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
13 Classic Rookie DIY Mistakes to Avoid

diy-tips-framingIf you’re just getting started or planning your home theater and AV projects, here are some pointers from our custom electronics pros friends.

We asked custom electronics (CE) pros about the blunders they encounter when DIYers or inexperienced pros can’t get their systems to work.

Here are some of the rookie mistakes you should avoid:
Buying the least expensive gear and finding out it doesn’t have the features you need, like discrete control codes (on and off, for example) or enough inputs and outputs.

Hooking up equipment using substandard cables, connectors and adapters, leading to poor performance and, eventually, no performance.

Underutilizing gear that you already have. For example, connecting the DVD player using composite cable when it has component or HDMI outputs, and not setting the TV to the maximum resolution.

Never realizing you could be watching HD channels you’re paying for: “You mean Channel 4 is standard but 404 is HD?!  I never knew!” 

Compromising setups that you learn to live with, like having to leave a cabinet door open, or moving cables from one device to another.

Forgetting to install Ethernet jacks at the A/V locations.

Skimping on power protection. 

Mounting video devices in poor locations: displays too high and projectors not centered correctly when there’s no lens shift available.

Failing to wire distributed audio speaker locations for stereo.

Forgetting to put power where it’s needed: racks, TVs, projectors, powered seats.

Trying to use “rules of thumb” for speaker locations in unusual rooms, such as those with missing walls or angled seating.

Wiring low-voltage cabling parallel with the electrical, often done in retrofit situations when the installer or DIYer simply uses the same holes used by the electrical wires.

Inadequate ventilation for equipment, resulting in burned-out gear (and calls to the manufacturer for their “faulty” products).

 by EH Staff

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/13_classic_rookie_diy_mistakes_to_avoid

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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Best Products of 2009

best_products_2009_EH_thumb12012.08.2009 — It’s pretty safe to say we’re all glad that 2009 is almost over and we can look ahead with some optimism.

Despite the economic woes, 2009 wasn’t a total failure. There were many great products released that ran the gamut from Blu-ray players to projectors, receivers, subwoofers and more.

These products revealed several trends that are expected to grow in 2010, including adoption of Blu-ray, 2.40:1 home systems, migration to two-channel audio and more.

We’ve rounded up the Best Products of 2009 and broken them down by several categories:

* Best Overall Products
* Best Video Products
* Best Audio Products
* Best Blu-ray Player and Movies
* Best Accessories
* Best Video Games

Click here to view the Best Products of 2009

By Robert Archer

http://www.cepro.com/article/best_products_of_2009/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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Inside SpeakerCraft’s Booth at CEDIA Expo 2009

speakercraftbooth_300SpeakerCraft’s CEDIA Expo 2009 booth couldn’t be more different than its 2008 Expo booth.

Last year the company de-emphasized products and played up business — albeit in the context of watching scantily clad dancers.

“We’re displaying almost all of our products [this year],” says Dave Donald, VP of marketing. The shift in focus is “sort of a yin and yang thing.”

“We did our business message last year. And we took it out on the road all year. This year, we’re back to products.”

Among the products SpeakerCraft is showing in booth 2418 are its Nirv multiroom audio system, which president Jeremy Burkhardt teased as “the largest product introduction ever.”

SpeakerCraft also is showing its first-ever receivers that are part of the new Vital line.

SpeakerCraft’s booth, of course, isn’t without its flare. The large “Burning Man”-esque tents seem to attract installers — hence the relatively big crowds.

We were wondering if SpeakerCraft’s always-interesting booth would emphasis “Nirv or Nudity.” The answer is Nirv.

By Tom LeBlanc

http://www.cepro.com/article/inside_speakercrafts_booth_at_cedia_expo_2009/K32

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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