Latest news with #homecinema
Tahawul Tech
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tahawul Tech
Valerion makes its GCC debut to transform the home entertainment landscape
Valerion, a leading specialist in home cinema projectors and the premium sub-brand of AWOL Vision, has officially debuted in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The brand's VisionMaster Pro 2 and StreamMaster Plus 2 triple laser 4K RGB projectors are now available in both markets, marking Valerion's entry into one of the world's fastest-evolving home entertainment landscapes. The GCC is witnessing a quiet transformation in how people experience media at home. Open-concept layouts, multi-generational living, and a growing appetite for immersive content have turned living rooms into high-tech, multi-purpose hubs. Once limited to dedicated media rooms, projectors are now being integrated into everyday living environments, and Valerion is at the forefront of this shift, backed by a global community of home theatre enthusiasts. 'The way people consume media at home has changed', said Andy Zhao, founder and CEO of AWOL Vision and Valerion. 'In many households across the region, the living room now serves multiple purposes, from streaming and gaming to family gatherings. Our projectors are designed to thrive in these shared spaces, offering a seamless experience without the complexity of traditional AV setups'. At the heart of the launch is the VisionMaster Pro 2, part of Valerion's premium RGB triple-laser lineup. The projector delivers 4K UHD resolution with up to 3,000 ISO lumens of brightness, capable of projecting vivid images up to 300 inches (around 7.6 meters). The VisionMaster Pro 2 comes with an optical zoom function that adds rare flexibility, allowing precise placement without pixel distortion, making it ideal for both large majlis-style setups and compact urban flats. Meanwhile, the StreamMaster Plus 2 is built for simplicity and streaming. Designed with modern families in mind, it runs on Google TV OS, offering instant access to global and regional platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Shahid, eliminating the need for external streaming devices. With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, built-in speakers, and voice control via Alexa or Google Assistant, it's a true all-in-one smart entertainment solution. For gamers, both models support refresh rates up to 240Hz and an input lag as low as 4ms, catering to both casual and competitive players. Dedicated gaming modes, including RPG, SPG, FPS, RCG, and FPS Crosshair, are available on both models for a customised experience. The VisionMaster Pro 2 and StreamMaster Plus 2 are now available on Amazon UAE and Amazon Saudi Arabia, with same-day or next-day delivery for Prime members and local customer support. Retail availability and after-sales services will expand across the GCC in the coming months. To celebrate its regional launch, Valerion is offering a 20% store-wide discount on Amazon from July 25 to 31, in conjunction with Prime Day. As part of its expansion strategy, the brand is also actively seeking distribution partners across GCC countries. Image Credit: Valerion
Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Other Way Around review — smart, Charlie Kaufman-style rom-com
The best films to watch at home this week — The Courier and Rear Window July 11 2025, 12.00am
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Inside $9m Brighton mansion with cinema and spa
A limestone-wrapped veranda, a Canary Island date palm and a home cinema better than Gold Class, this Brighton showpiece is anything but ordinary. The five-bedroom estate at 24 Tennyson St, known as Rathgar, has sold for around $9.1m, according to industry sources, marking one of Brighton's biggest residential transactions of the year. Dating back to the 1880s, the original Victorian-era home has been meticulously renovated under the direction of designer Stephen Akehurst, with a transformation that preserved its ornate charm while introducing modern resort-style living and luxe functionality. Melb designer home set to amaze buyers Instead of opting for a knockdown-rebuild, the sellers retained and restored the double-fronted brick residence. They expanded it into a grand family domain with a 14-metre solar and gas-heated pool, 12-person spa, home gym, wine cellar, mudroom, and custom-built theatre that Nick Johnstone Real Estate Brighton director Nick Johnstone said had a 'wow' factor buyers couldn't ignore. 'It was a beautifully renovated period home and it had that timeless quality people really love,' Mr Johnstone said. 'Buyers were taken by the open fireplace, the mudroom, the cinema, it just had that 'wow' factor.' Set behind automated gates on nearly 1272sq m of blue-chip land, Rathgar opens with manicured gardens and a curved veranda trimmed in iron lacework, details that made a striking first impression to buyers. Mr Johnstone said some prestige buyers were drawn to ultra-modern homes, and others loved the solidity of older ones. 'This home had the appeal of both. When people walked through the gates, it really took their breath away,' he said. Inside, the home is appointed with resurfaced blackbutt floors, pure wool loop pile carpets, and classic finishes including marble fireplaces, silk drapery, and French crystal chandeliers. The rear of the home features an open-plan living space centred around a hand-laid stone fireplace, adjoining a marble kitchen fitted with custom joinery, a Paul Bocuse Rosieres freestanding cooker, and Liebherr appliances. French doors lead out to a limestone and bluestone paved terrace with a built-in barbecue, stepping onto a lush lawn framed by privacy hedges, a glass-fenced pool, and resort-style entertaining zones. The Nick Johnstone Real Estate Brighton director said the home had a great deal of character. 'It had a bit of a ski chalet feel in parts, especially that mudroom,' Mr Johnstone said. 'And it's in such a sensational position, near the Were St shops, near the beach, and finished to a standard that's very hard to find.' Upstairs, the three secondary bedrooms each include built-in robes, study nooks, and custom daybeds, with one offering a view to the Melbourne CBD skyline. The main suite sits at the front of the home with a marble ensuite, walk-in robe, and views to the landscaped gardens. Additional features include a second upstairs retreat, double garage with workshop, home gym/studio with separate entry, a 90,000 litre underground water tank, hydronic heating, central airconditioning, a drying cabinet, and laundry chute. Mr Johnstone said the home was a standout even among Brighton's trophy homes. 'Mostly younger families came through, and a few international buyers,' he said. 'But the majority were existing clients — people who've done well and were ready to buy in that top-end price range.' Mr Johnstone declined to comment on the final price.
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Join the fray: embrace country home decor
In smarter pockets of the Home Counties, an arcane protocol used to dictate how you did – and didn't – do up your country home. Marble floors were for Mayfair. Ditto glass coffee tables – and Jacuzzis. No longer. In more meritocratic times, such conventions have been hurled on the scrapheap of history. A hot tub overlooking the ha-ha? A home cinema in the old ballroom? Why not? It's your home. Do what you want. But the fact persists. Rural homes are different from their urban counterparts. It isn't just the materials (honeyed Cotswolds stone, Norfolk flint and brick) but the scale – be it a beam-strewn cottage or Palladian villa – that sets them apart. Then there's the light. Filtered through a canopy of green, it brings the outside inside. All of these elements suggest a more nuanced, gentler approach to interiors. As the US decorator Elsie de Wolfe declared, it's all about 'suitability'. So if you're eyeing up a rural bolthole, or plotting a full-time escape from the city what are some of the essential 'dos' of modern-country decorating? Kitchens First: kitchens. If yours is the size of an apartment in Bow, resist the temptation to go open plan. Instead, think like the Edwardians and put the square footage to work as functional but decorative ancillary rooms. Larders with marble shelves, flower rooms heady with blooms, a scullery with charming plate racks. You won't have a tweenie to do the behind-the-scenes drudgery for you. But at least you can do it in style. In his Somerset kitchen, designer and furniture maker Patrick Williams of Berdoulat installed the 'wibbly' glazed screen which divides the pantry from the rest of the room. 'It masks the clutter without closing off the space,' says Patrick. 'By housing appliances in separate rooms, you can make the kitchen feel less kitcheny – more like a collection of furniture.' Other devices include tables instead of islands, wooden worktops, Welsh slate, or zinc beaten into sinks and worktops for 'a beautiful patina of time'. Designer Emma Hutton 's country-kitchen staples include: terracotta flooring, flatweave rugs (try Home & Found or Edit58) and open shelves with ceramics and plants jostling for space. The layers bring 'comfort and softness: a refuge from city life.' Bathrooms Country bathrooms are invariably bigger, so you won't have to fret about splashes and spills. 'You can be practical and aesthetic,' says designer Octavia Dickinson. Fabric is key: for frilled panels on baths or under vanities to conceal storage. And yes, you can use carpet on the floor although you may want to fling a washable rug (try Jennifer Manners or Weaver Green) on top. Steven Rodel of Guy Goodfellow agrees, citing a recent project where every bathroom was different. A roll-top bath, positioned in front of a window framed by floor-grazing curtains. The walk-in (Drummond's) shower next to a Regency bookcase; the antique chest of drawers converted to a vanity on 'warm, worn' wooden floors. Rooms 'where you can find solace in a bubble bath,' he says. Atmosphere The well-designed country home is comfortable and convivial. Take the sitting room. Tamsyn Mason likes to include perching points: a club fender (try Jamb); a card table and chairs tucked beneath a bay window. Swap coffee tables for a squashy ottoman (Trove, Balmain & Balmain, Max Rollitt) and opt for fabrics with a darker background (Bennison, Robert Kime or Jean Monro are good starting points). 'White can look surprisingly stark in the country,' she says. 'In the country you're always aware of the landscape. That's what inspires me,' says designer Speronella Marsh whose eponymous firm specialises in block-printed furnishings. She reconfigured her Shropshire kitchen to capitalise on the views, installing glazed doors that open on the walled garden. The dresser, painted a punchy tomato red, nods to her vegetable plot. Its glazing bars reference nearby Ironbridge, crucible of the Industrial Revolution. 'Whether you're surrounded by fields or in a village, there's always something to draw on.' But another caveat. A paint shade that sings in London can look dowdy in the country. It's the light of course. For older houses, Kate Guinness favours Atelier Ellis 's natural paints in muted but luminescent tones. Fellow designer Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors advises clients to be chromatically adventurous. 'Blues, greens or pinks that can be tricky in town take on a different life in the country.' Her rural picks include Edward Bulmer 's Cinnamon, Celadon or Lute for its 'warm glow'. Scale Scale is all. The sofa that swaggers in London can look Lilliputian in a Wiltshire parsonage. This also applies to four-posters sought out by townies chasing the arcadian dream. Antiques can be too small, so Henriette designs her own. 'The mattress has to be in proportion to the posts. Otherwise, it looks strange.' It's the same for panelling. 'It looks charming. We do lots of it. But the scale has to be right.' Above all, putting down rural roots involves a change of mindset. 'When I arrive in the country, I inwardly exhale. And relax,' says Steven. Apply the same outlook to your décor. 'I call it permission to fray.' Speronella concurs. Friends will visit 'leaving a trail of mud and spilt wine.' Dogs will leap onto sofas jeopardising upholstery. 'That's fine. You throw on another blanket,' she says. In the country, there are (almost) no rules.
Android Authority
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Deal: Yaber L2S projector drops to record low price, only $134.99!
Projectors don't have to be huge and expensive anymore. Yaber proves to us that projectors can be small, cheap, and still offer a pretty pleasant viewing experience for those magical movie nights! The Yaber L2S usually costs only $199.99, but right now you can get it significantly cheaper, as it's on sale for just $134.99. Buy the Yaber L2S projector for just $134.99 ($65 off) This offer is available from Amazon. It's labeled as a 'limited time deal,' and the discount applies to both color versions available: Misty White and Charcoal White. Yaber Projector L2s Home Cinema Yaber Projector L2s Home Cinema See price at Amazon Save $65.00 Limited Time Deal! Our sister site, has already tested and reviewed the Yaber L2S projector, and our co-workers were very happy with its simple, clean, and compact design. The fan is also very quiet, which is always a concern with projectors. More importantly, it is a very simple and user-friendly projector to use, making it a great consumer product for anyone. Both maintenance and operation are very simple. As a projector, it works decently. Of course, there are many better projectors out there, but this one is way too good considering its low price. It has a Full HD 1,080p resolution and a 700-lumen brightness. The image can also be expanded up to 150 inches, so it can turn your living room into a small movie theater. Not only that, but the Yaber L2S comes with a couple of 8W JBL-powered speakers. We found them to be pretty good compared to most other projector speakers, but don't expect them to blow you away either. My only real complaint is that it has no smart TV operating system. Again, though, this thing is just $134.99 right now. You can't really get too picky, and you can easily hook a smart TV box to it, such as a Google TV Streamer, a Fire TV device, or a Roku streamer. Of course, it has an HDMI port, so you can also use any console, computer, or any other device with it. Also, the Yaber L2S has no integrated battery, so you'll have to plug it in for it to work. Again, we can't get too picky, considering the price! This is one heck of a deal if you're looking to upgrade your movie nights but would rather not spend an arm and a leg on it. At just $134.99, it is way too simple to justify this purchase! Again, this is a record-low price, and such deals don't usually last very long. Grab yours while you can.
