Oprah and the Obamas

In a recent Christmas special, Oprah asked the Obamas how the children liked living in the White House. The president's answer was "the kids love the movie theater."

Good answer, kids. Pictured is the White House home theater (and wow is it RED!).

Before and After

Pictured are the before and after photos of a project we completed with Jonathan McGrath Construction. The cabinet pictured shares a wall with the staircase and is only 6 or so inches deep at the top, but 24 inches deep in the space under the stairs.

Storch coordinated with McGrath to make sure the electronics and speakers would fit in the deeper part of the cabinet (under the stairs) with the upper cabinets and TV section in the areas that had less depth. This provided a good look for the millwork with minimum intrusion into the room.

In addition to the TV and surround sound system in this room, we installed speakers on the summer kitchen pictured in the right of the photo and at the dock beyond.

Deland theater update

The Deland theater pictured prior is finally finished. We installed basic acoustic panels to the front and side walls to improve the sound quality. Acoustic treatment is the easiest and most cost effective way to improve the sound in any room.

In this theater, we coordinated with the owner as to the color and size of the panels and then glued them to the walls. It was a simple process that made everyth

ing sound better!

The overall cost of the acoustics and installation was about 10% of the total electronics budget, but the impact on the quality was at least 30% better. Dialog is now more intelligible, pans and audio steering are more dramatic and the soundfield is more distinct.

Often overlooked, acoustical treatment can turn an average home theater into a great one!

What does that jack do?

Pictured is the in-progress installation of a wall jack. Have you ever wondered what some of those jacks on your walls are for? Do you have to remember the jack on the right is for the fax? Or do you have a smudgey handwritten note in marker?

Storch Entertainment wants to make sure our customers understand the purpose of everything we install down to the ports on a wall jack. In addition to labeling the ports, we also use precision test instrumentation to ensure that the jacks and wiring will work properly.

TECH TALK: At best, most installers will test the continuity of their wiring to make sure it is not broken or damaged. Storch Entertainment uses precision test instrumentation to qualify the actual bandwidth of our network computer jacks. The blue network jacks pictured were tested to ensure that they will work reliably for 10/100/1000(gigabit) Ethernet speeds.

Storch begins McGrath Project

Storch just began work on our tenth home remodel project with Jonathan McGrath Construction. We're happy to be a long standing team member.

This project is a complete remodel of a lakefront home in Longwood. Jack tore the interior down to the studs and is moving walls and adding a master suite.

Storch will provide an entertainment system with a family room surround sound system, outdoor music, and all of the phone, cable and data networking.

Storch Fixes Theater

We were recently called in to fix the theater pictured. The theater is a good design: it includes acoustical treatment, high end electronics, control of the lighting, a good remote control and comfortable seating. This sounds like the right stuff, so what then could be the problem?

The system looked and sounded horrible and was difficult to operate. The company responsible for the original installation must have stopped when they heard sound and saw a picture. In the course of our diagnosis we found that the surround processor had never been set up, the video projector was set to a very dim output mode, the main power amplifier was never hooked up to turn off and was always very hot, and the remote control was not easy to use nor did it include modes for all of the equipment.

After completely rewiring the system and relocating some components to better locations (the DVD player was so close to the inside top of the cabinet that it was next to impossible to load a disc), we calibrated the system using precision instruments. After we set the processor and projector to the correct modes and calibrated them with our test gear, we ran a set of reference audio and video clips that allowed us dial in the last 10% by using our most precise instruments - our experienced eyes and ears. Lastly, we reprogrammed the remote control to function more easily and intuitively.

The system now performs as it should and delivers the picture and sound quality the owner always envisioned.

...and After

Pictured is the phone, cable TV and computer network rack after Storch Entertainment rewired the system. We landed each wire on a patch bay that allows easy troubleshooting, service and identification. We also printed labels for each wire and installed a battery back up and rack mount network switch. The system not only looks better, but is now working reliably and can be upgraded and serviced easily.

Apple TV updates software to version 3.0

Apple TV is now easier to use. Apple just published software version 3.0 which features a new grid menu that makes it much easier to find your favorite music, photos, TV shows, etc.

Additionally, Apple has added Internet radio functionality. It is located under the "Internet" tab along with YouTube. Hopefully the next revision will include Pandora or Last.FM, but the radio is nice to have. Actually, I've been listening all day to a station I grew up with. For those of you familiar with Alternative rock in South Western Ohio, WOXY and WOXY Vintage are available under the "Alternative" genre.

Before....

Pictured is (unfortunately) a typical inwall network wiring enclosure. Often referred to as the structured wiring box or OnQ panel, these boxes do not offer the space required to fit the wiring and electronics required in today's homes.

Storch has been asked to fix this mess. After we complete our work, we will post the "after" photos.

Planning and Coordination

The following photo shows a TV in a kitchen. Usually an afterthought, most kitchen TVs are simply placed on the countertop. Can you ever have enough counter space? Why devote this precious area to a TV?

In this installation, we worked hand in hand with builder Bill Felkel, interior designer Edward Woodill and Busby Cabinets to find the best location for the TV. As it turned out, the cabinet above the microwave proved to be the perfect location. Storch provided a scaled schematic drawing with tolerances required for mounting to Busby who then incorporated the TV into their kitchen design.

Edward specified white to match the cabinets and we mounted the TV on an articulating, pull-out bracket that allowed us to keep a very tight reveal around the TV while also allowing us to pull it forward to be flush with the front of the cabinets.

Storch Begins Phil Kean Designs New Construction

A few blocks from the remodel project posted below is this new construction project we recently began work on. Our responsibility at this phase consists of wiring the house for audio, video and networks (phone, cable, ethernet) as well as any foreseeable future technologies.

Storch Begins Phil Kean Designs Remodel

We recently began work on this remodel, designed by Phil Kean Designs. Once a basic 1950's bungalow, the update will include a mid century design influence with raised ceilings and up-to-date mechanicals, including networks and audio/video.

Sometimes it's what you don't see

Pictured is a 50 inch HDTV plasma mounted on a wall across from the master bed. A fairly standard installation. What you don't see (intentionally) is...

... is the cable box, DVD player or media player that provide a full gamut of entertainment options in this bedroom. These

components are located across the house in an equipment rack that is located inside a custom cabinet in the kitchen.

Orlando Lakefront

Storch recently began this lakefront project with Mark Rash Interiors and Robert Bryan Construction. This is an extensive remodel and addition and will feature a family room home theater with music throughout the entertaining spaces. We will also install music across the expansive lanai overlooking Lake Silver.

Deland project theater almost complete

Pictured is the theater for the Deland project, shown prior at the rough construction stage. This theater features a 90 inch wide acoustically transparent video screen with the left, center and right speakers behind the screen. This is the optimum location for the speakers as they are: 1. positioned at ear level and; 2. allow the sound to match perfectly the onscreen picture and action.

A roll out equipment rack is hidden in the closet left of the screen with the components controlled via a radio frequency remote control. The vent above the door hides a thermostatically controlled fan that draws heat away from the electronics.

The last step will be to install custom fabric wrapped acoustic panels on the walls to absorb the side wall reflections.

In addition to the theater, Storch installed speakers throughout the house, outside and at the boat dock.

The Barefoot Contessa's Advice

In her cookbook "Family Style" Ina Garten includes a full page titled "Turn Up The Volume." This caught my eye and explains what we try to accomplish with every installation. Put simply, we believe that music enriches and improves life, especially at a party. She writes:

"We've all had the experience. We're invited to dinner at a friend's house. We ring the doorbell and the host (maybe a little distraught) opens the door to a VERY quiet house. Oops! Are we the first to arrive, or - worse - is it the wrong day? Either way, we feel a bit ill at ease and the evening's off to a bad start.

Replay the opening scene with this difference: the host opens the door and you hear Roy Orbison belting out "Pretty Woman" or the Beach Boys rocking to "Good Vibrations." Not only do you know you've come to a party, but you feel good immediately. No matter what kind of day you've had, your spirits soar. And that's a great start for a fabulous evening."

Chepenik Financial

When Chepenik Financial needed a new flat screen in their conference room, they contacted Storch Entertainment. We've installed entertainment systems for two generations of Chepeniks, so we were happy to help. In addition to the conference room, we retrofitted flat panel televisions in a few of the offices for access to MSNBC, Bloomberg, etc.

Lastly, we installed an iPod-based background music system that plays in the common areas and entry room. This sets a good mood for visitors and allows for uninterrupted music playback. It was also an inexpensive solution as we used an iPod that was no longer in use and an amplifier that had been in storage.

Cabinet Ventilation

One of the more important issues we have dealt with in the past few years is proper ventilation of entertainment systems. Heat is the enemy of all electronics and today's equipment is hotter than ever. Hard drives, high speed digital processors and the miniaturization of electronics has increased the heat output of almost every component in a system.

Part of our design and installation process is to engineer solutions to bring cool room air into a cabinet and to exhaust the hot air away from the equipment. A few examples follow:

Example of a heat egress vent (round vent) placed outside of the house for a large system:

Example of a heat egress vent (hidden under plate) designed to remove heat from the cabinet below in a small system:

Example of same concept to vent heat out of a dedicated equipment closet (rectangular vent above door):

Marketing Makeover

In today's tough economy, marketing has become more important than ever. To assist with that effort, Storch Entertainment Systems recently installed a few unique solutions for Jonathan McGrath Construction, including:

1. A multimedia presentation system in the conference room (pictured)

This allows Jack to present his portfolio to clients as either a simple slide show or PowerPoint presentation

Internet access with a wireless keyboard and mouse provide direct access to the web or other files

2. A phone system with digital voice mail to ensure no lost calls

3. An information on hold system that can easily be updated to provide current information to any caller

Typical digital on-hold systems can be expensive and complicated

We designed the system to use an iPod as the playback device using free Podcasting software

4. A building-wide music system to enhance the feel of the office

Music can be a key element in setting the atmosphere and mood

Deland project nears completion

Storch Entertainment recently complete the "trim" phase of this home theater. Pictured are three front speakers and a pair of inwall subwoofers.

When complete, the ceiling will twinkle with fiber optic lighting and an acoustically transparent screen will be installed in front of the left, center and right speakers. An equipment rack will be installed in the closet with shades on the windows to control the light.

Neat Wiring

Neat wiring is a very important part of our work. Not only does it make long term servicing easy, it shows the kind of detail and care we put into all of our systems. These photos highlight our commitment to labeling all of the wires and connectors in a system as well as our dedication to taking the time to create custom length cables (connecting the network switch to the labeled patchbay).

Mid Century Modern

Our work in this mid-century modern home will be completed soon.  We will update as the project progresses.

Evergreen update

Pictured is the centerpiece of the living/family room at Evergreen.  A 58 inch HDTV with a custom width speaker bar (mounted directly below the set) take center stage to provide music and entertainment in the open floor plan of this green home. 

Evergreen is included in the Parade of Homes and is located on Palm Avenue in Winter Park and is available to tour until May 17th.

Performance Theater

This intimate theater, built on the second floor of a Winter Park home, features a seven foot wide screen with full digital surround sound and discreet, inwall and inceiling speakers.  Because of space limitations and the minimalist interior design, the subwoofers, typically hidden in cabinets or behind furniture, were installed flush in the ceiling.

Now Voyager

Storch Entertainment Systems recently finished work in this Winter Park residence.  The family room features a 50 inch plasma TV with custom height speakers mounted directly left and right of the panel.  In addition to this room, we installed music throughout the house and pool area.