THE VILLAGE AT WESTFIELD TOPANGA SUPERSTORE HOSTS THE BIGGEST GRAND OPENING OF THEM ALL!

The Grand Opening of the new all-digital, all-touch Superstore was a monumental occasion not just for those who attended, but for all who now have a location for the latest TVs, audio equipment, mobile, wearables, drones and electronics. That’s because the top consumer electronic companies making the most exciting products bring their wares to the store for all to see. And seeing is believing — especially when knowledgeable personnel are there to assist.

The Grand Opening was kicked off by Tom Campbell, Corporate Director and spokesperson, who led the introductions by introducing luminaries from the Consumer Electronics world — notables whose presence bespoke the importance of what the store is housing. There was Mike Fasulo, President and COO, Sony Electronics, and Tim Alessi, Director, New product development, LG Electronics and George Madrigal, Director of Sales and Marketing, Samsung Electronics and Head Monster CEO Noel Lee among others. Also present, and representing the “content” side of things was Mike Dunn, President, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

This was followed by a presentation by the local Chamber of Commerce and a ribbon cutting ceremony with one VERY big pair of scissors!

Presiding over all this were the co-owners of Video & Audio Center, Joseph Akhtarzad and Mayer Akhtarzad. It was pointed out that it was the vision of these two that enabled this latest Superstore to not just come to fruition, but to be enabled in such a fashion that is so inviting to the consumer looking for the latest and best technologies for their homes and cars and pockets. This is not a store where you stand back against a wall — instead it’s designed so that the consumer can get up close and personal. And for those looking for help in having the best electronics for their home, Just One Touch, Video & Audio Center’s In-House Custom Installation Division was right there to help too.

To aid those visiting, interactive demo stations dot the store’s interior — calling attention to the first appearances of the world's first 105-inch panoramic 5K HDTV which comes with a stunning 21 x 9 aspect ratio, the world’s thinnest 4K 75-inch HDTV and new curved and flat OLED 4K with HDR (High Dynamic Range. Also front and center, and floating in a tub of water was the Monster 24K BackFloat — the quality of sound of this portable Bluetooth speaker was just as impressive as its total waterproof abilities. Also presented for the first time was the all-new Play 5:Sonos audio system to provide the finest in streaming sound.

Of course this doesn’t begin to catalog the impressive total of products that dotted the store — and amidst the trailers for the new James Bond movie, SPECTRE, blazing forth on 4K TVs with blinding brilliance and detail to Neato Robotics new Robot cleaning technology — there was so much to see and do that the only sane choice is to come back again another day. That is a great solution to anyone who wasn’t able to attend the Grand Opening as well — because The Village at Westfield Topanga, like all of the Superstores, is open every day. 

 

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GETING EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING VIDEO & AUDIO CENTER SUPERSTORE GRAND OPENING OCT 22ND

Everybody laments the past and praises the present — at least when it comes to electronic devices. And there’s no denying that TVs today are infinitely better than the old tube-models of the past. But where can you see the latest models — be they 4K TVs, Curved TVs, Android TVs, OLED TVs — when they’re at best placed in stores where it’s up to you to read what they’re all about on placards written by folks who have no idea what they are talking about?

That’s why a Grand Opening Event is so exciting — because it’s a chance not just to see the latest and greatest electronics of so many kinds, but also stand amidst personnel who know what they are talking about — who know the questions you are asking and can answer them for you with precision and detail and a depth of knowledge that is so rare to find today. And if the makers of the tech (TV and otherwise) are there to answer questions, well then you don’t have to worry that you’re not going to get the answers you need to make the choices you want to make.

So now that you’re excited about all this, where do you go? To the Grand Opening for the latest Superstore — The Village at Westfield Topanga, that’s where. It’s on Oct 22nd but you need to RSVP first, so go ahead and click

Why do this? Because it’s such a big event that you’re sure to see what you’ve been looking for when it comes to your home theater and lifestyle. Events often have special pricing on the latest tech — and this event is no exception. Events like this also have prizes and giveaways that are just cool to see, to have, to tell others you got just because you were there.

There’s also nothing wrong with admitting that being able to enter a lottery or contest at an event means the possibility of winning something. But unlike those venues where a pen or set of coasters is as good as it gets, at a Grand Opening like the one Video & Audio Center will be hosting Oct 22nd, there’s the chance for winning a TV — and not some old model that nobody would want, but a state-of-the-art HDTV that is worth buying in its own right. Only it’s free for the winner. And while it’s true that only one person can win, if the event offers this prize hourly rather than just once — as is the case with this Grand Opening Event — this gives you much better odds. But the real good thing about all this is that if you win, you’re getting something that you can not only use but which will bring a quality result to your home theater (i.e., it’s worth having and definitely worth watching).

And okay, let’s admit it — when there’s food and drink provided gratis (as in free), which is the case with this event, well that’s just pleasant all around, right?

Last but not least, attending a Grand Opening can be just plain fun — watching a worldwide press conference, seeing a Ribbon Cutting ceremony and hanging out while being surrounded by the latest and greatest TVs and electronic devices, drones and wearables — all this giving you a chance to get up close and personal with them (try doing that on a smartphone or web browser!). That’s why it makes sense to RSVP for an event as HUGE as The Village at Westfield Topanga’s Oct 22nd event will be.

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POWERING YOUR HOME THEATER

Having a home theater isn’t about just aggregating a whole slew of electronics in one place. The total environment that is to be created should be pleasant to the eye and ear, as well as physically comfortable to those who will be seated in front of it. But the hidden reality that few think about is the electricity that the various components must consume and what this means to their workings and longevity. Understanding the issues involved, as well as how to combat/deal with them will help to make your home theater perform at its best. For those who want the safest and most effective means, DIY should be replaced by that of professional installation services (for example, Just One Touch) who will be able to conform all that’s needed for a particular home theater.

Beware The Grid

The electric grid has two major issues, one which can’t be addressed at the source and the other which can. The one that can’t be addressed is power drop-outs, also known as brown-outs or minute outages. What this means is that the electric power suddenly “cuts out” for a very minor amount of time, for example a 1/4th or 1/2 second. This is long enough to disengage those electrical devices like TVs and other which maintain a “standby” or “always on” status; in some cases causing the electronic device to reset itself (i.e., reboot/restart). Typical devices where this happens are cable modems and computers. The other issue related to this is that the return of the electricity “hammers” at the device — think of it as the surging of the tide going out and then coming back in with a great force. Such ongoing events (as these minute outages can happen daily or even multiple times in a day), the result can be the shortening of the life of the electronics being affected.

But since no one can control the electricity coming into one’s home (other than those using solar panels or other alternatives instead of the grid), the only solution here is to have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This device is basically a super-charged surge protector that incorporates a battery supply. The electronic device plugs into the UPS and gets its power from the UPS, while the UPS itself gets its power from the outlet. So when an outage occurs, the UPS continues to supply power to the device as if nothing has happened. Acquiring a UPS requires knowing how much power it needs to put out, as well as for how long it can deliver power when an outage occurs, should a more serious time-frame be needed — for example, having an outage occur when a front projector’s bulb gets immediately turned off without the normal shut-down cycling will negatively impact the life expectancy of the bulb (and projector bulb are costly).  Again, for those wanting the best results, going to a professional installer might make the most sense overall.

Beware The Interference

The other issue with electrical power is one that can be addressed at the source — this is the issue of interference. That is to say radio frequency waves (RF) which by their very nature impact on the video and audio that is being watched and listened to. Video and audio interference can also come from an HDMI cable attached to an audio receiver or a Blu-ray player. So for example, having a cheap HDMI cable can fall prey to interference and so should be avoided. There are many types of quality HDMI cables available, and in varying lengths (although using the shortest length is always the best) which provide superior shielding against interference, This can be especially true when the HDMI cable is attached to a high-resolution 4K TV, which needs to be shielded so that it can provide the highest quality video picture it is capable of.  And the drive towards quality and reduction of interference should also be done as regards any speaker cables being used also.

But it is the electrical grid itself that is filled with interference. To avoid this from the source (i.e., before any device gets plugged in), the solution is to have a power conditioner. These electronic devices filter the AC so that it conforms to the needed amount that electronic devices need to consume, while removing the “garbage” that has come along for the ride. As with UPS devices, power conditioners are available on the open market, but a person looking to use this might find the services of a professional installer the least off-putting way to go about it.

Controlling the electricity that one’s home theater consumes might seem a thankless and unnecessary task, but doing so will not just enhance the life of the TV and audio receiver and Blu-ray player and speakers, but enhance the picture and sound they present. 

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