Best Setting for Your Central Air Conditioning

More people fight over the thermostat than the remote and those battles become more pitched during periods of extreme heat. The disputes aren’t just about comfort, they’re about money too because every time you lower the thermostat in hot weather it raises your electric bill. So what’s the best setting for your central air conditioner? Well, that depends on whether you care more about keeping cool or keeping your utility bill in check. Fortunately, there’s a happy medium.

Energy Star says, for optimal cooling and energy-efficiency, the coolest you should keep your house is 78 degrees and that’s only when you’re at home and awake. A programmable thermostat makes it easy to match your cooling needs to your schedule but you can make the adjustments manually if you don’t have one. Try the following setpoints:

• 78 degrees when you’re home

• 85 degrees when you’re at work or away

• 82 degrees when you’re sleeping

More heat tolerant folks can experiment with the temperature, raising it one degree at a time to see how it affects your comfort and your budget. You’ll save 3 percent on your air conditioning costs for every degree you raise the temperature. If you aren’t comfortable at 78 degrees, lower the temperature a degree at a time. A ceiling or box fan causes a wind chill effect that enhances cooling, helping you feel comfortable at a higher temperature as long as the humidity isn’t too high.

More Cool Ideas

Of course, if you live in an area with more moderate temperatures, you may not need your central air conditioning all day and night. If so, you can take advantage of cooler night temperatures by keeping your windows open overnight. Close them on hot days and keep your shades and curtains drawn when it’s sunny outside. If you need the AC when you get home, you can program it to go on before you arrive or turn it on with a smartphone app.

Window air conditioners. It’s more difficult to reach the perfect temperature when you have a window air conditioner. Because the thermostat is in the unit itself, it registers the temperature in that part of the room and may not provide a consistent temperature throughout the space you want to cool, depending how big and open it is. That means getting the right comfort level is more trial and error. Start with it set at 78 degrees and see how you feel. If you have a window unit in your bedroom, turn it on 30 minutes or so before you go to bed so you’re not cooling an empty room.

Ways to beat the heat. No matter what type of air conditioning you have, it’s easier to keep the temperature at a comfortable level if you can prevent heat from getting into your home. The three main sources of unwanted heat are heat that seeps in from the outdoors, waste heat given off by appliances and incandescent lightbulbs, and heat from sunlight shining through the windows.

During a heat wave, avoid using your washer, dryer, and dishwasher during the heat of the day and make sure you use the exhaust fans in your kitchen and bathroom when you’re cooking or taking a shower. Cook outside on your grill.

Programmable thermostats. Consumer Reports tests energy-saving programmable thermostats with and without remote access.

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Troubleshooting 8 Common Air Conditioner Problems

Of course it’s on the hottest days that you notice your air conditioner is struggling. And it’s not always the fault of the equipment. A poorly maintained system can perform poorly, failing to keep you cool while costing you more to run. Here are some reasons why your air conditioner isn’t working as well as it used to.

Your filter is dirty. A clogged filter restricts airflow through the unit decreasing its efficiency and reducing the ability to effectively cool the air. If you haven’t cleaned the filter in your room air conditioner recently, do it now. Filters on central AC units should be changed at least once a month, especially if your system is running constantly or you have pets.

Warm air is leaking in. Check the window seals around your unit to make sure hot air isn’t getting in or cold air seeping out. If so, reseal around your unit with pieces of weatherstripping.

TV is too close to the AC. Avoid placing lamps or TV sets near the thermostat that controls your central air or near your window unit. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Registers are dirty or blocked. If you have a forced air heating and cooling system, regularly vacuum the registers to remove any dust buildup. Make sure that furniture and other objects are not blocking the airflow through your registers.

Thermostat is on the wrong setting. If you have a programmable thermostat, make sure you programmed it so your home is at a comfortable temperature when you’re there and a bit higher when you’re not. And keep in mind that for every degree you raise the temperature, you’ll save 3 percent on your air conditioning costs.

Window units, of course, don’t offer the whole-house control of a central system. If you’re depending on one window unit to cool a large space you’ll have to experiment with the thermostat setting as the temperature will vary depending on where you are in the room.

It’s too sunny inside. If your room AC unit is in a sunny window, it’ll have to work harder to cool your space. Likewise, if the thermostat for your central system is in a sunny spot, it will register the wrong temperature. Your best bet is to keep your shades and curtains drawn all day during the heat of the summer.

Plants are crowding the compressor. The outdoor compressor for central air needs adequate airflow to work correctly, so make sure there’s at least 2 to 3 feet of space between the unit and any plants or structures. There should also be 5 feet of clearance between the top of the unit and any trees above.

You forgot an annual checkup. An inspection by an HVAC technician can catch any serious problems before they get worse and leave you hot and bothered at the peak of summer. The technician will check all the moving parts as well as the refrigerant and recharge the system if necessary.

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Tips for The best audio and video setup for Apple TV

Now your Apple TV is set up lets take a look at the hardware: what plugs in where, and how to ensure you get the best audio and video quality.

The third-gen Apple TV features two methods of sound output: a dedicated optical output (often referred to as TOSLINK or sometimes S/PDIF), and audio output as part of the overall HDMI signal that also carries video.

You can skip this part if you don't have an expensive home entertainment set up in your home. Just plugging your Apple TV into your TV via the HDMI cable should mean that the audio comes through your TV speakers. However, if you have some expensive stereo or AV equipment here's how to set that up.

Here are the options for typical home entertainment setups.

1) Apple TV and AV receiver and TV

If your AV receiver has HDMI input and output, as most do, connect your Apple TV via one of the HDMI In ports, then connect the AV receiver to the TV via a second cable from the HDMI Out. Alternatively, for optimal quality connect your Apple TV directly to your TV using an HDMI cable, then use an optical digital cable to make a direct connection to your receiver’s optical input. If your receiver only has a coaxial digital input then an inexpensive converter box will be required.

2) Apple TV and AV receiver/TV and also hi-fi system

Connect the Apple TV’s HDMI output to the receiver, then connect the receiver to the TV via its HDMI output. Use the optical output to connect your hi-fi (see below if your hi-fi lacks a digital input). If you’d like to use an optical connection for both your receiver and your hi-fi, an inexpensive optical audio splitter box can be used to provide a signal for the receiver/TV when you’re watching television or movies, and for a hi-fi when you want to use your Apple TV to stream audio. Remember that the signal is digital so there’ll be no degradation in quality!

3) Apple TV and RCA/phono hi-fi, or headphones

For some hi-fi systems with RCA/phono input (that is, the traditional red and white analogue audio inputs) you’ll need an optical digital to analogue RCA/phono converter box. Because this device generates the audio you hear, the hardware inside has a substantial effect on quality. Audiophiles pay entertaining amounts of money for the best examples although perfectly functional examples can be had for less than a tenner on eBay – just search for “TOSLINK to analog converter”.

4) Apple TV: how to get the best picture quality on Apple TV

Ensure you’re outputting the correct HD resolution for your TV by opening Settings, and selecting the Audio & Video heading, and paying attention to the HDMI Output and TV Resolution headings. Then return to the main menu and select iTunes Store, and ensure the correct setting is visible under the Video Resolution heading.

Don’t forget that some TVs might need overscan deactivating to ensure the sharpest possible image without any cropping at the edges. How this is done varies from model to model, so see the TV’s instruction manual, although often selecting the PC/gaming option on the TV does the trick.  

If you find overscan being used during AirPlay playback, open Settings on the Apple TV, then select Audio & Video, and turn off the option entitled Adjust for AirPlay Overscan.

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The Apple TV : Troubleshooting

Here are some quick fixes for common Apple TV problems:

1) How to restore Apple TV

Go to Settings > General > Reset, and then select Restore. Restoring Apple TV can take some time.

If restoring doesn’t work or if Apple TV still doesn’t respond, you can restore it using iTunes.

Start by disconnecting the power and HDMI cables from Apple TV. Now connect one end of a micro USB cable (sold separately) to the back of Apple TV, and the other end to your computer. Now plug the Apple TV power cord back power outlet.

Open iTunes on your computer, select Apple TV in the Source list, and then click Restore.

2) Apple TV networking issues

You can resolve many Wi-Fi issues by checking your network connection settings. Find these at Settings > General > Network > WiFi on the Apple TV.

If you discover that you aren't connected to a network, the signal strength is low, or some of these settings are incorrect or blank, try the following steps:

Ensure that Apple TV is within range of your Wi-Fi router or base station.

Confirm that your Wi-Fi router and cable/DSL modem are connected to power and turned on.

Make sure other devices (you Mac, iPhone, iPad) are able to connect to the Wi-Fi network and access the internet.

If your Wi-Fi network uses a password, make sure you are entering it correctly.

Check for obstructions and change the location of the base station and/or Apple TV if necessary.

If security is enabled on the network, temporarily disable it on the base station and try connecting again.

Restart your Apple TV by choosing Settings > General > Restart.

Restart your router.

Connect your Apple TV to your modem via an ethernet cable and verify your internet connection

Check you are using the latest software at Settings > General > Software Update. (Update the software via an ethernet connection if necessary). 

If it's still not working, check which IP address the Apple TV is using. If it starts with 169.x.x.x,  the router or base station may not be configured properly. Check to see if DHCP access is available.  If DHCP is available, go to Settings menu, select General then Network and Configure TCP/IP. Set Apple TV to Automatic. If DHCP isn't available you can also configure the Apple TV with a manual IP address.

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How to view photos on the Apple TV ?

The Apple TV is a great gadget if you want to view your photos on your large TV screen. Here's how:

1) How to view a Mac photo album on the Apple TV

To view photos from your Mac on your Apple TV you need Home Sharing turned on in iTunes on your Mac and on your Apple TV.

To turn on Home Sharing, open iTunes on your computer, choose File > Home Sharing > Turn On Home Sharing, then enter your Apple ID and password and click Turn on Home Sharing.

Now in iTunes choose File > Home Sharing > Choose Photos to Share, then select Share Photos from and choose a source, either your whole photo library, Faces, Events or selected Albums, and click Apply.

Now choose Computers from the Apple TV menu and choose Photos. Select an album and you can add music, transitions and other slideshow effects using settings. You can also set it as a Screen Saver.

To start a slideshow, from inside the album click up on the Remote until you have Slideshow selected. Choose the settings for your slideshow, including the music, and the style of slideshow. There are lots of Slideshow styles to choose from, from a Photo Wall that looks like the Apple TV is panning around a gallery, to a Scrapbook, or Ken Burns style.

If you want to add music, select Default Music, you shoudl then see a link to the music library on your Mac, and then the choice of going to your Music library, or choosing from Recently Played, or Top 25 Most Played. What you can't do is choose a particular track.

When you have chosen your Slideshow style, select Start Slideshow.

You can also set the album to be your default Screen Saver. From within the album click up on the remote and across to Screen Saver. The Apple TV will ask you if you wish to use that album for your Screen Saver, click on Yes.

Remember, if your computer is off then you won't be able to view the slideshow as these images are stored on your Mac.

2) Create an iCloud photo stream to view on an Apple TV

Another way to view photos on your Apple TV is using iCloud Photo Sharing. Start by creating a photo stream. To set up a Photo Stream on your iPad or iPhone go to Settings > iCloud > Photos, and the use the toggle to turn Upload to My Photo Stream on to automatically upload all the your new photos to all your devices.

If you don't want every picture you take to appear on your Apple TV, you can create a separate photo stream by turning on iCloud Photo Sharing (you can actually share this with up to 100 people if you want). Now when you have a photo you wish to share, tap through to the Share Sheet and select iCloud. At this point either create a New Shared Stream, or add to an existing stream, and share with your iCloud address. 

The next step is to get your Apple TV home page and scroll down to iCloud Photos. It will request that you sign in to use features such as iCloud Photos, iMovie Theatre, and Family Sharing. Select Yes to sign into iCloud. (Remember that if you have installed the Remote app on your iPhone you can enter the password using the keyboard, you just need to open the app). Wait while it connects. Nect it will ask if you want to use My Photo Stream as your Screen Saver, you could choose to say yes, or you might prefer to pick a particular album to share with anyone who happens to be visiting.

Once you access your iCloud Photos you will have access to all the photos in your photo stream, along with photos from any friend's who share their photo libraries with you, and photos you share with others via iCloud Photo Stream.

If you don't see your photos that are in your Shared Stream, go to Settings on your Apple TV and choose iCloud > iCloud Photos Settings and turn on Photo Sharing and turn on My Photo Stream. It can take a few minutes for your photos to appear but when they are there you will be able to choose to view them in a slide show and even as your screen saver.

You can also stream photos this way from your Mac. In iPhoto or Aperture create an album, then choose Add to iCloud and select the Photo Stream you wish to share.

A shared stream can hold a maximum of 5000 photos and videos combined, but none of these eat into your iCloud allowance.

Apple is supposed to be launching a service soon that will store all your photos, whether taken on iPhone, iPad or stored on your Mac, in the cloud, so that you can access them all on any of your devices as any time. We'll update this section of this feature when this new service launches.

3) Share photos from your iPhone or iPad to the Apple TV

The easiest way to view a photo from an iPhone or iPad on the TV screen is to select the image and click on the Share icon (the box with an arrow coming out of it). Then choose the AirPlay icon to view the image on the TV screen. Once you are connected to the Apple TV any photo you open on your iPhone or iPad will appear on the big screen too, so you can swipe through an album, or choose to play a slideshow.

To stream a slideshow from your iPhone to the Apple TV, select the Share icon again, and tap Slideshow > Start Slideshow.

4) What to do if Apple TV isn't playing your photo albums or slideshows

Make sure the Apple TV and the Mac you’re using have Home Sharing turned on - and that they are using the same Home Sharing account. Make sure they are on the same local network.

Make sure you have photos in your photo library or in a folder on your computer (not on an external storage device), and make sure the photos you want to share are selected.

If you are still unable to see the images on your Apple TV try this. In iTunes, go to File > Home Sharing. Select Share Photos From: and click on the down arrow beside iPhoto to choose a folder. Now you can choose a folder of images anywhere on your Mac. Select the folder and choose Open and Apply.

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Tips for navigating the Apple TV interface

Finding your way around the Apple TV interface is simple, but the lack of buttons on the remote control can sometimes be confusing. Here's our guide to navigating the Apple TV.

1) Button layout

Apple prides itself on it's minimalist remote control. You'll find the Select button in the centre, encircled by the up, down, left and right navigation buttons. Below those are the Menu and the Play/Pause buttons. That should be all the buttons you need (if you find the lack of buttons frustrating though read the section below about using alternative remotes).

2) Using the Select button

You navigate around the Apple TV menus using the left, right, up and down controls. When you see something you wish to access just press the central Select button.

3) Menu button to step back, and get straight back to the home screen

Wherever you are on the Apple TV just press the Menu button to go back a step. If you are fed up with clicking back through sub menus to get to the home screen? Rather than go back through every sub menu you opened you can get straight back to the home screen by pressing and holding down the menu button for a few seconds.

4) Browse Apple's Movies, TV Shows

Navigate to and click on Movies or TV Shows icons on the Apple TV home screen to see the selection of entertainment Apple has on the iTunes Store, including any films or TV shows you have purchased.

You can navigate around Purchased (where anything you already own will be available to download from iCloud), Top Films/TV Programmes (what's popular/new to iTunes), Genres (comedy, action, etc), Genius (recommendations based on what you have previously watched) and Search.

If you wish to step back, or access another part of that menu, press the Menu button on your Remote. If you find something you would like to watch select it with the button in the middle of the remote, and choose to Buy or Rent. (Many of these films and TV shows are also available on Netflix for a monthly subscription, more on that below).

5) Fast forward and rewind on Apple TV

When you are playing content just hold down the Right button to fast-forward; press the button again to increase the fast-forward speed (there are three speeds) – same applies for rewind, just press the Left button.

6) Slow Motion on Apple TV

To move forward or back in slow motion, press the Play/Pause button to pause the video, then press the Right or Left button. To skip forward or back in 10-second increments, press the Play/Pause button to pause the video, then hold down the Right or Left button.

7) Skip ahead on Apple TV

To skip to the next or previous chapter (if no chapter markers are present, this will skip 1/20th of the video length, or 30 second intervals whichever is longer) press the Down button, then Right or Left to skip chapters.

8) Read about what you are watching

When you are watching content on the Apple TV just press up on the remote control to view information about what you are watching.

9) How to remove channels from your Apple TV menu

You can choose which apps appear on the Apple TV's home screen. Right now you can see the following services on the UK version of the Apple TV: movie and box set streaming service Netflix; Now TV; YouTube; video community Vimeo; concerts and music documentaries from Qello; music videos and concerts from Vevo; photos from Flickr; Japanese anime from Crunchyroll; live Korean TV from KORTV (why?); business reports from Bloomberg and WSJ Live; Sky News; Sky Sports Now TV service; more sports from NHL and MLB (yawn); You Tube; and Red Bull TV, and a few other bits and bobs that you probably will never even look at.

If you want to remove any of these channels from your Apple TV home screen you can press and hold the select key on the remote until the item jiggles and then press the directional buttons to move it or press the Play/Pause button to see more options including 'Hide This Item'. This is a great way to remove all the random American sports channels, and the truely baffeling KORTV.

Apple only introduced this simple way to reorganise your home screen in 2014. Prior to that it was necessary to Settings > General > Restrictions. You'd see all the channels listed with the word "Show" next to them. Just scroll to the channels you wish to remove and select "Hide". It looks like you need to enable Parental Controls, but you don't.

10) How to rearrange icons on the Apple TV Home Screen

You can also rearrange icons on the Apple TV home screen. Press and hold the button in the centre of your remote and when the apps start jiggling you can move them around using your up, down, left and right keys. It's just like iOS on your iPad or iPhone. Press Menu when you are done.

11) Put Apple TV to sleep/stand by mode

Put the Apple TV to sleep by holding the central select button for a few seconds when on the main menu (this trick used to work but appears not to now).

Alternatively, go to Settings > Sleep Now on Apple TV.

12) Reset Apple TV

Press and hold the Menu and Down buttons for six seconds. But remember you will need to set the Apple TV up again afterwards.

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Choose Between HD and Ultra HD

These terms refer to the TV’s native resolution. A regular high-definition (HD) set is also a called a 1080p model, as its screen resolution is 1920 x 1080. That means it has 1,920 pixels horizontally, and 1,080 pixels vertically, so it contains roughly 2 million pixels in all. Think of pixels, short for "picture elements," as the tiny individual dots that make up the TV's picture.

Ultra High-Definition (UHD) TVs, also called 4K TVs, have screen resolutions of 3840 x 2160, which contain 8 million pixels, or four times the number of individual pixels as an HD set. The more densely packed array of pixels in UHD sets make them capable of greater picture detail. The benefits of a UHD TV are more apparent in larger screen sizes, say 65 inches and above, or when you'd like to sit closer to the TV than you could with a 1080p set.

So why doesn't everyone just get a UHD TV? One reason is that you'll pay a premium of a few hundred dollars or more for a UHD TV, though the price gap is slowly narrowing. And there's still not a lot of native 4K content; what's available comes primarily from streaming services right now. We expect to see the first 4K UHD Blu-ray players, as well as more 4K streaming options, in 2016.

Another reason you may consider waiting: Standards for some UHD features, including high dynamic range (HDR) and a wider palette of colors, are still evolving. We expect most of these issues to be resolved by the end of 2015, when all of the standards—for TVs, streaming media, and Blu-ray discs—are nailed down to ensure that your UHD TV can take full advantage of them.

1080p TV

A high-definition TV, with 1920x1080 resolution, will be fine for most viewers, and you'll save a bit of money compared to a UHD set with a similarly sized screen. Almost every 1080p set available is an LCD TV with an LED backlight, but there are also a limited number of 1080p OLED TVs. And right now, it's unlikely you'll find a UHD TV smaller than 39 inches. We've found that many viewers aren't be able to see the extra detail in a UHD TV from normal viewing distances until they get to very large screen sizes, say 65 inches or above. Just remember that resolution is only one of a number of attributes a TV has to get right to produce excellent overall picture quality. Regular HD TVs remain an excellent choice for many consumers when you factor in price, especially in screen sizes smaller than 65 inches.

Ultra HD TV

Thanks to its higher-resolution 3840x2160 screen, a UHD TV (also known as a 4K TV) can display greater detail than a 1080p set when presented with high-quality UHD content. Images appear a bit sharper, with smoother lines on the edges of objects—depending on your viewing distance. The jump from regular HD to Ultra HD isn't as dramatic as the change from standard definition to HD, but many UHD sets attempt to enhance the image in other ways. For example, we're starting to see TVs with high dynamic range that provide a high level of contrast between the lightest and darkest images. Newer UHD TVs also widen the array of colors a TV can display, but exploiting these advantages requires specially produced content. Since standards for these features are still being finalized, it may pay to wait before making the jump to UHD. 

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The AppCam Pan/Tilt HD Indoor WiFi Camera OVERVIEW

Uniden’s AppCam system works with your smartphone or wireless device to create a powerful home security network. No PC interface is needed to view video on your smartphone or wireless devices. Set up the camera network on your mobile device and install the cameras; your network is up and running. 

The wireless AppCam offers superior quality video with true color. It is suitable for day or nighttime use.

Also, as dust, grime, and cobwebs accumulate on the camera glass, they can reflect light from the infrared LED and might lower video quality. Periodically clean the lens glass with a soft cloth.

FEATURES

System

• No PC required

• Direct connection to router

• WiFi connection to router

• P2P connection

• Records HD 720P up to 20fps

• Manual/motion recording to microSD

• Supports up to 32GB microSD

• High quality H.264 video

• Two-way Audio

AppCam Pan/Tilt Indoor Camera

• IR cut filter switch

• Night vision range – 25 feet

• Built-in microphone and speaker

• microSD card slot

Uniden’s AppCam App

• Multiple camera viewing and management from single app

• Remote access to recorded video

• Remote snapshot & recording control

• Event notification/email alert

WHAT’S INCLUDED

If any items are missing or damaged

contact our Customer Care Line immediately at +1-800-658-8068.

Never use damaged products!

PARTS OF THE CAMERA

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APPCAM24HD Indoor WiFi Camera : INSTALL CAMERAS

INSTALL CAMERAS

Consider the following when installing cameras:

• Clear line of sight video transmission distance is up to 500 ft.

— Walls, especially brick and concrete, shorten the transmission distance.

— Placement next to windows allows better transmission.

• Avoid having a direct light source in the view of the camera, such as ceiling or floor lamps or outside spotlights visible through the window.

• The camera is equipped with built-in infrared LEDs so you can use night vision for 24-hour surveillance. The LEDs will automatically activate at night and the picture viewed will turn to black and white. The night viewing range is up to 25 ft. Avoid pointing the camera lens directly at clear glass; the night vision LEDs will cause a blurred image.

• Optimized motion detection range is 6 - 18 feet for the camera. The farther away an object is, the less accurate the motion detection.

• If you leave your camera wirelessly connected to the router, your picture quality will be very good. However, you can leave the camera physically connected to the router for the highest quality images. If you wish to do so, install the camera within reach of the router. 

1. Use your mobile device to test the places where you are considering mounting the camera. Hold the device in that location; if you still have a WiFi signal on your device, the location should be okay.

Attach the camera stand if you have not already done so.

2. Unplug the camera from the power source and install it.

3. After the camera is installed, reconnect power.

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