our lean business model and limited overhead, we are able to offer very competitive pricing on all of our products. In addition to our great prices, our "dealios" on special buys and close-outs can save you up to 75%! Look under the "How's the dealio sound?" section for the latest.

3) Experts on board: When you have questions about equipment, your personal set-up or the latest in today's technology, we can probably answer them. With an average of over a decade of experience per employee, we pride ourselves in possessing the technical know-how of today's gear, install techniques and construction facets all blend together. This ensures that your home automation or audio/video project will run smoothly and that you will be happy before, during and after the sale.

4) We want you!: We truly value and honor your business. We know that there are many choices out there so we really appreciate the fact that you have voted for us, your local San Diego company, with your dollar.

Thank you for listening and we hope we can help you in the future.

Our resident geek likes to muse over the latest and greatest that comes into the office. We’ve gotten tired of hearing him, so we’re letting him vent to you.

“Hi friends...Poindexter here. I LOVE computers. Aside from being able to pretend that it is a member of the opposite sex to ask it questions, it lets me access a world of music. Here are some new options that are available.

1) Sonos: This gadget acts as my personal music assistant. It lets me listen to any type of music that I want to. What’s super cool is that I control it with a special remote that works anywhere in the house and that shows me pictures of what is playing. I get feedback of the artist, songs, albums and more at all times. It’s too cool to describe adequately but we have it on display in our office if you are interested in a demo.

2) AppleTV: This neato device can transfer any movies or music that are on your computer to your home theater. You can also use it for slide-shows of photos for friends or family. Perfect for highlighting your pictures. Photos of this year’s Star Trek convention look GREAT on a 60” TV (as opposed to your computer monitor). Of course, James T. Kirk always looks fantastic.

You can also access services like Pandora internet radio, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and others with the aid of your computer and networking. Man's best friend, the dog? I don't think so, my friends...I don't think so."

P.S. Since this article's inception, wireless networking has become much more relevant. Need help with your WiFi, San Diego? Let San Diego's WiFi and networking experts help you to get robust, whole-house WiFi throughout your house and property.