John Sciacca
Former Digital Trends Contributor
John Sciacca is a full-time custom installer/designer and an a-lot-of-the-time writer whose groundbreaking columns, reviews and features for Sound & Vision Magazine helped bring awareness of custom installation into the mainstream. Along with his work at Custom Theater & Audio in Murrells Inlet, SC, John is a regular contributor to Residential Systems and has a popular blog, "John Sciacca Writes . . . ," where he covers everything from high-end electronics to high-end beers, with a lot of random musings in between. He can also be found on Twitter at @SciaccaTweets.
Honey! The Cable Company Wants To Automate Our Home!
Time Warner and Comcast are rolling out home security and automation plans that pair basic controls of lights and heating with more traditional cameras and monitoring. Would this keep you from cutting the cord?
Smarten up your dumb house with Z-Wave automation
The days of expensive installers wiring complicated and quickly obsolete home automation are nearly over, thanks to a new low cost, easy-to-manage radio frequency protocol that sounds like a bad skateboard brand.
Kaleidescape Cinema One Review
Kaleidescape literally invented the movie server category, and their systems have been beloved by the mega-wealthy for over 12 years. Kaleidescape systems make managing and exploring movie collections easier and better than ever, with totally unique features like instant access to iconic scenes and an industry-first Blu-ray quality download store. The Cinema One brings all of the features of the company’s Premier line to a far more affordable price.
5 easy DIY projects to automate your house on the cheap
You don't have to have boatloads of cash to live like a playboy in a penthouse. Check out these five DIY projects that will pimp your pad in no time.
When a bedsheet won’t do: The ultimate guide to projector screens
Choosing a projector screen can be difficult -- here's what you need to know.
What to do when the stove talks back (and other problems with smart appliances)
Whether you realize it or not, your appliances are slowing coming online. There is technology in the market now that allows refrigerators, washers and dryers, even ovens to talk to your home internet router and your smartphone. Are there benefits? Maybe. Drawbacks? Most definitely.
Go big and go home: How to install a video projector
In this guide, we cover DIY projector installation from start to finish to ensure you get the best possible viewing experience from your home theater.
Your home is dumb, but making it smart is cheaper than you think
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke Home automation. Smart house. Advanced home control. If those words conjure images of lights mysteriously flashing on and off at random times, fat piles of cash, and sweaty technicians huddled over their laptops programming for weeks at a time, then you need to […]
Geometry, aspect ratios, and why you should love those black bars on your TV
Do the black bars you see with your movies drive you nuts? You aren't alone. We explain why they're there and what you can and can't do about them.
PRIMA Cinema brings in-the-theaters movies home for $500 each … and it’s worth it!
John Sciacca reviews the Prima Cinema, a $35,000, security-clad box that brings movies to your home theater the moment they appear in commercial theaters.