I will answer #4 since our TV is in the family room but easily seen from kitchen. Being tecno-incompetents, we opted for a soundbar instead of full surround sound. It is outstanding. For compatibility, we went with Panasonic to go with our Panasonic Viera plasma TV. But the Bose soundbar was amazing. Just jaw-dropping sound. I would never bother with surround sound when I could get a simple Bose bar.

We have an iPad in the wall outside of our kitchen in our PA house to control the whole house music system (and a TV in the kitchen we never use).

The iPad is extremely convenient to have it there, so much so that I just put an iPad in the wall of the kitchen in our FL house. The one in the FL house isn't connected to a whole house system, it is a stand-alone. However, it is hardwired in and has its own power source in the wall. It is just an iPad 1 and we used the iPort which is kind of costly for what it does but looks beautiful and was the cheapest way I found to get the look I want. http://www.amazon.com/iPort-CMIW2000-Control-Mount-White/dp/B0046LWK3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357963483&sr=8-1&keywords=iport

You can access radio, netflix and streaming movies, etc. on the iPad so if you have that, I wouldn't think you'd need a separate TV (although we don't have cable so we get all our entertainment via streaming... might be different if you watch a lot of cable shows).

If you do get a TV and want a way to access the Internet as well as streaming content, I'd recommend the boxee. We have AppleTVs, a GoogleTV and the boxee and the boxee is my favorite of the devices by far. It also works on RF so you don't have to physically have it out in order to use the remote.

Our iPad in the wall in PA (we have the same one in FL but in the kitchen proper instead of the hall):

Our kitchen TV in PA (above the pantry):

Dacor just unveiled a new wall oven with built-in pad. Pretty cool - it sends text to you and you can adjust temp, turn on, etc away from home. Price isn't all that ridiculous either.

There are also several manufacturers of iPad and iPod "shelves" for keeping them off counter while using one for recipes.

Here is a link that might be useful: High tech wall oven

Dacor's oven has an an android tablet, not an ipad, and I have to wonder very much about that setup. I have an ipad, and it will shut down from the heat after using it outside in the FL sun for a relatively brief period of time. I can't imagine that the dacor oven has managed to completely isolate their tablet from all heat. I doubt very much that android tablets have natively better insulated electronics. Just opening the oven door would expose its surface to a blast of heat, for example.

If it were an ipad, I would expect it to fail quickly because of the heat where it's located. I would expect an android tablet, in addition to being slightly less reliable overall, to fail at least as quickly.

This post was edited by writersblock on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 11:10

Right now I have a tablet in the kitchen plus TV that can be seen from it. I do have speakers but found them not in much use when there is a lot of cooking and noise going on. I do not like Apple for iPad and iPod are not used friquently although we have them.
We are moving in the end of the year in the new place and I plan a big media placement in the kitchen there. A computer for myself in the corner with two other monitors (touch), one with TV tuner, in two different places (island and cooking zone). I have not yet thought through if I want additional speakers, as from my experience they are not very important, and I will have a big system in the living room that is adjacent to the kitchen.

I also plan to put webcams on my exhaust fan to monitor my induction range and next to each of the ovens. This way I can see what's happening with my cooking even if I am on the other floor.

In particular, does anyone know about a webcam/wireless camera that I can either attach to the oven glass outside or even place inside? For inside it better needs to be quite heat resistant, but even for outside placement some heat tolerance is needed. And it should not be a huge contraption similar to all-weather security cameras.

The idea of course is to put the webcam on the oven when there is something inside cooking, and have the signal sent to my computer/phone, so I can monitor the process. I often do some slow cooking, etc., so easing the checking procedure is attractive. My plans are still not completely settled, and I would appreciate any comments/recommendations.

Thanks for reading!
MTC

A very interesting article on smart appliances from Slate, after seeing all these gizmos at CES.

Oh, and I use my ipad for recipes, but I hate TV in the kitchen or dining room.

Here is a link that might be useful: smart appliances?

This post was edited by writersblock on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 12:55

I am looking at using the B&W wireless speakers in our kitchen - not sure where I am going to put them.
I looked at a TV but just couldn't do it...
I steal the ipad or computer and put it in the kitchen. I am thinking of putting the ipad inside a cabinet door - you can do a cut out - but I don't want to limit the future....

We just put a B&W sound bar in our great room as it just isn't designed for surround sound with the vaulted ceiling etc - Wow - it is amazing. (I gave it to DH for Christmas as he was ogling it)

Love the idea of an oven webcam - Cirrus was making one but not sure if it is made commercially. -GE makes one but it is for their home automation and not for the oven. I like the idea - maybe we could work together....

We opted for no tv in the kitchen but have a radio, which makes the kitchen seem more inviting, at least to us. We usually have PBS on. I love wandering into the kitchen when DH is cooking and finding it all cozy with the smells of dinner and the sound of the radio.

It's interesting how the tv seems intrusive but the radio seems welcoming.

We got this nice sort of old looking radio which does include a jack where you can plug in your portable music device as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: radio

This post was edited by donaleen on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 13:21

Same as Donaleen..we pre wired for Bowers&Wilkins speakers in the deep banquette in the kitchen. I love to listen to says you on NPR when I am cooking. We also have it hooked up to Sonos so we can play music, use spotify etc. I find tv too distracting in the kitchen - I need to keep my eyes on the pot or the knife if not I make mistakes. We do have an iPad and I thinking about stands that will help me use it in the kitchen.

Donaleen- that's one cool radio!

I am working on remodelling my kitchen now. I have several ethernet ports connected to a hub in the basement, but I was not actually thinking about what it would be used for. I was still thinking networking kitchen stuff is 10 years out, but apparently it is already here. I definitely like the idea of a central iPad hub in the kitchen.

We have a sound system via Sonos that has a panel in each room to control the sound. It's versatile - a person can be watching TV in the TV room with surround sound (and the door shut if it's really loud!) while another person in the room next door can listen to classical music, a third person can be cooking in the kitchen listening to a book on CD or something. And of course, we can all listen to the same thing in those rooms or the LR or the DR. The other rooms have an on/off switch and volume control. We love it.

We have 4 ceiling speakers in the kitchen area - 2 in the kitchen and 2 in the sunroom, each pair having its own control panel. We also have the equivalent of the "boom box," so if someone is in a room not wired for Sonos (we only have it on the first floor and the basement laundry room), he/she can still listen.

The system can be controlled by a Mac, iphone, ipad, etc. It required a LOT of wiring, though.

Did I mention we love it?

I can't really imagine watching TV in the kitchen unless it was visible straight on and I was doing something very mindless, like eating breakfast or something. I guess some people just listen to it and look at the screen when something of interest comes up.

Is that true, kitchen-TV users?

Oh my golly....this only proves my ineptness of the tech industry. There are things y'all have mentioned I have never even heard of. The Boxee for example. That sounds fascinating regardless of kitchen use. The oven with the Android my mother sure could use.

I definitely have to do some homework. I have spent so much time researching appliances that I haven't given any consideration to media sources. I know someone on here several years ago had a nice setup installed in their wall above the countertop on the short end wall of their kitchen but I can't recall who that was.

The kitchen will be open to the keeping room with a tv so that is not so important but I would like some sort of device that I can access the Internet from, listen to music, but also radio programming as I listen to a lot of NPR while in the kitchen. Donaleen that radio is so charming. The one I have on the counter is old school but not old enough to be charming! Just a space hog.

Those sound bars sound excellent for our keeping room. I am definitely going to pass that onto DH. Great ideas....keep them coming!!!!

Very interested in this thread. And, I just gotta say, seeing one after another chime in with how much they love listening to NPR just does a little warm fuzzy thing in my soul. I am a huge fan of NPR. It is one of the few media sources that I find edifying, stimulating, educating, relaxing - all at once. It so often leaves me curious and open and wanting to learn more. I've been guilty of sitting in my car in random parking lots (or my driveway) because I just couldn't miss a minute of the interview...

Recently ran into a new sound system by Harmon Kardon. Box abot the size of a dvd player- connects to wifi or bluetooth,there are inserts that turn the cabinet doors into speakers and a sub woofer that goes in the toe kick. Sound was very good. Downsides are it's a about $2300, and the doors must be prepped by the cabinet mfg so not really suitable for semi custom.
Would love to put one in the showroom:)

In our last house, new build, it was fully wired for internet in all rooms. We had wireless but it was convenient for the internet phone which needed to plug in, I had phones in various rooms and having the house prewired made it a simple process.

We charge alot of gadgets in the kitchen and I am currently figuring out where I want them in the new layout. I want it hidden and to have multiple outlets so it is convenient but not messy looking and goes one step further into being organized so that there is no searching for chargers.

We have a full size jukebox in our kitchen which will need a new place once we change the layout. The jukebox has its own internal speakers and then DH hooked it up to external Bose speakers in the dining/living room. Love the jukebox and still trying to figure out where it is going to go that is accessible to us as the kids and their friends love picking a song and having it on.

Laura,

can we see a photo of your jukebox? Love old jukeboxes.

We have somewhat similar to drbeanie but not with Sonos. Ours is just set up through a standard multi-zone stereo receiver system connected to TV/dvd/ipod, galaxie, and sirius radio. We have speakers in the kitchen, dining room, and outside. The choice to stream a separate source is nice, but in our case we only use that for outdoors since our kitchen, family, and dining rooms are open concept.

Similar to drbeanie, we have speakers and on/off/volume control at each room. Very happy with it for several reasons. In dining room it's nice to be able to have soft music playing at table conversation level without having blast the speakers from the family room. And at night if either DH or I are up later than the other, usually sitting at the island with computer, we can put the overhead kitchen speakers on softly rather than having the family room speakers on loud. Since our bedroom is overhead this makes a big difference. And having the separate wiring outside on the patio is another nice advantage.

Here are a couple pics that show the overhead speakers, not the most beautiful things ever but they blend into the background after a while. :) The kitchen pic also shows the on/off/volume control which is just above the light switch on the right.

I can't really imagine watching TV in the kitchen unless it was visible straight on and I was doing something very mindless, like eating breakfast or something. I guess some people just listen to it and look at the screen when something of interest comes up. Is that true, kitchen-TV users?

Yes that's true. We usually "watch" tv while sitting at the island. We aren't big TV people so it's normally set to one of cable news or discovery or history or hgtv channel and we just look up when something is interesting. That's probably how most kitchen tv watchers do it too, I'd imagine. Either that, or it could also be handy for watching morning news with breakfast and a coffee before heading to work.

Meant also to mention to the OP that we considered building something into the kitchen for internet and recipes but decided against it. IMO technology is changing too fast to go to the expense and semi-permanence of building that in when it's so easy to just bring a iPad to whatever counter I want it at. And in 10 years if (when) there is completely new technology I won't be kicking myself for building in something ten years old.

Sorry for abandoning my post. We have been traveling today to visit an ill grandmother. Thank you all for sharing this information. It is definately helping.

Taggie - I totally agree with you about things changing so quickly they are pretty much obsolete almost as fast as they come to market.

I guess my primary interest is in seeing if there is a product out there I am not aware of that has ease of use in the kitchen that would allow me to perform all of the functions I mentioned above. If nothing else, I could always just use a tablet with a docking station.

All other ideas and suggestions welcome!