Take a Look at How Audio, Video, and Lighting Transform Outdoor Hangouts

A well-designed backyard can rival the atmosphere of an upscale resort or a private retreat. Imagine hosting summer dinners surrounded by warm lighting and crystal-clear sound, or enjoying peaceful evenings under the stars with music that feels like a live performance.

High-performance outdoor AV and lighting systems now match the quality and sophistication of the best indoor setups. They’re engineered to handle the elements year-round and can blend into landscapes and architectural features without disrupting your desired aesthetic. What results is a premium entertainment experience that feels like an extension of your indoor living spaces while also feeling au naturel.

Below are answers to the most common questions we receive about creating better backyard spaces. Take a look, then give us a call to begin your next project!

Your Entertainment Space Deserves Better Audio

Bad audio ruins good content, but great audio can make everything better.

Movies feel bigger, music hits harder, and dialogue cuts straight to the viewer's heart. Homeowners who care about their entertainment know this difference, but creating home theater-quality sound without the theater prices is key. 

High-performance soundbars and dedicated subs are more than your grandfather's stereo speakers. The latest from Sonos uses smart processing to create dimensional audio that fills rooms like never before in a soundbar package. Add a properly engineered subwoofer, and you get the whole package: crisp dialogue up top and room-shaking bass down below.

Discover the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4 below.

Discover the Pinnacle of Outdoor Lighting Design & Durability

Landscape lighting has evolved from a means of seeing in the dark and safeguarding family and friends to stunning illumination that creates a masterpiece with light. When you open your shades, you no longer see darkness reflected back. Instead, you see a canvas of brilliant illumination, creating an entirely different space and feel once the sun sets. 

One of the companies leading this outdoor experience is Coastal Source. Designed to endure while providing breathtaking beauty, their light fixtures blend seamlessly with your aesthetic, showcasing your architecture, water features, trees, and gardens in their best light. Here, we’ll explore their latest creation —a fixture that can be used in a hundred different ways for ultimate customization.

Helping Designers and Builders Optimize Home Lighting

Lighting design goes beyond the typical lighting layouts that define many homes. Basic layouts are strictly regulatory and meet code requirements, but they are far inferior to what the latest high-performance lighting fixtures and strategic placement can accomplish. Designers and builders are creating masterpieces with light, and Ratio AV is here to help make it a seamless process!

Here, we’ll explore some of the basic considerations that lighting designers focus on when creating a welcoming atmosphere that’s comfortable, convenient, and beautiful. 

Intuitive, Handcrafted, and Beautifully Designed

When we think of technology, we tend to see gadgets, metal fabrications, and computer chips, don't we? Even in smart home living—a lifestyle that revolves around an incredible, luxurious lifestyl—the technology is often designed around functionality over beauty. 

Or, at least, it used to be. 

Basalte, a Belgian-based home automation company founded in 2008, takes the minimalist, breathtakingly beautiful approach to smart home living.

Here, we'll explore how this company combined world-class design with smart home technology to create the world's finest automated homes.

Get More Natural Light for a Health and Wellness Boost

Natural light can impact how you and your home feel and function. Too much direct sunlight causes frustration, glare, and overheating, while too little can drain your energy and make spaces feel dim and uninviting. Fortunately, Lutron has a new way to solve the issue of too little or too much natural light with the Lutron Natural Light Optimization (NLO). With Lutron NLO, shades automatically adjust throughout the day to maximize comfort and efficiency in your home.

Continue reading to learn how Lutron NLO works and benefits homeowners like you.

Consider These Factors to Make an Informed Choice 

If your home utilizes a variety of technology solutions, then a strong and reliable network is essential. Whether for streaming movies, remote work, gaming, or smart home devices, your home network keeps everything operating smoothly. But how do you know if you should have standard or enterprise networking in your home? Continue reading as we break down the differences to help you make an informed choice.

Discover the Benefits and Secrets of Today’s Breathtaking Illumination

In today’s world of enhanced home aesthetics and smart functionality, asking, “Do I need lighting design?” is a little like asking if your home needs plumbing and insulation. Today, it’s defined as a core feature, one that homes can’t do without. 

Why? Isn’t light simply an element that lets us see in the dark and maintain a 24/7 lifestyle?

At one point, the answer to that question would have been a resounding yes, particularly if you asked about it in the 19th century. As technology advanced, it became one of the primary design elements. As the famous designer Ingo Maurer said, “Lighting is not just about illumination; it’s about how we feel in a space.” 

Lighting sets the mood and affects our very being. Natural lighting can even enhance the health of those it touches. Here, we’ll explore the nature of lighting design and why more people than ever are embracing its beauty and well-being. 

Choose Ratio AV to Support Your Lutron Shading Integration

When it comes to smart and energy-efficient shading solutions, few names match the reputation of Lutron. Known for its advanced lighting control systems, Lutron offers a line of automated shades that elevate your home’s convenience and style. While Ratio AV can integrate nearly any shading system into a Lutron control system, choosing Lutron shades to complement your Lutron setup offers unique benefits that are hard to ignore.

Cozy Up and Celebrate with These Must-Watch Festive Films

There’s no better time than the holiday season to be in your media room and dive into the classic holiday movies. Whether you’re laughing along with “Home Alone” or getting wrapped up in the cheer of “Elf,” a home theater setup makes every scene sound and look better than ever.

Here’s a list of the top 10 holiday movies to enjoy this season, each one chosen for its unforgettable visuals, captivating sound, and scenes that are just made for the home theater experience.

Natural Light Optimization Makes Homes Brighter and Smarter

Lutron's new Natural Light Optimization (NLO) technology is a game-changer for homeowners looking to enhance their living spaces with motorized shades. Gone are the days of manually adjusting shades throughout the day—this innovative feature does it all for you, and the benefits stretch far beyond convenience.

Enhancing Comfort, Security, & Efficiency Across Your Living Spaces

Home automation systems have rapidly become a staple in the modern household, providing homeowners with unprecedented levels of comfort, security, and efficiency.

These systems are designed to seamlessly integrate various technologies within a home, from lighting and climate control to security and entertainment. If you're considering upgrading your living space, here are some key benefits of adopting a home automation system. Keep reading below for more!