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The Hidden Costs of DIY Smart Lighting

A luxurious living room with warm-toned Lutron lighting.

See What You’re Missing Without Professional Lighting Control

Do you dream of lighting that automatically adjusts throughout the evening, creating the perfect atmosphere on its own? Or do you wish you could turn off the entire house with just one tap of a button? 

Today, ‘smart’ Bluetooth and Wi-Fi bulbs are widely available in stores. But there’s a difference between owning a few smart LEDs and having a truly smart, centralized lighting control system. 

When you partner with a professional lighting designer, you’ll gain access to premium fixtures and smart lighting solutions that are only available through certified dealers. You’ll receive a clean, polished installation with all your lights and motorized shades connected to one central hub.

But if you’re still itching to buy some equipment, watch YouTube tutorials, and install it yourself? Let’s walk through the differences between professional and DIY lighting systems. 

How Can I Display Multiple Feeds at Once on My Video Wall?

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Getting Started with Direct-View LED Walls 

From command centers to retail spaces, all types of businesses thrive with a video wall display. 

While the video wall has been around for quite some time (first introduced in the early 1980s), the latest, greatest version in 2025 is the Direct View LED Video Wall. Unlike previous iterations, DVLEDs don’t use a backlight to display an image. Instead, each individual LED diode is both a light source and a pixel. Each pixel emits its own light, creating richer colors and a smooth, grid-free image. 

Direct View LED walls are also completely modular and scalable to any size or aspect ratio—which is especially helpful for any business looking to get creative with their video wall display. You don’t have to stick to one image or video on the screen. Why not use your wall-sized screen to share all the content you desire? 

Whether you need game coverage in a sports bar or wayfinding content in an airport, a commercial integrator like Texadia Systems can help you customize the number of images/videos on display. Here’s how it works. 

Two Essential Components: the Processor & Controller 

To set up your video wall’s display, you’ll need a quality processor and controller, which serve two very distinct purposes:

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The Conference Room Reset: How Hybrid Work Forced Companies to Rethink Collaboration Spaces

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How Hybrid Work Reveals the Weaknesses of Outdated Meeting Rooms 

In 2020, when most of the working world went online, we proclaimed that the future was remote. Many business owners worried their offices would forever sit empty. 

That didn’t turn out to be the case—instead, most businesses are operating on a hybrid model. Today, 50-52 percent of ‘remote capable’ jobs are working hybrid, with 22-30 percent fully remote and 20-22 percent entirely on-site. 

How We Helped a DFW Financial Institution Simplify Their AV Systems

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Client Success Story: Transforming Tedious Tech Into a Smooth, Integrated Experience 

When a leading financial institution in Dallas/Ft. Worth expanded its office with a new floor, they knew they would need new AV technology. But after evaluating their existing systems, they realized it may not be as simple as adding on new tech. 

The problem? Their previous technology stack was anything but simple. Frequent reboots, inconsistent room experiences, and disjointed systems created barriers to productivity, and eroded their confidence in the technology.

That’s where Texadia Systems stepped in with a plan: simplify, standardize, and stabilize.

Your Checklist to Build a Successful Conference Room

Man in a conference room with a tabletop controller and video display behind him.

Host In-Person and Hybrid Meetings with Ease 

Is your company building new conference rooms or renovating your existing ones?

What an exciting opportunity! You have the chance to create a dynamic, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing space that makes it easy to collaborate—even with remote team members

To prepare your business for a future of successful meetings, make sure the following features are on your conference room checklist. 

Is Ketra Lighting Worth It?

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Let’s Take a Closer Look. 

“Is Ketra really worth it?” 

It’s a common question searched online and asked by our showroom visitors. Because while Ketra is regarded as the gold standard of tunable lighting control, it does have a notably higher price tag than products like Philips Hue. So, is it really the best? 

To understand Ketra’s value, it’s best experienced in person. But until then, let’s explore what makes Ketra more than just another lighting product, and why it’s trusted by design professionals, homeowners, and architects alike.

Not Just Bulbs: A Complete Line of Architectural Lighting

While most smart lighting brands focus on retrofittable LED bulbs, Ketra offers an expansive architectural-grade line: recessed downlights, linear tape lights, and track lights, all fully color-tunable across 16 million colors. We can use Ketra alone to create complete lighting designs, from ambient and accent lighting to task-focused areas.

The technology is equally advanced: each Ketra fixture contains a 16-diode chip, giving it the precision to render the exact hues and dynamic white tuning you desire. 

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Your Home’s Tech Isn’t Broken. It’s Just Not Designed to Work Together

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Why It’s Time to Ditch the Single-Router, Multi-App Smart Home Setup

Does this sound like your home? 

You have a single, consumer-grade Wi-Fi router that’s used on every floor and in every room, serving sometimes dozens of devices at once. Your entertainment, home office, and smart devices all rely on this router alone—and sometimes your technology stalls or becomes unresponsive. 

On top of that, every IoT device has its own app, cloud account, and even sometimes its own physical remote. You’re left juggling three or four apps for the smart bulbs, another for the security cameras, and a pile of remotes to control your TV and soundbar setup. It’s madness! 

This was the old way. Thankfully, there is now a smarter, simpler approach to living with home technology, with help from your local integrator

6 Apps to Control Your Home? There Must Be a Better Way

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Condense Your Apps Into One Smart System 

To any homeowner who’s interested in smart home living, we tell them the best decision they can make is having a professional install a home automation system

But this recommendation is often received with skepticism. “I don’t need a whole smart home system!” they say. “I just want some smart lights and a smart thermostat and a few other things.” 

Fine, fine, fair enough. But as you begin to collect more smart home devices over the years, you may find yourself in over your head with apps and remotes. Here’s where it can go wrong

Wi-Fi 7: What It Is & Why You Need It

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Faster, More Reliable Wi-Fi for the Modern Home 

Not too long ago, we were writing about the exciting new internet protocol, Wi-Fi 6. But as our homes become ever more connected—and Audio Video streaming quality improves—that puts even more demand on our Wi-Fi. 

Enter Wi-Fi 7, the newest iteration of Wi-Fi standards, now available on home networking devices from brands like WhyReboot and Ruckus. Wi-Fi 7 offers accelerated connectivity, solid reliability, and performance that only compares to wired networks. Streaming 8K, gaming online, and smart home devices are all improved with a Wi-Fi 7 network. 

Here’s what you can expect from a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade and why you’ll be thankful you switched. 

What Is Wi-Fi 7? How Is It Different? 

The new Wi-Fi 7 promises enhanced speeds and reliability. Intel describes Wi-Fi 7 as having “wired-like responsiveness.” It packs more data into each transmission with 320 MHz channels—double the size of Wi-Fi 6. 

Wi-Fi 7 arrives at a perfect time, as 4K and 8K streaming becomes even more prevalent. Wi-Fi 7 can easily handle high-quality 8K video streaming, so you can enjoy movie night without buffering and pixelation. 

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The Power of Shure Microphones Comes to Teams Rooms

Group of people at a conference table using a tabletop controller to start a meeting with a Shure microphone above on the ceiling.

Upgrade Your Meeting Spaces with New Shure IntelliMix™ Room Kits + Teams Rooms

Hybrid collaboration isn't going away any time soon, but subpar meeting experiences should. At Texadia Systems, we know that for collaboration spaces to be truly effective, you need intuitive technology that “just works” every time. That’s why we trust Shure’s IntelliMix Room Kits when integrating Microsoft Teams Rooms.

Whether you're designing a new office in Dallas/Ft. Worth or upgrading an existing meeting space, this solution combines premium audio, intelligent video, and effortless control in a package that eliminates technical headaches. And we’ll install, scale, and support it all for you.

Managing Your Business’s Conference Rooms? Start Here.

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More Goes Into AV Design Than You May Think 

If you’ve been tasked with managing your company’s conference rooms, you may be wondering if there are any industry standards you should follow before installing an audio-video system. 

The truth is, there are so many variables that can affect a meeting space and its specific AV needs. For instance, do you have glass walls or hardwood floors? That can influence the acoustics of a space. Prefer a projector or video display? Have long tables, round tables, or hollow-squared tables?

And then there are your users to think about. Is your staff tech-savvy and able to handle “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD)? Or will this be an executive suite where people are too busy to figure out what kind of connector they have? 

Some meeting rooms are just used for small collaborations, while others have professional-grade broadcast gear. So how do you know what solutions to get? 

Retrofit Guide: Updating Recessed Lights to High-Performance LEDs

Recessed LED lighting set to a warm tone in a modern living room with the DMF logo in the right corner.

Update Your Downlights to LEDs & Reap the Benefits 

When most homeowners hear the phrase “lighting upgrade,” they assume it's as simple as swapping out an old bulb for a new one. However, switching from incandescent and CFL bulbs to LEDs can be a little more complicated for recessed/downlight fixtures. 

Downlights come in one of two forms: can or canless. Can lights feature a cylindrical housing behind the bulb, while canless lights are flush to the ceiling without any space around the light. No matter what you have, if your recessed lights still use older light bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LEDs. 

Our partner DMF Lighting offers a Retrofit Kit that makes it easy to upgrade recessed lighting systems to high-quality LEDs. Let’s walk through how it works—and why it’s always worth upgrading to LED lighting.

The Best Outdoor Speakers You’ve Never Heard Of: Coastal Source

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Outdoor Audio That Actually Endures All Weather 

Are you someone who prefers to purchase high-quality, long-lasting items rather than quick and convenient products that quickly fall apart? 

If that sounds like you, we’re willing to bet you’re a little nervous about investing in new outdoor audio or lighting equipment. Speakers that stay outside permanently—how long can they really last? 

While it may sound hard to believe, Coastal Source’s outdoor hardware is the real deal. We’ve had a very long partnership with Coastal Source and trust that their outdoor audio and lighting can endure even the harshest Texas weather, year after year. 

Improve Sound & Office Privacy in a Glass Wall Conference Room in Dallas, TX

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Glass-walled conference rooms are a hallmark of today’s modern, open-concept office. In urban Dallas offices—especially coworking spaces, design firms, and corporate headquarters—they offer sleek aesthetics, natural light, and a sense of transparency.

However, they come with two major acoustic challenges: echo and lack of privacy.

If your glass wall conference room in Dallas, TX, sounds more like a gymnasium than a meeting space, you’re not alone. Fortunately, solutions like acoustic treatments, sound masking, and AV integration can transform your space into a functional, private environment. Let’s explore how.

Control4 X4: Get More Creative Control with the Latest OS Upgrade

The Control4 X4 operating system on a touchscreen tablet.

Putting More Control in the Homeowner’s Hands 

If you live in a Control4 household, you’re in luck. 

Control4 recently unveiled its newest operating system, X4, which brings newfound customization options to your C4 interface. Plus, if you’re an Apple fan, X4 deepens Control4’s integration with Apple products. 

Here’s all you can expect when you upgrade your Control4 system to X4.

Buying a New House or Building? Here’s How to Make It Smart

A home interior with a Control4 smart home control panel on the wall.

Look Ahead & Upgrade to Make the Most of Your New Home 

Are you purchasing a home with a home control system? Congrats! If it’s all ready for you, you’ll love it. 

Unfortunately, that is not always the case. New homeowners are often left with an outdated system or one that’s missing components. Maybe there’s wiring and speakers in place for multi-room audio, but it’s not set up for you. Or perhaps there’s a centralized lighting system installed, but some of the keypads no longer work. 

Or maybe your new home doesn’t feature any smart home technology, but you’d still like to install it. It isn’t too late! Wherever your house is in the smart home journey, here’s a technology checklist to help you create a connected, convenient home. 

When Technology Becomes Architecture

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The Rise of Design-Integrated Lighting & Shading Systems

Did you know 52 percent of interior designers and architects believe proper lighting design can enhance even the most modest homes? Meanwhile, 47 percent believe the wrong lighting design hinders even the most luxurious spaces.  

We certainly agree. We’ve met homeowners who spent millions on their properties, only to leave rooms with “four cans and a fan” lighting that cast a dull light and harsh shadows. On the windows, people leave lopsided blinds with tangled cords, unintentionally hindering their home’s appearance. 

That’s why lighting design is gaining momentum in new builds and renovations. And thankfully, more high-end lighting and shading brands are offering design-centric options, making it easier to create a beautiful ambiance while reducing tech clutter. 

The Rise of “Quiet Ceilings” 

We’re all familiar with “popcorn” or “cottage cheese” ceilings, the lumpy design trend that’s now ubiquitous with the 1980s and ‘90s. Another trend that’s reached its expiration date? “Swiss cheese ceilings.” 

You’ve seen them: ceilings that look hole-punched with large recessed lights, some as large as 6 inches wide. These grids of circles cast an unflattering glare, often making rooms feel more like a dentist’s office than a luxury home. 

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New from Lutron: The Timeless Aviena Lighting Control Keypad

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Elevating Interior Design with a Touch of Brass 

When many people hear ‘home automation,’ they think of glossy screens and futuristic gadgets. But Lutron offers a refreshing alternative for whole-home lighting control: the Aviena keypad. 

Designed with antique charm and performance, Aviena proves that smart technology can also be beautiful.

If you’re in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and planning a luxury home build or renovation, here’s why this new lighting control solution deserves your attention.

The (Actual) Smartest Tape Lights for 2026

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For Smooth, Tunable White Light & Integrated Home Control 

Who doesn’t love a subtle, ambient glow under cabinets or bookshelves? Or gentle illumination behind a mirror and cove ceilings? In the past decade or so, tape lights have become a favorite of interior designers and design-minded homeowners. 

Yet people often purchase DIY tape lights that leave much to be desired. “Best Of” lists by Wirecutter and similar publications recommend cheap, low-end models that: 

  • Offer very few color options 
  • Leave visible ‘dots’ between lights 
  • Are too dim to provide task lighting in kitchens and offices 
  • Don’t include remote access and control 
  • Don’t include sophisticated automation and scheduling 
  • Lack true natural white, appearing either ultra-bright or nearly orange 

If you’re looking for a high-performance, luxury experience from your tape lights, let us point you towards Lutron and Ketra, the top names in smart lighting control today. Maybe you already have a Lutron lighting control system, or perhaps you’re new to the world of whole-home smart lighting. Here’s what makes their tape lights truly the best available today. 

The Soundbar Built for Samsung’s Frame TVs

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Get the Custom Width & Length to Match Your Frame TV  

You care about how your home looks, right? You aren’t a college kid with thumb-tacked posters and a hodgepodge of random furniture. No, you’re an adult with taste and a home you take pride in. 

So, if you’re reading this, you probably understand the clash between interior design and setting up an attractive entertainment system. You could have the most beautifully cultivated furniture, artwork, and lighting—and then a clunky TV setup disturbs the entire aesthetic.  

Thankfully, many technology manufacturers are catching on and offering solutions to make TVs appear more aesthetically pleasing. Samsung’s The Frame television resembles a real piece of art when powered off, and fits ultra-slim to your wall. 

And now, audio manufacturer Leon has released a soundbar to perfectly fit the width and dimensions of any Frame AV. Meet the Leon FrameBar, the soundbar built for audio and design enthusiasts alike. 

The Soundbar Made for The Frame 

Leon’s FrameBar is custom-built to match the precise dimensions and frame color of any Samsung Frame TV, creating a unified, polished look. With its ultra-thin cabinet (as slim as 2.375 inches), the FrameBar installs flush to the wall using Leon’s exclusive mounting brackets.

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