New in 2012: A/V Upgrades

Working with our friends at Custom Audio, we've enhanced the A/V Setup at Sound Racer based on guest suggestions and our own experience. Here are the highlights:

1. Blu-Ray in the Great Room

We've added a Samsung "connected" Blu-Ray player to the upper level Great Room. The Blu-ray can also play standard DVDs. This replaced a combo DVD / VHS player -- but we figure the days of VHS are long past (although there is still a VHS player in the Rec Room).

We'll be exploring the "connected" features of the new player over the next few months.

2. Upgraded Receiver in the Great Room

The new receiver is an Onkyo Model TX-NR609. The most significant change is that this receiver passes HDMI audio and video -- in other words, true surround sound for TV and Movies. And it sounds great! This also simplifies the setup in that the TV input is now always set on HDMI-1. The receiver also has a digital USB input for your iPod / iPad, which improves sound quality.

3. Improved Remote Control in the Great Room

We're fans of the Harmony Universal Remote controls that are used with all three of the common area A/V systems at Sound Racer. But using the control in the great room required aiming it at a very specifc spot between the TV and the Receiver. To make the experience easier, we added an IR "blaster" network that connects all devices. We moved the "aim point" to the top of the TV, making it much easier to hit from just about anywhere in the room.

4. Larger TV in the Den

Last but definitely not least, we increased the size of the TV in the mid-level Den. The new Samsung 51" 1080p plasma TV has a wonderful picture and we think it is perfectly sized for movie viewing in the den.
_______________

In addition, we replaced the receiver in the downstairs Rec Room which had some audio problems at the end of the 2011 season. And finally, the folks at Custom Audio reccomended that we tilt the Great Room monitor slightly downward to improve viewing angle and reduce glare. A small change, but we think it's a big improvement.

Happpy Holidays from Sound Racer!

We'd like to wish all of our guests a very happy holiday season. We are especially pleased that so many of you have already signed on for the 2012 season at Sound Racer. One of our goals from the beginning has been to create a home where families would return year-after-year to build vacation memories. This is the experience we had when we rented on the OBX, and we are glad to be creating a similar experience for so many of you!

Please check back in early 2012 for an update on some new enhancements we have planned. First up will be some additions to the A/V setup...

Happy New Year!