With only a couple weeks left in 2016, we continue our series on the coolest trends of the year and what to expect in home theater entertainment & home automation in 2017.
Two decades ago, choices for just about everything were limited – consumers had the same type of television sets, Walkmans, cable boxes, and sound systems. Now we live in an on-demand, connected world; you can ask a hockey puck-sized AI system to download a movie for you to watch and use your Uber app to get McDonalds delivered straight to your door.
You can get what you want, exactly when you want it.
The same is true for consumer smart home and home theater systems. With dozens of brands of electronics for home security, smart home integration, gaming, movie watching and home lighting, consumers can truly create a one-of-a-kind, on demand system in their homes to match their specific home theater, audio, smart home, and tech needs.
And where to buy these gadgets? That’s another choice to make. In the past 5 years, consumers who wanted smart home setups or home theaters could either buy products and install themselves, call the Geek Squad or other big-box installers, or hire home theater & network specialists that can also help them with an overall master plan for their home.
As we head into the new year, we’re seeing a new trend for building the home theater system and smart home of your dreams.
The way companies distribute their products is changing to fit this shift in consumer expectations: on-demand. Cable and satellite companies offer free installation and regular upgrades to the latest technology so customers always have the latest and greatest in their tech, high-speed internet companies offer over the phone troubleshooting to get you back to enjoying a movie ASAP (and often saving a trip to the consumer’s home), and security companies offer month-to-month plans instead of signing a years-long contract, letting customers feel free to make a change as they desire.
You may not be able to order a home theater installer from your universal remote just yet, but you never know what 2017 will hold.