"Hi friends...We've been getting the question a lot lately about what service to go with regarding your TV and internet. Here's my two cents as to which one to choose."

"For the best TV quality...none of the above. Go with DirecTV. It offers the best picture quality and you will see the fewest interruptions with service (you know what I am tallking about if you live in Rancho Bernardo or Poway and you have to constantly unplug your cable box to reboot it)."

"For the best customer service, we've had good luck with both Time Warner and Cox. In most cases, you can't choose which provider to go with (some of our clients in Poway are the exception where they can go with either-or). With both of these businesses, you can get a human to help and they offer 7 day-a-week in home service. Prepare to have a punching bag handy to release your frustrations if you are calling U-verse for questions or support. You'll need it."

"For the best Internet experience, go with the faster packages from Cox or Time Warner. It is difficult to determine exactly what speed you will see from any of the providers (Cox Cable, Time Warner, U-verse) as there are many variances when it comes to Internet speed (wiring in the home, distance from the nodes at the street, wiring from street to house, etc.). However, where the claimed download speeds from all three providers are very similar, the actual performance from U-verse typically ends up being much slower due to the wiring that is used from the house to the modem. In addition to the issues with speed, the ATT U-verse boxes have some known networking issues (won't work for wireless bridging, encryption issues with Tivo) that may make some of your networked equipment impossible to use."

"Our final votes are:

1) Cox Cable

2) Time Warner

3) ATT/U-Verse"

"See our earlier posts about saving money on your cable bill and let us know if we can help!"

San Diego Home Theater Installers Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County especially the communities and cities of Central San Diego County which includes Rolando, SDSU, El Cajon, Rancho San Diego, Cerritos, Del Cerro, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, City Heights, 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 Costa, La Jolla, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo.

"Once upon a time, a company named Pioneer made a TV. And this TV was good...VERY GOOD. In fact, it was the best TV in the land. It resided as the king of TVs for years and years until the evil economy came and slayed the king..."

Actually the story isn't exactly like the above nursery rhyme. Pioneer made a plasma TV for years branded under their "Elite" line. It was hands-down the best TV on the market when it came to black levels, color accuracy and motion-processing. Unfortunately, changes in the economy and the bankruptcy of 2 major businesses that sold the TV (Good Guys & Tweeter) caused Pioneer to pull the plug on this Rolls Royce of TVs. However, after years of being without Elite TVs, we have a surprise.

Elite is back! This partnership between Sharp and Pioneer has brought the Elite line back to us. The two new offerings are 60" (PRO60X5) and 70" (PRO70X5) LED TVs. After looking them over at an introductory event, we feel that they offer the best picture in an LED set today. Here's a review courtesy of CNet:

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/sharp-elite-pro-70x5fd/4505-6482_7-35004014.html

These beauties aren't cheap, but the best never is. If you're interested in hearing what Elite has to offer after all these years, give us a yell and we'd be glad to give you the scoop! 

Your local San Diego Home Theater company, Aire Theater Designs, proudly serves all of San Diego County especially the communities and cities of Central San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, Lake Murray, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Imperial Beach, Point 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.

Remember the car above? At one point, it was touted as a "fantastic value" and people thought that it was a much better deal than a comparably-sized Honda or Toyota. Fast-forward a few years and the Yugo morphed from being a great deal to the worst car in history. Now let's compare this with our industry.

Here's a little secret...there are no real "deals" in audio/video. All pricing for equivalent solutions are roughly the same, regardless of what business you buy it through. If someone offers you an audio/video solution for $2000.00 and someone else offers a package for $1000.00, it doesn't mean that $1000.00 is a great deal. It may be that the lesser-priced option is missing components that you need. It may be that the $1000.00 package is a temporary solution and isn't equipment that is built to last. The $1000.00 solution may be the equivalent of the audio/video Yugo. How do you determine if you're being sold a Yugo or not?

1) Compare bids and make sure apples are apples for comparison. This will ensure that you are making an informed decision and that you are actualy getting what you need and want.

2) If you want equipment that will last for years and that can support your future gear or needs, make sure that you ask for equipment that can accommodate this. Many of the inexpensive solutions on the market are built as temporary solutions and aren't meant to last for years or to be hooked up to future components.

3) Want your system to be easy to use? Many of the cheaper solutions on the market aren't meant to be controlled by a single, simple-to-use universal remote. If you don't want to be frustrated with your new system, stay away from the cheapest options possible. 

4) Make sure that the business you are dealing with is licensed, bonded and has workers compensation for all employees. this info can be found on the Contractor's State License Board at:

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/HireAContractor/

If the company you are getting bids from doesn't have workers compensation or a contractor's license, they are doing business illegally. Do you think they will do the right thing with your project if they aren't following the basics to operate a business the right way?

5) Meet at the company's storefront or office. If the company doesn't have an office, what are the chances of the business being around in the future to help you out with future questions or warranty work?

 At Aire Theater Designs, we don't sell Yugos. We sell high-quality products and we hold a firm commitment to providing excellent customer service. Give us a chance...you'll be glad you did.

Your local San Diego Home Theater company, Aire Theater Designs, proudly serves all of San Diego County especially 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.

Behold...the Sonos music system. This new addition to our line has changed the way that we enjoy music in our office. If you're lucky, it will change the way you listen at home as well. Read on!

Want to listen to:

1) Pandora Internet radio?

2) Sirius/XM radio?

3) Rhapsody?

4) iTunes?

5) AM/FM?

6) Music off of your computers?

Instead of juggling 10 different remotes, check out the cool controller above! This small remote will allow you to access all of the above music sources EASILY. If you want a larger control, there is an iPad application that gives you more information and a larger screen to work with.

With this system, you have the capability to easily add music to other areas. Want music in the Kitchen and office? This system allows you to add a speaker in each area WIRELESSLY and to listen to music right away. Did I mention WIRELESSLY?

Interested? Come check it out over at our offices. We love it and think you will too.

Your local San Diego Home Theater company, Aire Theater Designs, proudly serves all of San Diego County especially 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.

We have one of two potential free prizes for our loyal clients this month. Be the 14th person to e-mail us with an "I love ATD!" message at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and either win the above can of cola or a free AppleTV!

Benefits of Happy Shopper Cola

1) 58 grams of sugar
2) Rots teeth at an exponential pace as compared to drinking fruit juice
3) Raises chance of getting diabetes dramatically

Benefits of AppleTv

1) Netflix, Youtube and Amazon access: Now you have millions of TV shows, movies and videos to watch and watch and watch.
2) Instant HD movies and TV shows: Rent thousands of HD movies or buy TV episodes and watch them anytime.
3) iTunes: Enjoy your iTunes music collection through your stereo system at any time.
4) NBA and MLB: Get live sports scores, updates and more.

Thanks again for the business!

"Got a power outage? No problem... Poindexter with the Power Outage Police is here. You may be experiencing issues with your audio/video systems after SDGE's 12 hour snafu last week. If your cable box seems to be going through the channels much more slowly than usual, here's what to do:

1) Go into the SETTINGS on the box (press button that says SET or SETTINGS)
2) Press A (or yellow triangle) to go into "More Settings"
3) Go into "Audio/Video" and choose "Video Output Formats"
4) Make sure that only the setting for 1080i is checked
5) Exit out of menus and continue watching TV

Your cable problems are now solved. If you have further questions, touch base with my brethren at ATD. I need to go... I hear a cat somewhere stuck in a tree. Up up and AWAY!!"