Bob meets up with Tim Woods from the Internet Home Alliance in the living room to check out the Panasonic homeentertainment center. The Panasonic wide screen projection HDTV features digital light processing ensuring high definition picture quality from any angle. The TV is tied into the DVD player and also into the surround sound stereo system. The TV signal comes digitally from the Hughes Network System DirecTV which comes in off the satellite. Next Tim shows Bob the Panasonic E-Cam. The camera can be set up anywhere in the house as used as a nanny cam or to keep an eye out for intruders. Tim has a home page set up for the camera on the Panasonic Toughbook. Utilizing the web page, the camera can be accessed through the web at any time and from any place. The Toughbook is totally wireless thanks to the home's Cisco Aironet System. Next they look at the Panasonic LCD screen with a DVD player in it. The screen is very flat and has the same aspect ratio as the large HDTV in the living room.
Bob frames an exotic partition wall to resemble a banana leaf in a Miami kitchen renovation. The crowning pieces have been pre-cut and are ready for installtion.
Bob meets with Dan Drook to check out the multimedia entertainment center. Dan outlines the planned layout of the media components and describes the special television screen they will use to work with natural light of the room.
Bob Ryley meets with Ken Frankel from Lucent Technologies to talk about the new HomeStar wiring system. Ryley points out the outlet part of the system on the wall. These outlets, of which there are six in the house, connect into the basement. Ken explains that the HomeStar system takes care of television, phone, internet, and security for homeowners. Homeowners can be sitting in the living room and see who is at the front door without getting up. Cameras are linked into the television for exterior and interior monitoring. The wire connecting the outlets distributes voice, data, and video through the house. Bob then shows us the hybrid wire which consists of three wires on the inside. The first is a cable wire for television. The second is for video distribution and security monitoring, and the third is for telephone and computer. The telephone and data wire is the highest grade wire called a Category Five wire. Ken tells us that cat five is six hundred times faster than a regular phone wire and perfect for home office use. He points out that using HomeStar a homeowner can save money with the networking capabilities of cables linking various televisions and computers throughout the home.