Custom
Pitfalls and remedies
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Steve Bennett Hifi has staff, trade partners,
to install and set up your equipment. It will work
the way we described in the store. No nasty
surprises.
don't want to let just anybody
into your home, we have been serving
Geelong for over 30
years, you can enlist our help and
recommendations with
confidence." Click here for info on a
Free Service in Geelong.
Custom Sound &
Vision
As submitted to the Geelong Advertiser GT article…
There are many options
available to achieve sound and vision around your
house. Doing it right, and at the right stage, can
save costly mistakes. You could end up
with no sound or picture at all where you wanted it!
Click here for Do it yourself
Custom install pdf
Installation Hints (and
Pitfalls to avoid.)
1; Don’t skimp on quality.
A few thousand more on a system that the whole
family can enjoy is nothing, considering many people
keep their systems for up to 20 years. (Remember,
your average family vehicle can loose around $10,000
per annum, and it’s mostly just parked somewhere!
Why not invest in family fun?)
2; Think about the sound.
Pre-packaged home cinema systems skimp on the
main speakers. Your main speakers are the most
important component for a great musical experience.
3; Sound and vision anywhere
you desire. Your Digital set-top box, Foxtel,
CD-Music-server, Radio and DVD, can be available and
controlled from anywhere you desire, if you plan it
right. If you just want the music, install a speaker
controller with inbuilt protection and preferably
independent volume controls. These can accommodate 6
pairs of speakers.
4; You don’t have to be in
the same room! When it comes to Locating the
equipment, we recommend hiding the equipment away in
a cabinet, and controlling it by remote. Music and
movies are definitely more enjoyable without seeing
flashing lights in the room. An RF remote or IR
extender will do the trick.
5; Installation and design?
Have only one project manager! Don’t build a
Tower of Babel. We have come to us utterly
confused because 2 or 3 experts have been involved,
and nobody is responsible. You can
have others involved but they report to the one
project-manager.
6; Avoid neck-strain!
Locate your Plasma, LCD or projection screen
correctly.We recommend the ideal height, from the
bottom of the panel, approx .5 to 1m from the floor.
Consider whether you do want to wall-mount your
Plasma as your options are limited later for a
change in room layout.
7; Get the right Cables.
When it comes to cabling, according to Andy Wilcox
Vice President of CEDIA “pull
 good and pull plenty”.
There are 4 different types and qualities of cables
to get a picture to your TV or projector. Get the
right advice, and remember GOOD CABLES COST MONEY.
8; Consider your neighbours.
Out-door bbq speakers can be mounted facing
inwards to the home, not blasting out for the
world to hear.
9; You may have to pay
somebody. If you bought your equipment from many
different suppliers, it will pay to get somebody to
make it work. 10% of the equipment cost is
commonplace.
10; Consider a combined
remote control. Finally so that you can actually
work it, consider one of the latest combined remote
control, to replace all those confusing remotes.
Intelligent learning remotes start at $100 up to around
$2,000 for the best available. One touch for 'Watch'
or 'Listen' and it all happens, programming is
available.
SOME REAL CASE STUDIES
How not to mount your Plasma!A local
Restaurant wanted to show they have the latest
in technology, but it's just too high!
The patrons here are oblivious to the
owners $10,000 investment, the staff do not even turn it on!
We recommend the ideal height, from the
bottom of the panel, approx .5 to 1m from the
floor in a domestic situation, and in a
commercial install a little higher but not high
enough to cause neck strain! CASE 1. All cables are the same
aren't they? Just different prices. Sure! ask the
guy who ran a low quality "RGB" cable through
the walls and ceiling. Guess what? he got ZERO
picture. We hooked up our 'overpriced' silver cable
and tada! picture! Only trouble is it's too
late, he is up for heaps of $'ss to re-wire AFTER
the plaster is in. (Quality Monster Cable can now be
made up to your required length)
CASE2. It's simple enough, just hook up room 2! A
TV 'expert' installed a video-switch from the lounge to
'Joys' study and bedroom. CHAOS!
When she turned on
the bedroom TV to listen to music.....
nothing! That is until she turned on the Study TV,
then then it came on.. in the
bedroom!
Turns out when Steve visited the house he
deduced that Samsung TV's like Sharp and most others
require a Video
'trigger' signal to make them start up. So the TV's
produced no sound, till they were hit with a video pulse. It
didn't help that the TV guy had connected the study TV to
the OUTPUT instead of the input further
complicating things. (As Joy was our
customer we fixed the problem, no charge, of course!)
CASE 3. This is a beauty! many years ago a
client had an electrician around who professed to
know the ropes. (We had used him with reasonable
success in the shop)
The mayhem he caused we can only
imagine, but when the husband arrived home, he had to hold
his wife very close and pacify her for about 2
hours. And she was a psychological councillor! We
enlisted the very professional services of Carlo to
make things right.
CASE 4. A wiring guy drills through a wall
(harmless enough right?) and hits a gas pipe! Not
only was the install in jeopardy but so was the WHOLE
HOUSE! He was fortunate enough to get a gas plumber
to smash the brick wall out and fix the pipe.
Summary; Get somebody who is qualified,
and has first hand experience.
We at Steve Bennett Hifi know our stuff,
we have been around for over 30 years, and have the
points on the board. We take
responsibility, we care!
Don't let just anybody into
your home, we have over 30
years experience serving Geelong, you can enlist our help and
recommendations with
confidence.
*These are like-minded ethical
contractors who we trust. They will have a good
awareness of our products and our company policies
and philosophys.
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