Home cinema systems are an attractive proposition. At least they are in the adverts which show all that sleek kit with no sign of how it’s all connected together. The reality, as anyone who has tried to set one up knows, is that there is inevitably a tangle of wires which are impossible to disguise, leaving your lounge looking like the disorganised storeroom in a cable factory.
Wouldn’t it be good if all of your home cinema kit was able to connect wirelessly and your room could look more like they do in the adverts? We’re not quite there yet, but there are increasing numbers of systems that are able to take advantage of wireless technology and a smart home automation company will be able to advise you on compatibility with your existing kit.
Multiroom systems
Many suppliers now offer multiroom systems, particularly for audio. These make use of wireless speakers that can have your favourite music streaming service or radio station playing in any room of the house via your domestic Wi-Fi. Some major players like Amazon and Google have entered this market and offer devices that allow voice control, so there’s no need for remotes to get lost down the back of the sofa. Many have Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to stream from a tablet or smartphone.
The introduction of smart TVs means that you can access internet catch up services over Wi-Fi too, so there’s no need for set-top boxes and the associated cables.
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Drawbacks
So, wireless entertainment is perfectly possible. However, it is dependent on the quality of your Wi-Fi and – if you’re streaming media from the web – on your internet connection. As a good smart home automation company will be able to tell you, the process of converting to wireless and back again can lead to signal degradation.
You can also suffer from interference caused by other electrical devices in the home. If you have a large house or thick internal walls then you might suffer wireless blind spots. There are some things you can do to overcome this – signal repeaters for example.
If you’re a true audiophile then wireless is, at the moment, always going to be inferior to wires in terms of the quality of output. However, the technology is improving all the time so don’t write off wireless yet.
