Entertainment

When it comes to music phones few have been able to match the quality of Sony Ericsson Walkman series. The manufacturer has always endeavoured to cater to the various needs of music-loving customers. The Sony Ericsson W200i is yet another attempt to offer good music facilities in a mobile phone at affordable costs.

The mobile phone promises to have everything which a music listener yearns for. The mobile phone has a high-quality media player with mega bass for ultimate music listening experience. Special software to copy songs from any CD to mobile offers you unlimited convenience to carry your music collection. Stereo handsfree and an expandable memory up to 2GB complete the profile of the musical device.

The Sony Ericsson W200i mobile phone is also equipped with a 0.3 mega pixel VGA camera (it’s a music phone, remember!) to help you shoot images in the absence of a dedicated imaging device. The phone also has good video features to allow you to enjoy moving images. A vibrant display makes viewing video, a pleasure. More on entertaining features. The mobile phone has FM radio to help you turn to your favourite radio channel, wherever you may be. For avid gamers, the W220i offers 3D and Java games.

The Sony W200i offers all latest messaging features like SMS, MMS, IM (instant messaging) and e-mail. Predictive input text, voice recorder and a well laid-out keypad ably supports the various messaging functionalities of the handset. The phone also gives you speedy access to the web world with its Internet facilities. The AcessNetfront web browser allows you to surf web and check e-mails. With RSS feeds get the latest updates on your mobile phone.

Infrared port, Modem, Synchronisation PC, USB mass storage and USB support provides you local connectivity with other compatible devices. The tri-band GSM network keeps you connected even in the remote locations. All this and much more is encompassed in a stylishly designed and compact bar design which does perfect justice to the handset.

If you’re thinking about developing a family entertainment center (FEC), the following advice is for you. It’s from my 20+ years of consulting experience with new leisure attractions, and watching many who have gone down the path you’re looking at right now. One of the real benefits of our industry is shared experience. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to FECs. Sure, there are always improvements that can be made to the concept, but it’s a proven one with an established track record that now spans decades. With that in mind…

First, look within yourself and think about why you want to develop a FEC. If the main reason is to get rich, think again. Although there’s always the feeling that a clever new idea can lead to great fortune, few in our business actually do get rich developing leisure attractions and those that do probably didn’t think they would when they started. If your main reason is to take on the challenge of developing a thriving fun business that could entertain thousands every year, then welcome, we need more like you. Many FEC developers are actually buying themselves a job, and an enjoyable one at that. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the motivation driving most of the small businesses today in our country. The goal of being your boss, doing something you enjoy, and hopefully building something of value that you can pass on someday to others.

Second, you’re going to need money. Not all of it, that’s what lending institutions like banks, help with. But you’re going to need what we call “seed money”. If you’re the creative type that simply wants to conceptualize and not deal with money, this is the time to begin finding a business partner. The leisure attractions industry has benefited time and time again from pairing creative and business types. I’m sure you’ve heard of Walt and Roy Disney.

How much seed money you’re going to need is hard to say. I’ve been asked if there is some way that a consultant can provide a “preliminary” feasibility analysis that would help get this seed money. Sadly, the answer is no. Any worthwhile feasibility report is going to take considerable time and effort.

Think carefully about the general risk involved in developing a new business. There are no guarantees and you will need to be comfortable with these risks before you can seriously move forward.

Third, you should have a good idea of what type of family entertainment center you want to develop. One type is not inherently better than another; such as indoor versus outdoor or teen-oriented versus children-oriented. This is the time to educate yourself as much as you can about FECs. In particular, you should visit as many family entertainment centers as you can, and see first-hand what you like and don’t like. Soon, you should have a good idea of what you want to develop.

Fourth, you should also have a good idea where you want to develop your family entertainment center. Ideally, you should have a specific site in mind.

Fifth, you’re very likely going to need a feasibility study unless you have the financial resources to develop the project on your own. That’s because our industry, like most, has its own version of the golden rule and it says “the one with the gold makes the rules”. Lenders and other investors want to see an objective, analytical report prepared by an expert that evaluates the potential of your proposed type of FEC at your prospective location. This effort might be divided into separate market and financial feasibility studies, but typically it is done in a single report.

Although you’ve paid for it, the feasibility study is not written directly for you. It’s written for prospective lenders and investors, and assumes they have little if any knowledge of family entertainment center. That’s why it will often begin by describing the FEC concept, a topic you probably already know much about.

The study will then likely identify the potential markets for your proposed FEC, through distance rings, travel corridors, or other means. It may or may not include tourists, depending on the location. It should present the size of each market segment and its demographic characteristics. It should project potential attendance by applying market penetration rates to these market segments, influenced by the quality of these markets, competition, and the experience of comparable FECs elsewhere.

The feasibility study should provide general physical recommendations to ensure that the proposed FEC will physically be able to effectively service its expected attendance. This study, however, does not design the FEC and should give the designers flexibility.

The study should also project potential financial performance and provide guidance on the total development costs needed to achieve a worthwhile return-on-investment to investors. This amount needs to be high enough to provide the “critical mass” of experiences needed to achieve its market potential, yet avoid overbuilding. An FEC can often be expanded later if needed, but downsizing is generally very difficult. With the feasibility study in hand, you’re ready to continue moving forward.

Sixth, you should prepare a detailed business plan for your proposed family entertainment center. Its purpose differs from the feasibility study. The feasibility study is prepared by an outside expert and hopefully demonstrates the potential of your proposed FEC. If not, you will need to make changes to the concept and/or location. Even a positive feasibility study does not predict or guarantee success. Instead, it shows the potential performance if the FEC is developed and managed effectively.

The business plan shows how you plan to effectively develop and manage the FEC so that it will achieve the potential identified in the feasibility study. Although the business plan may partially or completely be prepared by outsiders, it is ultimately your document. It will need to persuade skeptical readers that you can actually make this happen. They will look hard at the top people involved in the project that are described in the business plan, and will want comfort that these individuals are qualified.

Seventh, you may need initial design and concept development work as part of the complete package to present to prospective investors and lenders. I’m not a designer, so I won’t speak for that profession concerning this particular step. There are many fine design firms in our industry that will be happy to discuss this with you and you should begin talking with them early in the planning process. There may also be other consultants needed to effectively move the planning process forward.

Eighth, you may need to bring in other equity investors. Banks and other lending institutions will rarely provide all of the funds needed to develop the FEC, so the remaining amount has to be provided by equity investors. Since the lenders will likely have liens on the assets of the FEC, the equity investors have higher risks, but also have the potential to reap the higher rewards from a successful operation.

Ninth, you have funding in place and are ready to begin construction. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve accomplished quite a bit and should take a moment to celebrate. More challenges lie ahead, but you’re well on your way.

Now that technology has made having an in-home entertainment system a reality, how do you go about incorporating one into your own home? Creating a home theater involves more than just choosing a system, you’ve got to design a space that will provide the best viewing experience.

First decision: location. To create a true “theater” experience, you’ll want to have as little interruption from outside light as possible. For that reason, many people use a basement or an attic room for their home theater. If you don’t have an attic or basement, choose a room with the fewest or smallest windows. Covering the windows with both pull-down shades and heavy, dark-colored curtains will best darken the room for optimal viewing during the daytime. Check with home-improvement stores and window showrooms for special “black-out” curtains and shades.

You might think that wall color isn’t a big issue in your home theater-since the lights will usually be off. However, you should give wall and floor treatments some consideration so that they don’t distract during show time. For example, you’ll want to use dark, deep colors such as brown, deep red or charcoal gray to keep the walls in the background while a movie is playing. Textured wall covering or matte finish paint will keep walls from “shining” with screen light reflection.

Although the lights will usually be off in your home entertainment room, you’ll need a good lighting source for entering and leaving the room. It’s best to avoid overhead lights as they can be too glaring. Sconces that produce soft light on walls and recessed lighting are the best choices for this room. Use dimmers to control the lighting so that you can adjust the brightness to keep viewers’ eyes comfortable.

The kind of seating you choose for your home entertainment theater depends on the kind of crowd you expect to entertain. Will your young children and their friends be the heaviest users? If so, a couple of large sofas will work well. Kids tend to fight over individual seats, but they can all pile on a sturdy sofa. An added benefit to a comfy couch is the opportunity for one or two people to simply sprawl over it for more private viewing. Recliners and loveseats offer a comfortable seat for teens and adults. In fact, why not put a number of recliners in the room, so everyone can have the most comfortable seat in the house? If multiple recliners are not in your budget, easy chair/ottoman sets work just as well, if not better. In a pinch, the ottoman serves as extra seating.

The finishing touches in decorating your home entertainment theater are the most practical ones. A solid level surface, such as a wooden table or T.V. tray, within reach of each seating area makes it easy for viewers to set down snacks or drinks. To avoid having to leave the room to replenish snacks, keep a mini refrigerator in the room, and use cupboards or existing closet shelves for dry snacks. A small microwave oven will let you make popcorn and heat up nachos without ever leaving your home entertainment haven.