There are a lot of questions surrounding AV products, installation and low voltage work in general. Companies use large amounts of marketing dollars trying to make their products seem great, simple - perfect in every way. This is not always the case.
Here are some common questions we receive.
Wireless is great and it is getting better all the time... but it can not completely replace wire for many things. Wires are less prone to interference from other systems. And most wireless devices do still need a wire, the power. Many modern wired devices like network access points, IP cameras and even LED lighting panels can get data and power from a single category network wire. A combination of wired and wireless systems is typically the right solution.
20 years ago a smart home was simply a house that was wired for a network. Today a smart home means different things to different people. Automation is a key aspect of the modern smart home. Lighting systems, shades and irrigation systems are examples of smart technology that has existed for many years. Voice controlled products and networked appliances are newer examples of where smart home technology is going.
Absolutely! In a lot of cases it is a better choice than a projector and screen. Unless you have a dedicated room, or at least one with good light control, a TV might be a better option. Projectors make sense if you want a very large image and really want to create a theater-like experience. We can design dedicated theater rooms or multi-purpose media rooms to fit your home and lifestyle. Learn more...
The answer is - Maybe you don't. It really depends on what you need now and in the foreseeable future. Many new technology systems will work fine on older infrastructure wiring, although maybe at a reduced speed or maybe not at all. We can evaluate your existing systems and work with you to find the best solution.
Yes. Groups like BMI, ASCAP and others actively protect their license holders. Fines can be very large. The good news is Sonos has made it easy and inexpensive to stream licensed music and can be connected to any commercial distributed audio system for playback in bars, restaurants or other public spaces.
The most common type of outdoor speaker is the bracketed box speaker, basically a weatherproof version of a traditional speaker design. They can be mounted to buildings, trees, poles - pretty much anything. They sound good and many can be painted to match their envirionment.
There are also speakers that double as planters. They are somewhat convincing looking depending on your idea of what a planter should look like. This is somewhat a niche product and there is not a lot of variety. They generally fire a speaker down towards a reflecting panel producing a more diffuse sound than traditional front-firing speakers. Their 360 degree dispersion pattern makes them very good for background music but not the top choice if you are looking for the best fidelity.
Landscape speakers are designed to be placed in your plant beds. There are full range models and satellite systems that resemble outdoor lights and come in a variety of sizes and configurations. They can cover large areas and certain types can be tied to long wire runs. The speaker enclosures are relatively small so most include subwoofers or have subs are available. They are really necassary for this type of solution if you want the best sound. Learn more...
You might not.
Google Home, Alexa and Sonos all have speakers. It really comes down to what you expect from your audio system. Sonos sounds pretty good, Google and Amazon less so. You still have a speaker or two that need to be placed in the room but there are some clever products out that allow them to be wall mounted or disguised as regular speakers or wrapped in fabric to better match your room. It is up to each of us how you feel about these devices monitoring our activities. There is also a question about how committed these companies are to these kinds of products. Most of them will not operate without interaction with a server somewhere in the cloud.
Distributed audio systems generally place speakers in the ceiling or walls. They can be painted to match the color of the room and are available in just about any quality and price point. Streaming sources, like Sonos, can be integrated into these systems. They are more expensive but offer great sound quality, are nearly invisible and have solutions for every room in the house and outside too.
There is no "too early to call". So much of what we do is best worked out in the early planning stages. Unlike most contractors, who work from plans or prints, part of what we provide is system design. We can add our system(s) to your project plans and work with your other contractors to make sure everything runs smoothly.
We cater to clients who are looking for a company to provide design, installation and service. In order to provide solutions that we know will work, we need to provide the equipment. There are a lot of factors involved in choosing equipment including performance, cost, reliability, features and how well it works as part of a larger system. We need manufacturers that stand behing their products and offer quality tech support if it is needed. There are also warranty and insurance issues that can arise if we do not provide the equipment we install.
Having said that, if you own equipment you would like to use and is serviceable - we will make every attempt to integrate into our system design.