Data (Internet) to the Television

From the most basic perspective, if you are not specifying or installing data cabling to your client's television locations you are doing them a disservice! At a minimum provide (1) RG-59 (prefer RG-6) coaxial cable and (1) Cat5e cable from the respective service points to each television AND DVD location.

With the continued progress, changes, and competition in the entertainment distribution and content landscape, many if not most flat panel televisions and DVD players come with provisions to connect them to the internet. Similar to satellite cable boxes that utilized a phone connection to update access cards, televisions and DVD players can update firmware, pull weather information, stream YouTube videos, Netflix or any number of offerings depending on the brand purchased. For example, Sony's 2010 Bravia models have Yahoo! Widget Engine to pull down Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, Slacker and other web-based content and Panasonic's Viera series televisions offer VieraCast.

Do not bring cables to the DVD only and believe it is sufficient. We will discuss additional provisions for wall mounted and built in televisions in another posting.

Recessed LED vs. Recessed Fluorescent (Cost Effective)?

LED lighting is the latest in high efficiency (high efficacy) lighting and manufacturers have been making great strides in creating color quality suitable for the general lighting market and overcoming heat issues. We will explore the technical aspects of LED's in another segment, but for now a few thoughts on recessed LED lighting in the residential environment; what we are installing and why.

With respect to efficiency and durability, LED's are positioned in the number one spot. It remains to be seen if the modules will in fact last for 50,000 hours in real world conditions, but even if their life is reduced 25% they are still far and away longer lasting than anything else on the market.

The light color quality is good and we have found that 3000K is a good match to pair with both fluorescent of the same temperature and incandescent light sources.

In terms of cost, there is an idea that recessed LED lighting is more expensive than comparable recessed fluorescent. That is true if you compare it to a standard recessed fluorescent fixture of low quality. In that scenario you can assume approximately $100.00 in added cost per fixture with a payback in energy savings of approximately 10 years. Payback is, of course, based on a number of assumptions; cost of electricity, the final cost of the fixture and associated components, and the average operating time per fixture per year. If, however, you recognize that recessed LED lighting is dimmable and balance it to a comparable dimmable recessed fluorescent fixture, you will find that the cost is comparable.

The real decision is as always a case by case analysis of the client, the expectations, and the budget. If dimming is not a concern and cost it, then fluorescent is the appropriate choice. Otherwise use LED.

We have regularly been installing 5" recessed LED fixtures in 3000K by Juno. Juno also has a set of undercabinet LED fixtures but we are currently avoiding them. Please look for a follow up posting regarding undercabinet LED. Cree is another manufacturer we are looking beginning to install.

There is the unfortunate reality that Title 24 has not yet caught up to LED technology with so LED's can pose a challenge if the designer is trying to utilize incandescent lighting into a kitchen design. But with all of the options and choices there is really no reason to use incandescent.

Final note:

Incandescent lighting is on its way out globally. Many countries have banned or are phasing out incandescent bulbs (Brazil, Venezuela, Australia, Switzerland, Argentina, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union). The United States is set to phase out incandescent bulbs sometime between 2012 and 2014.

Introduction

This journal is for the benefit of our clients, partners, and the residential design and construction industry generally. Like any specialty service provider we design and install a wide variety of products. We see really good designs and uses of various products, and we see very poor designs and poor uses of product. Our hope is to share our experience in an effort to educate our clients and create the best spaces, to investigate the latest trends and technologies, and to keep appraised of and share the latest relevant legislation, tax incentives, and code changes.

Please feel free to reach out with questions or topics of interest and we will do our best to answer and explore them.

-MRM