Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
Don’t Underestimate Your Installation Costs
 

C.I.S. : Charlotte NC's Source for HDTV setup, Installation & Questions!

C.I.S. : Charlotte NC's Source for HDTV Setup & Installation!

Big-box installations may wind up being pricier than you think, so here are some suggestions and questions to keep in mind.

It’s become cliché to talk about $99 TV installs from those big-box guys. $99? Where did that come from?

Let’s take Best Buy’s Geek Squad, although the offerings are similar for Zip Installation and other national installer networks. The price for mounting a 42-inch-or-larger TV starts at $350.

For that, the Geeks will unpack the TV (!), mount it, conceal the wires in a wall (assuming a single stud bay and no insulation), hook up two video components, “neatly dress” exposed wires, program a satellite or cable remote to operate the TV, and teach you how to use it.

Add $50 to connect to the home network, and $99 each for anything special, like an additional component, unusual mounting surface, motorization, multiple-stud bay, remote control programming … you get the picture. 

So that ends up being, oh, maybe $600 or $700 for a modest install. You bring the mount and the cables. And although they might be able to “neatly dress” your power cords, the Geeks certainly can’t plant them behind the walls. For that, you’ll want to hire an electrician at $100 per hour, bringing the installation to at least $700.

Now, $700 is a great deal for mounting a nice TV, as long as it is done well. It should be a two-hour job for the pros and possibly a four- to eight-hour job for the uninitiated do-it-yourselfer.

If that price works for you, why not give your local A/V shop a call?

Asked to review pricing from Geek Squad and other national providers, custom electronics pros say their own fees are on par or slightly higher. Often, they’re more capable, better trained and more committed than their mass-market counterparts. Plus, many of them have electricians on staff.

While the national guys usually can only “neatly dress” your power cables, “We would likely install an actual electrical outlet,” says CE pro Michael Philpott of MultiMedia Interiors, San Diego, Calif. “We’re licensed to do it, it’s less expensive, and it looks better.”

10 Questions to Ask the Installer

With all that in mind … what started out as a $399 job may end up to be much more than that. Here are some questions to ask to keep the price in check:
1. Do you supply the mount? The cables?

2. If the components you hook up don’t work (HDMI issues, for example) will you troubleshoot the system?

3. Do you use finish plates where the wires go in and out of the wall?

4. Do you patch holes made for fishing wires?

5. What if my interconnects are not CL-2 rated for a behind-the-wall installation?

6. Does your “consultation” include the placement of the television for optimal viewing?

7. How long are you willing to “train” me on how to use the system?

8. What happens if something goes wrong in six months, like glitches with cable service? Will you come back out?

9. What if one of my components is an A/V receiver? Will you establish the proper connections and volume controls?

10. If you charge for hooking my TV to the home network, will you guarantee that it will work?

 by Julie Jacobson

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/dont_underestimate_your_installation_costs/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte NC ’s Home Theater & Technology Experts!

Posted in 3D TV, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, Media Rooms, News, technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Samsung Bows 3D LED TV

CIS: Charlotte, NC's Source For 3D Theater Electronics!

Samsung formally kicked off the global launch of four 3D HD LED TVs during a press conference here Tuesday, and revealed plans for a major advertising and promotional campaign to support the category.

The event brought DreamWorks Animation SKG’s Jeffrey Katzenberg to Samsung’s New York City showroom to announce the next part of a strategic alliance between the movie studio and the Korean electronics maker, which involves an exclusive offering of the “Shrek” film series in its entirety in 3D Blu-ray for the first time.

Samsung’s multimillion-dollar national advertising and marketing blitz will include extensive TV support – which began with a teaser spot during the 2010 Academy Awards telecast – a coast-to-coast in-store merchandising program employing 5,000 3D merchandising kiosks, and a “3D starter kit” including two pair of 3D glasses and a copy of DreamWork’s 3D Blu-ray movie “Monsters vs. Aliens” for the purchase of a Samsung 3D TV and a Samsung 3D Blu-ray player or 3D Blu-ray home-theater system.

In addition, Katzenberg announced that during the second half of 2010, DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek” film series will be available in 3D Blu-ray for Samsung home entertainment systems.

“Audiences across the globe can’t get enough of 3D,” Katzenberg said at the event. “It is, quite frankly, the entertainment revolution of our time.”

Samsung will have 17 3D products overall in 2010, “making it the broadest 3D entertainment lineup in world,” said Tim Baxter, Samsung Electronics America president.

The company will offer 3D in three LCD TV series, including the 7000, 8000 and 9000 series, and will offer the capability in two plasma series, including the 7000 and 8000. Plasma models will be available in the 50-inch, 58-inch and 63-inch screen sizes in both series.

Screen sizes for LCD models will include 40, 46, 55 and 65 inches. Four of the 3D LCD models are in select stores now.

Pricing will range from a $1,699 suggested retail for the 46-inch 240Hz CCFL backlit LN46C750 (due in May) to $6,999 for the 55-inch 240Hz LED backlit UN55C9000 (due in April); the latter ships with a touchscreen LCD remote control with built-in Wi-Fi capability.

The UN46C7000 ($2,599) and UN55C7000 ($3,299) are shipping now.

Samsung has dubbed its “holistic” U.S. marketing campaign “Dedicated to Wonder.” Baxter said it will employ television advertising and the first 3D Imax cinema advertising for a consumer electronics brand, beginning in April.

The effort utilizes a renowned production team, including the Oscar-winning director of photography Mauro Fiore.

By Greg Tarr

http://www.twice.com/article/449856-Samsung_Bows_3D_LED_TV.php

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Audio/Video Sales, Service and Installation in North Carolina and South Carolina

Posted in 3d movies, 3D TV, Blu-ray, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, Media Rooms, Music and Movies, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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