Episode 87

Inside Boxcar Universe: Transforming Spaces with Smart Technology

Published on: 21st October, 2024

The episode dives deep into the transformative world of container homes, challenging traditional notions of living spaces and sustainability. Steve Deubel sets the scene by discussing mankind's historical relationship with shelter, illustrating how our homes have evolved over centuries. As the conversation unfolds, co-host Erica Thompson introduces Greg Lawary from Definitive Entertainment, a leader in crafting high-end audio and visual experiences. This segment of the podcast reveals the intricacies of modern home entertainment, blending technology with the aesthetic demands of contemporary living.

Lawary emphasizes the trend towards multipurpose spaces, where homeowners are looking for functionality without compromising on style. The discussion touches on the importance of sound in enhancing the overall ambiance of a home, leading to insights about the latest innovations in audio technology, including invisible speakers and advanced sound systems that cater to the modern homeowner's desire for hidden tech solutions. This approach not only maximizes space but also transforms how families interact with their environments, making technology an integral part of daily life.


Towards the end of the episode, the focus shifts to the exciting possibilities of smart home technology, particularly voice-controlled systems that allow for seamless integration of various home functions. Listeners learn about the advancements in AI and how these systems can elevate their living experience by controlling everything from lighting to entertainment with simple voice commands. The episode concludes with a strong message about the potential of container homes and modern technology to create sustainable and luxurious living spaces, urging listeners to embrace these innovations and consider how they can enhance their own homes.

Takeaways:

  • Mankind's search for sustainable living has evolved from primitive shelters to modern container homes.
  • The integration of technology in living spaces is key to enhancing everyday experiences.
  • Voice-controlled systems are revolutionizing home automation, making it easier to manage environments.
  • Invisible speakers are a game-changer for aesthetics, allowing for high-quality sound without visible hardware.
  • Modern home theaters are becoming multipurpose spaces, accommodating both entertainment and everyday living needs.
  • The evolution of video technology, such as 8K screens, enhances visual experiences in home theaters.
Transcript
Steve Dubell:

Since the dawn of time, mankind has searched for ways to shelter themselves from the elements.

Steve Dubell:

Over the centuries, these shelters have evolved from bamboo huts to concrete towers.

Steve Dubell:

The last few years, there's been a push to save the planet.

Steve Dubell:

Are you ready to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle?

Steve Dubell:

Look no further.

Steve Dubell:

You're about to enter the adventures of container home living and now contractor, radio and tv personality and your host for Boxcar Universe, Steve Dubell.

Erica Thompson:

Hi, I'm Steve Dubell, host of Boxcar Universe, along with my co host, Erica Thompson.

Erica Thompson:

And here's what's coming up on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe.

Erica Thompson:

We're talking with Greg Lowry from the definitive entertainment.

Erica Thompson:

His company is crafting unforgettable experiences and premium entertainment at every turn for your box, car, cabin or castle.

Erica Thompson:

And speaking of Boxcar, more container home news right here in Phoenix, as we are another week closer to our local listeners to see our model container home and container pool, make sure you visit the shed Gal on 99th Avenue in Thomas and Glendale.

Erica Thompson:

And believe me, you will not be disappointed.

Erica Thompson:

And tell them that Steve from Boxcar Universe sent you all that and more on this week's edition of Boxcar Universe, your home for containers sustainable lifestyle living.

Erica Thompson:

And we'd like to welcome all of our listeners to the show today.

Erica Thompson:

And as usual, we've got a great show planned for you.

Erica Thompson:

And we are going inside talking about the, the audio that you listen to.

Erica Thompson:

You know, it's, you know, with the, the way technology has been in the world today, there are a lot, a lot of improvements that have been made over the years.

Erica Thompson:

When we think about the improvements for your tv, your audio.

Erica Thompson:

ilt a theater room and it was:

Erica Thompson:

But we want to get right to our show and introduce our guest and old friend and former guest of my other show, Image home improvement show, Greg Lowry from definitive entertainment.

Erica Thompson:

And Greg, thanks so much for joining us here on Boxcar Universe.

Greg Lowry:

Thanks for having me, Steve.

Erica Thompson:

You know, as we were saying before, thinking about some of the things that have changed in and, you know, thinking about the improvements in technology, it's not just the, for luxury, luxury purposes, for people doing luxury homes.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, a lot of this stuff can be done for the average homeowner and depending on how, I guess, how much they would like to scale their experiences.

Erica Thompson:

But why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about you and the company and some of your company services.

Greg Lowry:

Well, my name is Gregory Lowry.

Greg Lowry:

initive entertainment back in:

Greg Lowry:

So we've been around a little over 20 years.

Greg Lowry:

I used to be a manager for a couple of the high end electronic stores here in the valley, and I actually came out here because one of the stores transferred me out here to open a couple stores.

Greg Lowry:

But I started it with the intent of listening to the client versus just selling what we had on hand.

Greg Lowry:

We've been doing pretty well as far as the trends that are going now.

Greg Lowry:

We're doing more home theaters these last couple of years, dedicated home theaters as well as the trend is leading more to theater rooms that you're able to use in other environments.

Greg Lowry:

So to maximize the space, people are getting all purpose theater rooms.

Greg Lowry:

And we spoke on this earlier, they don't want to see the speakers, they don't want to see the equipment, and it's more room in the, in the space, so they can.

Greg Lowry:

They can decorate it any kind of way they want.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, I mean, and that's.

Erica Thompson:

So that's important, too, because I'm sure thinking of that and with the remotes and everything else that you could use now.

Erica Thompson:

Um, sure, Erica, you could.

Erica Thompson:

You.

Erica Thompson:

I'm sure you could expound on that, too, because you have more space to work with in designing, other than.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I know back in the day, uh, I guess before all the high tech automation and stuff came in, you know, I think it was, um.

Erica Thompson:

I think it was something of prestige.

Erica Thompson:

When somebody used to walk into your home and see your big speakers here, your big speakers there, you know, and all this other kind of tech and your, and your amp and your preamp and everything else that was there.

Erica Thompson:

And, you know, it was kind of like a technology wow factor when somebody walk in, and now it's completely flipped.

Speaker D:

To less is more.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, less is more and more.

Speaker D:

The more flexible the space can be for people, the better it is because everything is more expensive.

Speaker D:

So if you need that space to work as an office and as a.

Speaker D:

As a movie theater, go at it.

Greg Lowry:

You know, and you can blend all of those things together, especially with today's equipment, because you can.

Greg Lowry:

I mean, the age of walking into your home and saying, turn the lights on, it's here, you know, just whatever you want to do.

Greg Lowry:

Just like the jets.

Erica Thompson:

Just like the jets, yeah, I mean, and I think we've.

Erica Thompson:

And it was funny, too, thinking about that.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Erica Thompson:

In the old commercial.

Erica Thompson:

And what did you think the first time you saw the commercial when that lady was in her room?

Erica Thompson:

And they did the clap on.

Erica Thompson:

Clap off.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, that clapper.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Remember that?

Speaker D:

Was that like:

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, it was.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, it was funny, too, because I remember my friend who actually used to buy them, he used to do Bill Clinton impersonations and he was the, he used to come on the show as, as a friend of the show and he used to come on and we used to have a conversation with him talking as Bill Clinton and he said, you know, I can't, you know, Steve, I'm very upset with you.

Erica Thompson:

You know, last time we were on the show, you said you were going to come over and you didn't install the clapper.

Erica Thompson:

But, yeah, but thinking about that, I mean, you know, it's that alone.

Erica Thompson:

Just, just thinking about a noise being able to shut and turn something on.

Erica Thompson:

And now we're talking, like you say, the Jetsons, turn the lights on.

Erica Thompson:

Turn lights off.

Erica Thompson:

You know, I mean, it's pretty amazing.

Erica Thompson:

It's pretty amazing.

Erica Thompson:

And who knows where it's going, but we'll talk about, we'll talk about future, future entertainment stuff that's going to amaze all our listeners because it's like everything else, technology is ever, ever evolving.

Erica Thompson:

So, but we're going to get into a couple of more things right here.

Erica Thompson:

And after break, Greg is going to guide us through some technical entertainment stuff and why that technology is important.

Erica Thompson:

While you need to know if you're thinking about adding a wow factor to your home for your friends and family.

Erica Thompson:

So I want everybody to stay tuned.

Erica Thompson:

You're listening to Boxcar universe.

Speaker D:

Hi, I'm Erica Thompson, the dominating designer, a hard working artist with a sense of humor.

Speaker D:

What is the dominating designer process?

Speaker D:

It's just like what you see on tv.

Speaker D:

We discuss your wants and needs about your project, go over your ideas.

Speaker D:

Then I provide you creative, one of a kind options that fit your budget with respect to your home's value.

Speaker D:

When we finish your project, you are set to enjoy your new space.

Speaker D:

I would love to help you with your upcoming project.

Speaker D:

Please reach out to me on Instagram.

Speaker D:

The dominating designer, Stardust building supplies is.

Steve Dubell:

Your home improvement thrift store.

Steve Dubell:

Find salvaged and gently used cabinetry, doors, windows, appliances, lighting, plumbing and much more.

Steve Dubell:

Save money, be green and support the community.

Steve Dubell:

Shop and donate at Star building supplies Valley locations.

Steve Dubell:

For more info, visit stardustbuilding.org dot.

Erica Thompson:

All right, we are back and you are listening to Boxcar Universe.

Erica Thompson:

And we're here with Greg Lowry today and we're talking about his company, definitive entertainment, and what it means if we're going to be doing some enhancements in your home from an audio and visual standpoint.

Erica Thompson:

But, Greg, let's get back into talking a little bit about these multipurpose theaters.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

They are preferred these days over the traditional dedicated spaces.

Greg Lowry:

Now, it doesn't mean that people are still aren't getting those traditional theater spaces, because I do dedicated rooms all the time, but those are usually in bigger homes, and they have more rooms and are able to dedicate a specific area for only watching movies and such.

Greg Lowry:

Today's spaces, they want to be able to do many other things, entertained, actually play games.

Greg Lowry:

A lot of people are doing karaoke, too.

Erica Thompson:

Karaoke at home?

Erica Thompson:

Wouldn't that be fun?

Speaker D:

Oh, I know people who do it at home.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Well, you know, it's a lot.

Erica Thompson:

I do.

Speaker D:

I keep telling it's fun, it's good time.

Erica Thompson:

I keep telling everybody I do.

Erica Thompson:

A mean sweet home Chicago.

Erica Thompson:

I told you.

Erica Thompson:

Telling you back in the day, when I was in.

Erica Thompson:

I was in Chicago when that movie first came out, and it was just like, it's like when people talk about the bears, they go nuts.

Erica Thompson:

But no, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, that along with and multipurpose, you know, they, they want to be in the kitchen cooking, but they want to be able to hear and see what's going on, whether it's a football game or, or whatever.

Erica Thompson:

They want to be able to be able to access it from a wide kind of space.

Greg Lowry:

Right.

Greg Lowry:

And also, you have to look at the environments, apartments and condos.

Greg Lowry:

You know, they have limited space, so they want to make use of it as much as they can.

Greg Lowry:

And if you have a television or screen that's mounted on the wall for video, you want the speakers to be hidden.

Greg Lowry:

So we've always used architectural speakers in wall or in ceiling speakers for years.

Greg Lowry:

Right.

Greg Lowry:

But they have invisible speakers today.

Greg Lowry:

So you can put them in and you can actually paint these the same color as your walls, and they just disappear.

Greg Lowry:

And they are awesome.

Greg Lowry:

They sound really good.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Because I walked into somebody's house once, and they said, hey, you want to hear my sound system?

Erica Thompson:

And I'm looking in the room like, oh, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

But like, where's the speakers?

Erica Thompson:

And then they turned it on, and then I knew, but what do you do?

Erica Thompson:

But what do you do if somebody wants something with that, with the enhanced technology and they live in an apartment, because you can't put those speakers in the wall, they'll, you know, they'll help come back and tell me I have to fix the wall.

Erica Thompson:

Well, they leave.

Greg Lowry:

They need a, they need a written permission first.

Greg Lowry:

Oh, to cut the walls open.

Greg Lowry:

And then once if they move, then they have to repair the walls.

Erica Thompson:

That's all I get.

Greg Lowry:

Work either way then coming and going.

Erica Thompson:

Coming and going.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, coming and going.

Erica Thompson:

That's true.

Speaker D:

Can you still do like a wall mount speaker?

Greg Lowry:

You still can do a wall mount?

Speaker D:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

Absolutely.

Greg Lowry:

I don't prefer them myself, but I still install them.

Greg Lowry:

Cause, you know, a lot of people, they get the home theaters in the box.

Greg Lowry:

They still sell those and they'll want them installed and, you know, in like a room here or there and get the mounts and pop them up.

Speaker D:

Well, that could work for an apartment as well.

Greg Lowry:

It can, it can external, but a lot of people don't want to see the speakers and that's the thing.

Speaker D:

Yeah, yeah, but there's the way off, like for somebody who's trying to budget this, like from my perspective, like what my brain's going through, I'm gonna pay you three grand to put them in and three grand to take them out, so.

Greg Lowry:

Right.

Speaker D:

You know, if it's just a couple screws, that's a better, like temporary living solution, that's all.

Greg Lowry:

If you're talking more of a budget, I would go with wireless speakers.

Speaker D:

The ones you just sat around.

Greg Lowry:

Yep.

Speaker D:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Good to know.

Greg Lowry:

And cuz you can take those with you when you move.

Speaker D:

Well, that's the solution.

Erica Thompson:

Hey, yeah, you go.

Speaker D:

Teamwork.

Erica Thompson:

That's a perfect idea.

Erica Thompson:

Yet wireless speakers and, you know, I know, but.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, but you know, the.

Erica Thompson:

I was trying to think, oh, you know, I remembered that other speaker name now and it just escaped me.

Erica Thompson:

What do they call those bar speakers that.

Greg Lowry:

Sound bars.

Erica Thompson:

Sound bars.

Erica Thompson:

Thank you.

Erica Thompson:

I was close.

Erica Thompson:

Sound bar speakers that are there that you could put under the tv.

Erica Thompson:

But I remember, I remember you being able to go back and try and do, and create a sense around experience in your living room, even if it wasn't in your home, and being able to place them in certain areas because I know, I know they had, I took the speakers down because they had them all on a ceiling.

Erica Thompson:

They had them behind you.

Erica Thompson:

They're trying to create that sense around experience, you know.

Erica Thompson:

And I think there's a lot of great movies with a lot of great sound that, that you could, you could feel like you're.

Erica Thompson:

If you watch the Star wars, you could feel like you're in the millennium Falcon, you know, flying, you know, so that's pretty cool.

Erica Thompson:

But what about the video, the video technology aspect of it?

Erica Thompson:

Because we talked about the sound aspect.

Erica Thompson:

What about the video aspect of it?

Erica Thompson:

Where, where have we come to versus where we were ten years ago?

Greg Lowry:

Well, today we had eight k vision.

Erica Thompson:

Eight k.

Erica Thompson:

Eight k.

Erica Thompson:

What happened?

Erica Thompson:

I thought we were at five k.

Erica Thompson:

We.

Erica Thompson:

No, we were at.

Erica Thompson:

So we're at eight k now.

Greg Lowry:

We're at eight k now.

Greg Lowry:

But there really isn't a whole lot of content in eight k.

Greg Lowry:

Vimeo Roku TV has a service and they have maybe 16 or 18 shows, but they're all basically geographical shows, images of Japan or the Arctic or animals, something like that.

Greg Lowry:

There aren't any movies in eight k or tv shows in eight k.

Greg Lowry:

But the biggest thing, in my opinion, is, especially if you're doing larger televisions or if you're doing projection screens, the larger the screen, the more chance of you to see artifacts, or you can pick up on little slight things that isn't correct with the picture.

Greg Lowry:

But if it's eight k, you don't see that.

Erica Thompson:

You can't see it.

Greg Lowry:

You really don't see that.

Greg Lowry:

So, yeah, it makes the larger screens look even better.

Erica Thompson:

They're sharper.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

And then with the screens, projection screens, they have an ambient light rejection factor that they come up with, so it makes the projection screens better.

Greg Lowry:

Also, motorized art screens for those who have light pictures of the kids or whatever, and they want it there.

Greg Lowry:

And then when they want to watch a movie, they hit a button and it goes away and the screen pops up.

Greg Lowry:

Also, laser projectors.

Greg Lowry:

Awesome.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Oh, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

Great picture.

Greg Lowry:

The darkest dark blacks and it's really, really good.

Greg Lowry:

But to me, the best part is that they last like 30 to 40, 50, 60,000 hours.

Erica Thompson:

Wow.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

That's like twelve years.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

So instead of buying four or five lamps for your projector, that costs around anywhere from three to $800.

Greg Lowry:

And then you having to go up and take the old lamp out and put the new lamp in, and you move the projector and then it's a big mess.

Erica Thompson:

Well, I remember doing that on the projector ahead in the theater room.

Erica Thompson:

The bulbs weren't that expensive, but.

Erica Thompson:

But they weren't cheap.

Greg Lowry:

No, no.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, but this time you just, you just get a whole new projector, pop it up.

Erica Thompson:

Why not?

Greg Lowry:

Yep.

Greg Lowry:

After twelve years,:

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, yeah, I imagine.

Erica Thompson:

I remember doing the, when I built the house, how we.

Erica Thompson:

Well, I had all the rooms, they soundproofed all the rooms.

Erica Thompson:

I insulated all the walls.

Erica Thompson:

And then we actually drywalled pretty much everything.

Erica Thompson:

But then I remember the front, the front wall was a special screen.

Erica Thompson:

I think I know this probably doesn't sound that big anymore with the screens they have now.

Erica Thompson:

But I remember I used to tell people I had this theater room, and he said, well, how big is a screen?

Erica Thompson:

I says, well, there's nothing like it being in a home theater versus going to Harkins or AMC because it's in your house and it's different.

Erica Thompson:

And then I used to give him the old singer.

Erica Thompson:

I'm like, there's nothing like seeing 103 inches of the starship enterprise on your screen in front of you while you're watching it.

Erica Thompson:

But, but 103 screen was big.

Erica Thompson:

But in today's.

Erica Thompson:

Today's market, it's not that big anymore.

Greg Lowry:

It's still big.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, it's still big, especially with the average home, you know, the average wall.

Greg Lowry:

Now there are walls out there that will do.

Greg Lowry:

There are 110 inch televisions out there.

Greg Lowry:

There's a 150 inch wall tv out there.

Greg Lowry:

It is unbelievable.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, it's awesome.

Greg Lowry:

It's awesome.

Greg Lowry:

vision now for, I don't know,:

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Wow.

Speaker D:

I'd rather spend that on a horse.

Speaker D:

I'd have more fun with that.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, but it'll last longer because you'd be able to use it well, now you can use a tv every day.

Erica Thompson:

You can watch horses on the screen.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

It's one of those wow.

Greg Lowry:

Factors that Steve was talking about earlier.

Speaker D:

Yeah, I get it is $120,000 horse, right?

Greg Lowry:

It is something.

Greg Lowry:

Well, you know, people spend their money on what they want to spend, they.

Speaker D:

Love and what they love, what they love their own.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

And, you know, and that's exactly right.

Erica Thompson:

Cause I remember, you know, my, my son in law said something years ago I will never forget to, because my stepdaughter wanted to go do something, and it was quite expensive, and they went and did it anyway.

Erica Thompson:

And he said, you know, steve, it's, it's not the cost that's that important.

Erica Thompson:

It's.

Erica Thompson:

It's the experience that counts.

Erica Thompson:

And if you're happy with the experience, if the price tag was way high, it's not going to make.

Erica Thompson:

It's not going to hurt you that much.

Erica Thompson:

And you'll say, but I enjoy what I paid for.

Greg Lowry:

See, I believe in that.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, absolutely.

Greg Lowry:

I have so many clients, I'll ask them, what's your budget?

Greg Lowry:

And they'll tell me, I don't know what the budget should be.

Greg Lowry:

And I'm like, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, you get that, too.

Erica Thompson:

I get that all the time.

Greg Lowry:

You know how much you don't want to spend, right?

Greg Lowry:

So you have a budget.

Greg Lowry:

But more than once, I'll tell you about the one in Glenn Goodyear.

Greg Lowry:

The gentleman gave me a budget of 25 grandd, and it was a third car garage, and we turned the third car garage into a dedicated home theater room.

Greg Lowry:

All right.

Greg Lowry:

And as we were working on it, we're going through it, and I'm talking to him almost every day, and he says, well, what if we got a better projector?

Greg Lowry:

I said, well, you can get a better projector, but you don't have to get a better screen because you already have a great screen, but if you get a better projector, it's going to give you a much, much better picture quality.

Greg Lowry:

He says, well, okay, let's do that.

Greg Lowry:

And, well, since I have already decided to get a new projector, upgrade the projector.

Greg Lowry:

Let's upgrade the sound, too.

Greg Lowry:

So he added another 10,000 because we put in a dedicated rack in his closet for his equipment, hide it away.

Greg Lowry:

And of course, we had the, we had the controls, the remotes and all of that.

Greg Lowry:

And we built a concession bar for him in the back for his goodies and a refrigerator, and it came out to be an extra ten grand.

Greg Lowry:

And he is one of the happiest guys you'd ever want to see on this planet.

Erica Thompson:

What's his address?

Erica Thompson:

We'll go over and watch him every Sunday.

Erica Thompson:

We'll watch some football.

Greg Lowry:

He loves it.

Greg Lowry:

He loves it.

Greg Lowry:

He loves it.

Greg Lowry:

He loves it because it's what he wanted.

Erica Thompson:

Exactly.

Greg Lowry:

You know, and when people get what they want, they can't help but love it.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Erica Thompson:

You know, and it's so important.

Erica Thompson:

It's just, I guess that you could say it's human nature because, you know, when we spend a lot of money on things that we, we don't like, but we have to, and we just kind of like, grin and bear it.

Erica Thompson:

Like I tell people when we talk about putting solar systems on your house, they hand me their utility bills and I could see the pain in their face.

Erica Thompson:

I have to pay this every month to AP's or SRP, and it's just too much.

Erica Thompson:

But they have to do it because they haven't thought about going solar.

Erica Thompson:

But now I give them an alternative.

Erica Thompson:

Now I'm trying to ease the pain a little bit for them and make it worthwhile.

Erica Thompson:

So if they're spending, it's better to spend money on something that is part of the house and it's going to increase the value of the house then giving it and just flushing it down the toilet to utility company, because that's all you're doing.

Erica Thompson:

So why wouldn't you rather put it into your home?

Erica Thompson:

Whether it's solar or if it's an entertainment, you know, equipment in a center or room or something like that?

Erica Thompson:

I think that's, I think that's smart business.

Erica Thompson:

But I think people, sometimes they have like a knee jerk reaction because they'll see something on tv and the first thing they do, oh, I want it.

Erica Thompson:

Okay, but wait a minute.

Erica Thompson:

There's a big picture here and you need to talk to a professional like yourself, you know, because, you know, you may have things in your home, you may want something, but what you're thinking of may not be conducive for your living area.

Greg Lowry:

Right.

Erica Thompson:

You know?

Erica Thompson:

So I'm sure that a lot of that goes through when you have a consultation, right?

Greg Lowry:

It does.

Greg Lowry:

I talked a lady out of 100 inch tv once.

Erica Thompson:

A hundred what?

Greg Lowry:

100 inch tv.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

She wanted a hundred inch tv, hung up and I was like, that's gonna be a little too big.

Speaker D:

Always consult with a professional.

Erica Thompson:

Yes, always.

Speaker D:

We want to help save you money, not spend your money.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

And make it look good.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

It has to look good.

Greg Lowry:

It has to fit within.

Speaker D:

Make it right.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

It has to be.

Speaker D:

Make it right.

Erica Thompson:

And you can always get a second opinion from Erica, the dominating designer, charged.

Speaker D:

By the hour and the square foot.

Erica Thompson:

There we go.

Erica Thompson:

No, but it's really important to be able to do that.

Erica Thompson:

And that's what we just try and do here on the show every week, help people stop and think about making educated decisions on what they, what they want to do.

Erica Thompson:

But we're going to take a short break and if you are looking to elevate your audio visuals, I want everybody to stay tuned because there's something incredible on your way.

Erica Thompson:

It's called streamlined audio systems, which redefine sound.

Erica Thompson:

And in advanced screen surfaces, which are coming along just like the sound, are taking the entertainment market by storm and to a new level.

Erica Thompson:

So get ready for that innovation and you won't miss this next edmit.

Erica Thompson:

So make sure you stay tuned.

Erica Thompson:

Do box car universe.

Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

All right, we are back, and you're listening to Boxcar universe.

Erica Thompson:

And here we are.

Erica Thompson:

And it's Erica.

Erica Thompson:

You know, it's.

Erica Thompson:

And Greg, it's almost time for, for Halloween.

Erica Thompson:

I'm sure there could be some big screens out there with some big scary shows on out there, you know, some ghosts and goblins and, and whatever else happens during Halloween.

Erica Thompson:

But, yeah, these are things that people, I think it's one of the things that we living in America actually have the luxury of enjoying.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, there's a lot of people in the world that can't enjoy some of these things that, that we enjoy.

Erica Thompson:

When it comes to audio and visual, which I think a lot of times it, I know for me, it de stresses me.

Erica Thompson:

You know, you watch something, and the really cool thing that I like about now, you'd have these.

Erica Thompson:

And I know a lot of the homeowners that I've been in their homes, they'll have the screens and their tvs on, and they'll be streaming some kind of music with, with, like, nature sounds and stuff like that.

Erica Thompson:

And it's almost like, it's almost like artwork in a moving picture that you can't get with just a static picture.

Erica Thompson:

And I think it just, it just makes the whole room feel more inviting.

Erica Thompson:

So at the same time, you're creating an audio and visual experience.

Erica Thompson:

You're changing and creating an atmosphere for these people to enjoy, which I think it just seems to be like a byproduct of all the other good work to you, the nuts and bolts and I'm sure a lot of these people shouldn't say all, but a lot of these people just want to know, okay, this is what I want.

Erica Thompson:

Just install it and make it work.

Erica Thompson:

And as long as they hear it or see it, they're happy.

Erica Thompson:

You know, they don't need to know.

Erica Thompson:

Well, I had to do this.

Erica Thompson:

Or, you know, some people.

Erica Thompson:

And then some people do get into the.

Erica Thompson:

The technology of it.

Erica Thompson:

Like, I'd love to learn the technology of why the things work the way they do and where the technology is now.

Erica Thompson:

You know, like, when I built my house, they tried.

Erica Thompson:

They tried.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I went and ran.

Erica Thompson:

I written cables.

Erica Thompson:

I pulled them myself, and I ran, like, two or three extra lines, and everybody said, well, you know, streaming is coming.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, this is back in:

Erica Thompson:

Streaming, everybody.

Erica Thompson:

Streaming is coming.

Erica Thompson:

Excuse me.

Erica Thompson:

You don't need Directv.

Erica Thompson:

And it was like, because I couldn't get.

Erica Thompson:

I couldn't get cox cable where I was.

Erica Thompson:

So you got to take a cable.

Erica Thompson:

You had either direct or dish.

Erica Thompson:

And then I said, well, I don't know.

Erica Thompson:

You know, because it was so new at the time.

Erica Thompson:

I was like, we'll just get a dish.

Erica Thompson:

Okay?

Erica Thompson:

And then streaming just seems to have come in and just taken over.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, like, now I've got.

Erica Thompson:

Everything is done with Wi Fi and streaming, and even if you want regular channels, you can still get them.

Erica Thompson:

And it still costs less money than if you go to those two companies, because I know.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I know a friend of mine, he was spending for over $200 just for a basic cable and Internet, which is just like.

Erica Thompson:

It's just ridiculous.

Erica Thompson:

It's almost like a car payment.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, it's crazy.

Greg Lowry:

It can get nuts.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, it can.

Erica Thompson:

But tell us a little bit about the streamlined audio systems.

Greg Lowry:

Well, we were talking.

Greg Lowry:

We touched on it earlier about architectural speakers in wall and ceiling and invisible speakers, where you put them inside the wall and you can actually put plaster over them and then paint so that they're gone.

Greg Lowry:

So.

Erica Thompson:

But those.

Erica Thompson:

But those.

Erica Thompson:

Those speakers that they do put in the wall, obviously, they're not what some people may think is traditional speakers that have.

Erica Thompson:

That are.

Erica Thompson:

Have a lot of depth to it because.

Erica Thompson:

Because you only have three and a half inches inside the wall.

Erica Thompson:

So they've got to be.

Erica Thompson:

They've got to be streamlined.

Erica Thompson:

They are narrow.

Greg Lowry:

They are streamlined.

Greg Lowry:

They're.

Greg Lowry:

They're not as deep, and they're made differently.

Greg Lowry:

They don't have what you would actually call a subwoofer.

Greg Lowry:

It's phonetically, it vibrates the wall itself, and causes the sound.

Greg Lowry:

So it basically uses the wall as a woofer.

Speaker D:

So that's two less components.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

So we were talking about a center speaker.

Greg Lowry:

So if you have a television mounted, you put one of those underneath the tv in the wall, and it disappears once you paint over it.

Speaker D:

Also known as the center channel.

Speaker D:

The center channel, which is confusing.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, that.

Greg Lowry:

The center channel.

Greg Lowry:

Now there's also, if you're using a screen for a projector, you can just put a in ceiling, in wall speaker behind it, because they make a screen that sound can penetrate.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

So you're able to put the speakers right behind the screen itself and you won't see them because the screen's there.

Speaker D:

Very nice.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

So there's a couple of ways to get around not seeing that center speed.

Erica Thompson:

Right now with those situations.

Erica Thompson:

Is it most of the time done with Wifi?

Greg Lowry:

No, no, no, no.

Greg Lowry:

You have to run a line to it.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

Now, Wifi, there's a company out there that makes a sound bar.

Greg Lowry:

Well, there's a ton of companies that make sound bars.

Greg Lowry:

And you can get a different mount.

Greg Lowry:

If you mount the tv on the wall, you can put.

Greg Lowry:

Put it on the mount itself.

Greg Lowry:

So you'll have a tv wall mount, and then you'll have a sound bar mount that mounts to the tv.

Greg Lowry:

So it looks like one piece of equipment.

Greg Lowry:

You still see it, but if you're just glancing at it, it just looks like part of the tv.

Speaker D:

It's okay.

Speaker D:

It's okay for things to be seen and live in a delusional world where everything's invisible, things are okay to be there, you know?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, but everything else, everything else you can hide.

Greg Lowry:

You can put all the equipment in a different room.

Greg Lowry:

You don't need to see it at all.

Greg Lowry:

So the only thing you'll see is the screen.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, I mean, I had, when I had mine done, I had a.

Erica Thompson:

It was like right off the wall, and it was.

Erica Thompson:

I almost had like a bump out where I had the equipment in the room.

Erica Thompson:

And then on the outside in the hallway, I had a door, so we can access the back of the closet where all the equipment was.

Erica Thompson:

So in case there anything you got to ever get into, to service or anything, you can get in there and do that.

Erica Thompson:

So, you know, if you can do this in a lot of homes that are already existing, but, you know, for people that are thinking to doing new builds, now's the time to sit down and talk to you about, you know, what.

Erica Thompson:

What would I like in my new build in the way of audio and visual and because a lot of this stuff, it's a lot easier to run wires when there's no drywall up.

Greg Lowry:

And less expensive.

Erica Thompson:

And less expensive, most importantly, it's less expensive.

Erica Thompson:

Absolutely.

Erica Thompson:

So those things are important.

Erica Thompson:

But what's the difference?

Erica Thompson:

Now, when we talk about, you know, advanced screen surfaces, what are we talking about?

Erica Thompson:

The actual surface or.

Erica Thompson:

We're not.

Erica Thompson:

We're not talking about plasma versus led, are we?

Greg Lowry:

No, no.

Greg Lowry:

You're talking.

Greg Lowry:

You're talking oled versus led.

Greg Lowry:

Plasma is way gone.

Erica Thompson:

It's in a stone age.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, yeah, it's way gone.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

You're talking about pixels, actually.

Erica Thompson:

Right.

Greg Lowry:

Who can give you the most pixels in the space allowed with the darkest, with the blackest blacks?

Greg Lowry:

And that's what gives you the greatest color palette.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

And, you know, thinking about that, like, when you go into going to Costco, we'll say, and they have every kind of tv that's up there.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Erica Thompson:

And, you know, you're looking at the tv, and I think, I know when I go in there, I'm like, first thing I look at, I'm looking to see what tv has the best, best picture that I like.

Erica Thompson:

And then after that, I'll go look at the brand and to see.

Erica Thompson:

And if I like the brand name and I like the picture, well, then I'll look further.

Erica Thompson:

If not, you know, but you think about all those even.

Erica Thompson:

Are there any differences in picture with the same pixel count between brands?

Greg Lowry:

Yes.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, see, that's what I thought.

Greg Lowry:

Yes.

Erica Thompson:

Why is that?

Greg Lowry:

Because the ones with the less.

Greg Lowry:

With the better pixels and the more pixels gonna cost you more.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

You're gonna get a better picture.

Greg Lowry:

So the ones with the.

Greg Lowry:

If it's.

Greg Lowry:

How many ever pixels that it has is the same, it's still.

Greg Lowry:

They're.

Greg Lowry:

They're not as close.

Greg Lowry:

Okay, so you all have more pixels on a 150 inch television set brand than on a 75 inch television of a different brand.

Erica Thompson:

No.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

So it's.

Erica Thompson:

It's really crazy, but I gotta believe that Costco or Walmart or any.

Erica Thompson:

Any store that, that lines them all up like that, it's.

Erica Thompson:

It's.

Erica Thompson:

It's a marketing ploy, too.

Erica Thompson:

It's not just a shelf with tvs on it.

Greg Lowry:

Actually, today it is.

Erica Thompson:

You think so?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

When I started.

Greg Lowry:

First started in a business before, actually, when.

Greg Lowry:

One thousand eighty p.

Greg Lowry:

One thousand eighty.

Greg Lowry:

I first came out.

Erica Thompson:

I remember that.

Greg Lowry:

Remember that?

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

They used to send us out a machine to hook up to the televisions with an hd picture on it, with an hd loop on it, and it would give you the greatest picture you had ever seen in your life up to that moment.

Greg Lowry:

But when you take it home, it was just a regular old picture.

Greg Lowry:

So the tvs today, what you see at home is usually what you see at the store.

Erica Thompson:

At the store, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

The only difference is if you get at home and you have like a.

Greg Lowry:

You have 4k or eight k content, then you'll see the difference.

Greg Lowry:

You'll see a huge difference.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Oh, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I know for a fact that when I had.

Erica Thompson:

When I had built that house with the theater room, we had, in fact, I had the almost the same concept design for that work that I did it at your customer's house when we took out.

Erica Thompson:

Remember that?

Erica Thompson:

The niche?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Erica Thompson:

Where I had a tv sitting in there and I had built it to fit around a certain size tv, but the thing was like 2ft deep, you know, and that was, that was, that was, you know, top of the line technology back then.

Erica Thompson:

And it's.

Erica Thompson:

But then it still took two people to get.

Erica Thompson:

To take it out and put it in the.

Erica Thompson:

And then when I went out and get it, that tape, believe it or not, that tv lasted almost 15 years.

Greg Lowry:

I remember that.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

So, but now, I mean, I got one the same size screen, almost.

Erica Thompson:

And I could put it under.

Erica Thompson:

I could carry one arm under, you know, and with one person, just my own.

Erica Thompson:

Right.

Erica Thompson:

Just carried it right in, put it.

Erica Thompson:

Put this.

Erica Thompson:

Put the legs on, put it on the stand, and there you are.

Erica Thompson:

I.

Erica Thompson:

And the pictures are great.

Erica Thompson:

So, I mean, it's, it's, it.

Erica Thompson:

The screens are just different.

Erica Thompson:

And I remember some of the other ones, they.

Erica Thompson:

They always told you, don't touch the screen.

Erica Thompson:

Besides.

Erica Thompson:

And it wasn't just to put your finger fingerprints on it.

Erica Thompson:

They just always say, don't touch the screen.

Greg Lowry:

Right.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

Because they were so, um.

Greg Lowry:

You could scratch them, actually.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, you scratch those screens because they had the laser, they had the plasma, and, um, the other was the.

Greg Lowry:

I forgot what it was called.

Greg Lowry:

It was so long ago.

Greg Lowry:

But you could actually scratch the screen and you don't want to touch them.

Greg Lowry:

And then it was.

Greg Lowry:

The oils in your fingers would get in there.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

You could leave oil marks on the screen.

Greg Lowry:

Also piggyback on what you said about your television, your old tv.

Greg Lowry:

One of the things that people need to stay away from is building exact niches for a specific tv.

Erica Thompson:

Right.

Greg Lowry:

Cause if that tv goes out, then you're gonna catch it.

Greg Lowry:

If you find.

Greg Lowry:

If you got a television set and they change the sizes.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, then you're in trouble.

Erica Thompson:

You know, one of my friends, she came up with a great idea she had that same thing happened.

Erica Thompson:

So when the old tv went out, she bought another tv that, that fit in, but it wasn't as high as the other one.

Erica Thompson:

She took an old suitcase and put the suitcase on top of the bottom of the niche and put the tv on top of the suitcase.

Erica Thompson:

This way it was high enough and it works for her.

Erica Thompson:

I'm like, what do you want to do when you need the suitcase?

Erica Thompson:

She said, I don't use it anymore, but people will do certain things, you know, just, but you're absolutely right.

Erica Thompson:

Don't build it for that one size because you never know what's going to change.

Greg Lowry:

You never know what's going to change.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, it's crazy.

Erica Thompson:

It's crazy.

Erica Thompson:

All right, we're going to take one more break before we get to talk about a few more things, and then we're going to wrap things up.

Erica Thompson:

We're going to talk about the, actually talk a little bit about voice controlled systems and get ready for that seamless high tech experience.

Erica Thompson:

So I don't want everybody hang tight.

Erica Thompson:

We gave you all this information, so this way you know, you know what to buy for Christmas and you need to go call Greg.

Erica Thompson:

So stay tuned.

Erica Thompson:

We got his contact information, too.

Erica Thompson:

You're listening to Boxcar Universe.

Erica Thompson:

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Erica Thompson:

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Sean:

Hi, I'm Sean with mister electric, and I have a tip to help make your life better.

Sean:

One important reminder is to call a qualified electrician when you have frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers.

Sean:

When a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows, it's indicating that you have a problem with some other part of the circuit.

Sean:

If your breaker trips more than once, you should have a qualified electrician come out and take a look at it.

Sean:

Contrary to what may be acceptable, you really shouldn't try to continuously try to reset the breaker because there may be a problem somewhere else down the circuit, and you could be causing a fire hazard.

Sean:

There could be a loose connection or some other form of problem on the circuit.

Sean:

And every time you reset the circuit breaker, it could be causing a spark at the other end.

Sean:

We recommend having a qualified electrician come out of and check on the condition of the circuit and make sure that the circuit does not have any problems.

Sean:

And it could just be a bad breaker also.

Sean:

But you definitely want to have a qualified electrician check that out.

Sean:

To have someone come out from our team may only take a portion of a day, but it could potentially save you a lot of money for your life.

Sean:

And that's just another way Mister electric has the power to make your life better.

Erica Thompson:

All right, we are back, and you're listening to Boxcar universe, and we are talking with Greg Lowry from definitive entertainment.

Erica Thompson:

And one of the last things we want to talk about, which is something that we briefly touched on in the first segment, talking about voice controlled systems.

Erica Thompson:

And I guess, Erica, we could call it the Jetson effect.

Erica Thompson:

Right, slash clapper or slash slapper.

Erica Thompson:

Right.

Erica Thompson:

Clap.

Erica Thompson:

Okay, Greg, talk.

Speaker D:

Turn that movie on.

Greg Lowry:

I still have one of those.

Erica Thompson:

Do you really?

Erica Thompson:

All right.

Speaker D:

Does it work?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Just nothing like a little nostalgia.

Erica Thompson:

Hey, don't kid yourself.

Erica Thompson:

Nostalgic, because, you know, my videographer, he.

Erica Thompson:

In his studio where he has.

Erica Thompson:

He's got this one area where he's got all these old cameras.

Erica Thompson:

I think he brought.

Erica Thompson:

I think he said he had the first professional video camera that was used in Hollywood.

Erica Thompson:

That was 4d going back in the day.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, it.

Erica Thompson:

He's got is.

Erica Thompson:

It's.

Erica Thompson:

It's like a camera museum.

Erica Thompson:

So, yeah, so embedded nostalgia is good.

Erica Thompson:

It's good to reflect.

Erica Thompson:

But anyway, so beyond enough with a clapper.

Erica Thompson:

Let's.

Erica Thompson:

Let's talk about these voice controlled systems.

Greg Lowry:

Well, voice control has been around for a little bit.

Greg Lowry:

It's been kind of shaky when it first came in, of course, just like any new technology.

Greg Lowry:

But today, with the advent of Echo and Siri and Alexa and Alexa.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

I call them listening devices.

Speaker D:

Cause they're spying on you.

Greg Lowry:

They are?

Erica Thompson:

They are?

Greg Lowry:

Oh, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

They are.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, yeah.

Greg Lowry:

How do you think they understand you?

Greg Lowry:

Well, yeah, it's always on, so.

Greg Lowry:

But you have to be AI.

Erica Thompson:

They have to be some AI.

Speaker D:

They are AI.

Speaker D:

How are they turning around?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, they're gonna turn around, they're gonna talk to you, so they're gonna.

Speaker D:

Lock you out of your house one day.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, can you imagine?

Erica Thompson:

That'd be great for somebody who's, who's, you know, elderly, single, has something, needs somebody to talk to.

Erica Thompson:

They don't have a pet.

Erica Thompson:

They'll talk to their, they'll talk to Alexa.

Greg Lowry:

Well, I was in a home a few years ago, this was probably about eight years ago, seven years ago, and we were installing some televisions, and I was talking to one of my techs, and the AI came on and said, ask me to repeat the question.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

It just listens to everything.

Greg Lowry:

That's the way it works.

Greg Lowry:

It listens to everything.

Greg Lowry:

It picks up on the keywords.

Greg Lowry:

That's how it works.

Greg Lowry:

But today it doesn't happen so much.

Speaker D:

They pick up on keywords as well, like treat food, car, outside, go for a drive.

Greg Lowry:

We're going to the vet, and they run away.

Speaker D:

Grandma's house.

Speaker D:

What?

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

But you can connect these devices to the system, and, I mean, it can control your, you can control your lighting, you can control your sound and your playback with voice commands.

Greg Lowry:

You can also integrate the system so you can have them play your, pull up your.

Greg Lowry:

And play your favorite streaming apps.

Greg Lowry:

So it's, it's, it can, it can get complicated to, to program, but once it's programmed, you won't have any problems with it.

Greg Lowry:

You shouldn't.

Erica Thompson:

Now, what happens if there's, like, an electrical outage?

Erica Thompson:

Does it hold all the programming?

Greg Lowry:

It holds the programming.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yes.

Greg Lowry:

Yes.

Erica Thompson:

God forbid.

Erica Thompson:

I can't.

Erica Thompson:

Can you imagine that?

Erica Thompson:

If electricity goes out, you got to have somebody come over and reprogram everything?

Erica Thompson:

What a nightmare.

Greg Lowry:

Well, depending on what system you use, as far as control, some systems, you have to come over and reprogram everything.

Greg Lowry:

Other systems, the more expensive systems, they have it backed up, and all you have to do is download it.

Erica Thompson:

Wow.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

So those are the.

Greg Lowry:

I suggest the better systems.

Erica Thompson:

Sure.

Greg Lowry:

Because we were in Scottsdale once.

Greg Lowry:

I think we were on, like, six weeks on just programming.

Greg Lowry:

No way.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Wow.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Five days a week.

Greg Lowry:

Five days a week.

Erica Thompson:

Wow.

Greg Lowry:

And we were like, six weeks.

Greg Lowry:

It was a 10,000 square foot home.

Greg Lowry:

And the system controlled all the lighting.

Speaker D:

Was it in silver leaf?

Greg Lowry:

Judson.

Speaker D:

Oh, Judson.

Greg Lowry:

And it controlled all the lighting.

Greg Lowry:

It controlled inside and outside the house.

Greg Lowry:

It controlled the water system, the irrigation system, the pool system.

Greg Lowry:

It controlled all the components for the audio system.

Greg Lowry:

So it did.

Greg Lowry:

It was a lot.

Greg Lowry:

It was a lot.

Greg Lowry:

And they wanted it a specific way, so it just took some time to get it right for them.

Erica Thompson:

Ring doorbell.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I.

Erica Thompson:

I'm in Vegas, and someone's at your front door, and you could see who's in your front door, and you're 250 miles away or even further if you're in another part of the country, which is really good, and you can even talk to them.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, I know somebody went to my door once, and I was out of town, and I was like, who the heck is it?

Erica Thompson:

My front door?

Erica Thompson:

And it was somebody that was a friend of mine didn't know that I was out.

Erica Thompson:

She needed.

Erica Thompson:

She wanted to stop by and say.

Erica Thompson:

And talk to me about something, and I was like, I'm in Vegas.

Erica Thompson:

Come back and see me in three days.

Greg Lowry:

You want to add a camera system to that, too?

Erica Thompson:

Well, it's got the camera on it.

Greg Lowry:

No, I mean for the.

Greg Lowry:

For the rest of the.

Greg Lowry:

All around the home.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, the interior.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Yes.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

I was out shopping once, and my cousin came in.

Greg Lowry:

She flew in, and we forgot all about the time.

Greg Lowry:

And she calls me, hey, I'm at the house.

Greg Lowry:

So I get on my cameras.

Greg Lowry:

I see it's her.

Greg Lowry:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

I switch off the alarm, I open the garage door, and then I open the inside door.

Greg Lowry:

I turn the lock.

Greg Lowry:

Open the lock on the inside door.

Greg Lowry:

I did all that for my phone.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

And then when she was in, you know, I closed everything up.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

So.

Greg Lowry:

So you can actually control your whole home from your phone or your iPad or your tablet or your laptop.

Greg Lowry:

You know, you can.

Greg Lowry:

You can put the app on there, and then you.

Greg Lowry:

You can control it from wherever.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, it's just pretty amazing, these things that you could do now to be able to do that.

Erica Thompson:

But what do you think?

Erica Thompson:

And I know every.

Erica Thompson:

Every home that you do is a little bit different, but is there, like, maybe a range you could tell the listeners, like.

Erica Thompson:

Like, something that's basic versus something that's in the middle and something maybe that's more, you know, more luxury orientated.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, what kind of range?

Erica Thompson:

You know?

Greg Lowry:

You mean price range?

Erica Thompson:

Price range.

Erica Thompson:

So that people might be looking at.

Erica Thompson:

And I know it's hard.

Erica Thompson:

You can't pinpoint one because they're all different.

Erica Thompson:

But, I mean.

Greg Lowry:

Well, basic is just the tv.

Greg Lowry:

That.

Greg Lowry:

That's it.

Greg Lowry:

It's just tv.

Greg Lowry:

And you mount it on the wall, or you just put the feet on and you put it on top of a table somewhere.

Greg Lowry:

That's basic.

Erica Thompson:

That's easy enough.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah, but if you're looking for, like, a simple surround sound, I would go with the wireless surround sound, because at that point, you're not running wires, you're nothing.

Greg Lowry:

Chopping up your house, you can actually just go with the sound bar, a good sound bar and a subwoofer.

Greg Lowry:

That's all you need.

Greg Lowry:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

If you want true surround sound, then add two wireless speakers for the rears, and that won't cost a whole lot.

Greg Lowry:

t for that with the tv, maybe:

Greg Lowry:

Basic, basic control.

Greg Lowry:

Remote control.

Greg Lowry:

And there's stages above that.

Erica Thompson:

Sure.

Greg Lowry:

You know, because it all depends on, you know, the room and everything.

Greg Lowry:

But, I mean, I've done homes for, like I said, a couple thousand dollars.

Greg Lowry:

I've done homes for a couple hundred thousand dollars.

Greg Lowry:

And it all depends on what you want, how you want it.

Greg Lowry:

It's really hard to pin down specific pricing because product is so diverse.

Greg Lowry:

You know, I can get you a speaker, a pair of speakers for $150, or I can get you a pair of speakers for $500,000.

Erica Thompson:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

It's that large of a range.

Greg Lowry:

It's unbelievable, the sound that these speakers have.

Speaker D:

I get it.

Speaker D:

I'm sure they're amazing.

Greg Lowry:

I understand.

Greg Lowry:

It's like someone gives you a Shetland pony.

Speaker D:

They're rotten little things.

Greg Lowry:

And then they tease you with a Kentucky thoroughbred.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

Okay.

Greg Lowry:

That's the difference.

Greg Lowry:

There truly is a huge difference in sound.

Greg Lowry:

Picture quality.

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Greg Lowry:

You can see it.

Greg Lowry:

There's a big difference.

Greg Lowry:

But sound will make you cry.

Speaker D:

Yeah, I know.

Speaker D:

Like, I understand that.

Speaker D:

The speakers in my car, they're terrible.

Speaker D:

And, like, I'm like, does anybody hear that?

Speaker D:

They're like, no, it sounds great.

Speaker D:

And I'm like, nope, I hear it.

Speaker D:

I hear it.

Speaker D:

So I, like, hear, like, little reverbs.

Speaker D:

I'm really ultra sensitive to.

Greg Lowry:

And most people are.

Greg Lowry:

Most people are.

Greg Lowry:

And believe it or not, there have been tests where they'll have the same tv, one in each room, but the sound system in the two rooms are totally different.

Greg Lowry:

One's higher quality, and they will all come back.

Greg Lowry:

And we're asked the same question, which television set looked the best?

Greg Lowry:

And they all picked the one that had the better sound, right?

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, that's right.

Erica Thompson:

I could see that.

Erica Thompson:

That's amazing.

Erica Thompson:

Greg, tell our listeners how they could contact you.

Greg Lowry:

-:

Erica Thompson:

And that's.

Erica Thompson:

And you basically cover the whole phoenix area and surrounding.

Erica Thompson:

And state.

Greg Lowry:

State.

Erica Thompson:

All right.

Greg Lowry:

Actually, we've done work out of state, too, but.

Erica Thompson:

Really?

Greg Lowry:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

All right.

Greg Lowry:

For your listeners in state, too.

Erica Thompson:

Sure.

Erica Thompson:

I mean, we're all over the country.

Erica Thompson:

But, you know, for our purposes here.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Around the state.

Erica Thompson:

That's real.

Erica Thompson:

That's really good.

Erica Thompson:

Yeah.

Erica Thompson:

Even, even up in Greer.

Greg Lowry:

Even up in Greer.

Erica Thompson:

Even up in Greer where there's, there's like nothing but.

Erica Thompson:

Except peace and quiet.

Erica Thompson:

But no, Greer is a really nice place.

Erica Thompson:

I was up there once and I really enjoyed it.

Erica Thompson:

It was really good.

Erica Thompson:

But Greg, thanks so much for being on a show today.

Erica Thompson:

A wealth of knowledge and don't be a stranger will be around.

Erica Thompson:

This is our home at the box car universe studio.

Erica Thompson:

So make sure that you will stay in touch and see what happens.

Erica Thompson:

And I look forward to a good:

Greg Lowry:

Thank you for having me.

Erica Thompson:

You know, and then if you, if you're really good, Eric, go get your pony.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Speaker D:

I know where to find them.

Erica Thompson:

Oh, yeah.

Erica Thompson:

All right.

Erica Thompson:

All right.

Erica Thompson:

And we want to thank all our listeners for listening to Boxcar Universe.

Erica Thompson:

And remember, we are your source for cutting edge information on container homes, container pools, remodeling and renovations.

Erica Thompson:

And, and one of those wireless systems would work fabulous in a container.

Erica Thompson:

His.

Erica Thompson:

We were going to have our model out on the west side of town, and that's something that we should probably offer, and we can work that out.

Erica Thompson:

Offer a sound system for your container home, which I think would really be good and make, make it even more enjoyable than it already is.

Erica Thompson:

But if you are thinking of building a container home, make sure you touch base with Eric or myself, and we could help design that dream container home for you.

Erica Thompson:

Make sure that you could always contact us at boxcarliving@gmail.com, or Steve at boxcar universe.com.

Erica Thompson:

and remember, Boxcar Universe can be heard, excuse me.

Erica Thompson:

Can be heard weekly on any podcast player.

Erica Thompson:

And always remember Boxcar universe, remodeling and renovating your world.

Erica Thompson:

Have a great weekend.

Greg Lowry:

You're a great american.

Greg Lowry:

I love.

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About the Podcast

Boxcar Universe
Boxcar Universe - brings the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about high-tech container home sustainable lifestyle living. For over 17 years, TV and radio personality Steve Deubel has been hosting the Image Home Improvement Show—always at the forefront of home improvement and home renovation projects now entering the new wave sweeping the country….Container Home Living in the “Boxcar Universe" Mel Alva joins Steve as his co-host. Mel is the owner of Alva Interiors AZ. & has over 22 years' experience in residential and commercial design. Together, they join forces and bring you the cutting edge information of Container Home & Sustainable Lifestyle Living.

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Stephen Deubel