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


Polk’s RTi A9 Speakers Deliver Full-Range Performance

CIS-NC is Charlotte NC's #1 Polk Audio Speaker Dealer!

CIS-NC is Charlotte NC's Trusted Polk Audio Speaker Dealer!

Polk Audio’s RTi A9 freestanding loudspeaker is efficient, easy-to-drive, affordable and it has a small footprint.

There’s no question that over the past decade the performance characteristics of a typical in-wall or bookshelf loudspeaker have been greatly improved.

However, there is also no question that there is no replacing a full-range loudspeaker with their ability to provide high sound pressure levels (SPLs), dynamic sound reproduction capabilities and seamless, multi-octave soundstages.

Polk Audio‘s RTi A9 is an example of how manufacturers have evolved their in-room products to meet the needs of a much different consumer demographic that requires sleek industrial designs, unobtrusive room integration and reasonable price points.

Standing just under 49 inches tall the RTi A9 has a cabinet depth of 21.375 inches and a width of just shy of 9 inches.

Internally, the speaker employs three 7-inch polymer-composite woofers, two 5.25-inch polymer-composite midrange drivers and a single 1-inch silk-polymer, composite dome tweeter that operate together on 12dB crossover slopes (second-order).

The Maryland-based company also utilizes a ported cabinet design that includes its PowerPort Plus technology to help the speaker reproduce a frequency response of 18Hz to 27kHz, and it offers dual-binding post options for bi-wiring connectivity.

The RTi A9s run $1,699 per pair.

by Robert Archer

 http://www.electronichouse.com/article/polks_rti_a9_speakers_deliver_full-range_performance/

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

Posted in Audio Systems, Home Theater, Media Rooms, Multi Room A/V, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment


HD Guru: Bad Grades for DirecTV 3D

C.I.S. - Charlotte NC's Trusted Home Theater Experts!

C.I.S. - Charlotte NC's Trusted Home Theater Experts!

HD Guru Gary Merson scores 3D content on DirecTV and the results are generally grim: “Take it off the air.”

Last week, DirecTV flipped the switch on a bunch of new 3D channels. It’s been a long time coming, but was it all worth the wait?

HD Guru Gary Merson has posted his review on the service provider’s first four 3D offerings. He looked at some of the programming from the exclusive N3D channel, which is a joint effort between DirecTV and Panasonic. Some of the content features the awesome power of 1080p/24. Don’t get too drooly, though; some of the content is in 1080i.

So what’s the verdict? Well, you might still be anxiously awaiting new content. Programs reviewed included:

* Wild Safari: An South African Adventure
* S.O.S Planet
* African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango
* Encounter In The Third Dimension

Using a good, old grading system, Merson says the first three programs averaged about a C on content. That sounds kind of crappy, if you ask me. In other words, you’ll watch it because that’s all there is. Even more depressing is that two of those Cs scored even worse when it came to 3D quality—with one getting a big, fat F.

“Safari in Okavango is poorly shot 3D, making viewing a strain, as ones eyes try to compensate for the discrepancies,” Merson says. “At this time we feel it would be best for DirecTV to take it off the air and only rebroadcast it if it can fixed in post production.”

Tell us how you really feel, Gary! He definitely does. Check out his full review at HDGuru.com.

by Rachel Cericola

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/hd_guru_bad_grades_for_directv_3d/

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

Posted in 3d movies, 3D TV, Flat Panel TV's, Home Theater, Media Rooms, Music and Movies, News, technology | 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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