“How much should my a/v system cost?” - It’s one of the most frequently asked questions and it happens to be one of the most complex to answer, however it really comes down to how much you want to spend and properly setting expectations.  It’s no mystery that consumer electronics have become more complicated over the years and the available choices are mind-boggling (did you know that your average big box electronics store has almost 30 million possible system configurations for a basic 7.1 home theater system).  Add in the fact that there are new, and sometimes important, technologies emerging practically on a day-to-day basis and you have a recipe for complete customer confusion.  Perhaps you’ve seen the ads, heard the terms, visited a store or seen a friends system and have finally decided to make an investment of your own.  The real trick is knowing where to start; let’s be sensible, the new economy demands that you make informative and wise decisions when spending your money.

The best place to start is by finding a good custom integrator who can match your expectations to your budget and deliver quality final results.  On the surface this sounds fairly straightforward but in fact these capabilities are what differentiates a good a/v company from an excellent one.  If you are just starting out I always recommend interviewing a couple of companies to make sure they will be a good fit.  Also remember, the companies will be interviewing you to make sure your a good client for them. Here are a few of things to look for.

1. Are they CEDIA certified? CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in planning and installing electronic systems for the home.  Companies willing to make the investment in training their employees and adhering to industry guidelines are most apt to deliver the best results for you.

2. Know your budget.  You may be uncomfortable sharing your budget but a reputable company is going to do right by your dollar.  I can only speak for 8250 Theaterworks and, when we know a budget up front, it is very easy for us to determine the performance level and features which can be included.  These benefits can then be clearly explained to the client in terms of equipment needed, installation time and overall project costs.

3. Have realistic expectations.  Don’t expect Lamborghini performance at Hyundai pricing.  There are many products available at a wide range of price points and manufacturers advertise equipment features which are similar, and confusing, to their competitors.  A good a/v company will be able to help you find a product mix that fits the needs of your project and excellent companies will be fully knowledgeable in regards to the products they carry as well as the ones they don’t.

4 Don’t forget the accessories.  Custom integrators will be including accessories such as proper speaker wire and interconnects, control systems, power protection, etc. to ensure your system performs at it’s very best and is easy to use.  Don’t be surprised when these items appear on an estimate.

5. Be cautious of cheap labor rates.  The ability to properly integrate even basic systems comes at a price.  There is no how-do-dummies-do-it guide to consumer electronics…or if there is, it’s already outdated; the industry, and it’s related technologies, are advancing that fast.  Quality integration companies make sizable investments to keep their installers trained and supplied with the proper tools to do jobs efficiently and correctly.  Be prepared that these are partially passed to clients in the projects labor rate.  Don’t just pay for a product, pay for a result.

So, while there is no direct answer to how much a system should cost there are some keys factors you can look for when starting your project.  I would certainly recommend doing some research to get a feel for what and who is out there.  Good luck and remember that it’s suppose to be fun, otherwise it wouldn’t be called a home ‘entertainment’ system.

Seems like you can’t have a conversation nowadays without bringing up the economy.  A lot of people I talk with all agree they haven’t quite gotten their head around the current state of affairs and I’ve determined that no one has a clue about where it’s going or what’s going to happen next.  It’s like being on a roller coaster for the first time.  You stand in line and can plainly see the track with all the dips and turns but it’s not until you get on the ride do you realize the sheer fright of the situation.  Almost everyone is riding the economic roller coaster, you can tell from all the screaming.

Everyone has their own way of coping with the times but my favorite is sequestering myself in my home theater and escaping reality for a short time.  I’m not running away, hiding or avoiding the troubled times, I simply use my theater as a completely encompassing short-term break from it all.  Cue the movie, bring down the lights and I can be wrapped up in someone elses day-to-day drama instead of my own for a couple of hours - just the mental break I need.

One important aspect that makes this momentary transformation possible is the quality of the components in my home theater and the room itself.  This is not a ‘mine’s bigger than yours” statement but an observation that the more accurately your system can reproduce the intentions of the director - the easier it is for you to get swept away by the story.  Poor quality will fail to retain your attention and therefore not properly achieve suspension of disbelief.  This is also true for the environment around you.  A dedicated home theater is going to provide a vastly better experience than sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen.  That’s not to say that you need a custom built room to capture the full cinema experience, but a purposeful space will go a long way towards making that movie extra special.

Buying quality products that will last for many years is another way to fight the economic downturn.  Performance equipment with better long-term value, versus cheap electronics with short-term price savings, will immediately reward and quell the future desire to upgrade.  I am sure there are a lot of folks out there who were waiting for flat panels to reach rock bottom only to find themselves now in a situation where their disposable income is not as plentiful as was when HDTV’s were reasonably priced.  Or maybe they bought the cheapest one they could find only to be disappointed by the picture quality and it’s lack of features.  I bought my flat panel when they were still quite expensive and, not only is the picture quality still exceptional, I’ve been able enjoyed it for years and have no need to replace it with the latest and greatest (I can use my money now for other, more immediate needs)

Despite my best arguments, in the end, there is still money involved and I’m not suggesting that you spend your life savings just to watch movies.  What makes a little more sense is to determine your budget and hired a qualified systems integrator to assemble an a/v package that meets your needs and falls within your price range.  A good A/V company can also help design an entertainment space that fits your lifestyle and brings your movie experience to it’s best.

Who knows how long this economic rollercoaster is going to last or how many dips and turns it’s going to take along the way.  Regardless of whether we’re screaming in fright or delight as the times get worse or better, everyone needs a personal break from the drama.  For me, I’ll be enjoying the drama, along with mysteries, actions, thrillers, adventures, spies and westerns…all from the comfort of my home theater.

Seems like everywhere you look nowadays everyone and everything is going green.  This is really a big topic in the A/V industry where energy efficiency and reusable resources are more important than ever.  At CEDIA 2008 and CES 2009, manufacturers were demonstrating a variety of products which all contributed to overall lower level energy consumption.  Some of the new materials are great examples showing how older electronics can be reused, while others were made from renewable resources.  One area which could used a little more attention is the public’s awareness of electronic waste (e-waste) recycling.  Approximately ten thousand cell phones end up in landfill…each day!  Can you hear me now?  Overall e-waste contributes about 22 million tons to landfill each year and 75% of the e-waste out there is sitting unused in garages, storage space and drawers.  With the digital transition coming soon, how many TV’s will become obsolete landfill?

The Consumer Electronics Association has taken a proactive approach:
“CEA supports voluntary, market-oriented programs and initiatives, including industry-led standards, which highlight and sustain energy efficiency in the consumer electronics industry. CEA continues to work cooperatively with governments in the development of energy efficiency initiatives that complement and support voluntary approaches and continued innovation, expanded consumer choice, and enhanced product functionality. CEA opposes government-imposed approaches that stifle innovation, reduce consumer choice, and limit product features and services.

CEA members, through the association’s Energy Efficiency Working Group (EEWG), monitor, shape and support CEA’s public policy activities and industry initiatives related to energy efficiency at the local, national and international levels.”

For consumers, they have launched a great website, myGreenElectronics, which has lots of information, tips, and an energy consumption calculator.

Here are a couple of ways 8250 Theaterworks tries to be a little more green:

• All outdated working electronics are discounted to future projects if the unit has sustainable purpose or they are sold on craigslist or auctioned off on EBay (”One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”).
• All non-working electronics are recycled at a facility that does not landfill, incinerate or export to third world countries.
• All cardboard boxes from installed equipment is either stored for future use or recycled.
• All packing and shipping materials are recycled at a local shipping center (except shaped packing foam - so if anyone knows where and/or how, please share).
• We reuse wire and cable scrapes whenever possible

We will continue to recycle as much as possible and as technology moves forward we’re going to be looking to the future of energy efficiency to help our clients make choices which are right for the environment.

For further info on the web, see Electronic Waste on wikipedia.com

If you’re in Colorado, Utah or Nebraska, and need to recycle your electronics, please consider GRX

Well it’s time for the annual CEDIA Expo and once again it’s being held here in Denver.  I actually had a chance to get on the show floor a little early this year to help a couple of manufacturers setup their booths. In doing that I was able to get a sneak preview of a couple of interesting technologies and products that are coming out.  I’ll definitely be reporting on everything of interest over the next couple of days, in the meantime here is a quick preview on a couple of technologies I’ll be looking at and what we might expect.

Blu-ray – still the topic of major discussion even though HD-DVD is out of the picture.   McIntosh has announced it’s new player (due later this year) and several other manufactures have 2nd or even 3rd generation players announced for the show.   I suspect we’ll see a bunch of inexpensive players by Christmas and probably some expensive, high-performance models too.

OLED and SED – these are new display technologies that will change the flat panel industry from thin to very, very thin. This will be an interesting market segment to follow.

Projection – now that the initial wave(s) of 1080p players have reached the market we’re going to see a bunch of high-end projectors hit the market.  So far, the buzz is about Meridian, Wolf, Christie, JVC and, of course, 8250’s personal favorite,  projectiondesign with their new avielo product line.

Whole house distribution – a lot of new products are recently out or coming out which do various forms of HDMI distribution throughout the house as well as some innovative audio products as well

Media servers – another growing market segment is media serving. Obviously 8250 Theaterworks is interesting in Sooloos and their new product offerings as well as Kaleidescape.

If anyone out there is interested in any other technologies, manufacturers or products, let me know and I’ll be sure to check it out and report back.

The 8250 Theaterworks website has been updated with a new look.  More updates are coming, stay tuned!

8250 Theaterworks

Welcome to the 8250 Theaterworks blog.

We’ll be using this to update technology happenings, industry news and company events.  It’s getting harder to create a full newsletter due to the volume of information around the industry right now; this blog will allow us to post information more frequently.  Feel free to leave comments and interact with your fellow a/v enthusiasts.