Choosing the Right Technology for Your Entertainment

Sunday afternoon presents the familiar dilemma: your friends want to watch the Bears game, but a crucial playoff matchup is happening out west at the same time. Someone's tracking fantasy scores, another wants to catch the highlights from the early games. Everyone crowds around phones and tablets, trying to follow everything at once while missing the camaraderie that makes game day special.

If you're considering a home theater—or thinking about upgrading the one you have—you're probably weighing the classic projector setup against the newer video wall technology. It's not just about picture quality or screen size. It's about creating a space where everyone actually wants to gather, where you become the go-to house for game day, movie night, or any occasion that calls for the big screen. Let's explore what each technology brings to the table.

Projector: The Classic Choice

Projectors have long been the gold standard for home theaters. There's something undeniably cinematic about that massive image filling your field of vision when the lights go down for movie night. A quality projector delivers stunning picture quality and that immersive theater feeling that makes you forget you're in your basement.

But projectors have their limitations. They perform best in controlled lighting, which means you must dim lights and close shades. That's perfect for a Friday night film but less ideal when you're hosting an afternoon game and people want to move around and grab food. You're also limited to one source at a time—if two games are on simultaneously, you're making a choice.

Video Walls: The New Choice

Video walls take a different approach. Multiple display panels join together to form one seamless canvas—or split apart to show various sources simultaneously. This modular nature opens possibilities that projectors can't match.

These Soundtracks Will Make You Happy About Your Investment in Superior Audio

There's a moment that happens to every serious film lover with a quality home theater system. You're settling in to watch a movie you've seen before, but this time something's different. The bass rumbles through your chest during an explosion. You hear instruments in the score you never noticed. Dialogue sits clearly above the music. That's when you realize: you weren't really hearing these films before.

Not every movie is created equal when it comes to audio engineering. Some soundtracks are mixed by artists who understood they weren't just making a film score—they were crafting an experience for people with systems capable of reproducing every nuance. Our home theater solutions are designed to reveal these details, and certain films prove exactly why that matters. Here are eight that will show you what your system can really do.

Bill Ekstrand (Production Manager), Susan Karoll (Controller), Brian Perreault (President), John Cook (VP of Operations)

Disciplined Management and Process Drives Consistent Results

Most technology integration companies react to problems as they arise, scrambling to keep projects on track and clients satisfied. Barrett's Technology Solutions takes a different approach; one that is methodical, disciplined, and proactive. After 58 years of evolution from electronics retailer to custom technology integration firm, we've discovered that exceptional client outcomes require more than technical expertise—they demand disciplined leadership and processes. We believe that what sets us apart isn't just technical mastery of home automation and entertainment technology, but our commitment to structured business management and processes that ensure that every project delivers predictable, high-quality results for clients. Because when that happens, our company is successful. 

Waste Less Time with Home Automation 

You received three security alerts on your smartphone this morning, but they're all false alarms—a squirrel on the deck, your neighbor's cat, and the mail carrier's routine delivery. Traditional security systems excel at recording what happened but are terrible at distinguishing between actual threats and everyday activity. 

That's where integrated security changes the model. When surveillance works alongside your home automation system, your house doesn't just watch—it can actually act. From deterring porch pirates during holiday deliveries to making your home look occupied while you're traveling, intelligent security anticipates problems and responds before they escalate.