I Want a New Home Theater. So what do I do now?

Home Theaters come in all sizes, shapes, and prices. The whole concept exploded on the scene a few years ago and has become the most popular trend in home entertainment. Home Theater purchases have even surpassed purchases of more traditional home investments such as Dining Room sets and fancy bedroom furniture. And it is not hard to see why.

For a reasonable investment, and some good planning, along with the selection of a technology partner like Audio Visions, you can enjoy years of excellent theater entertainment with your family and friends in the comfort of your own home.

At the entry level are TIB’s, or “Theater’s In A Box”. Everything you need to set up, with the exception of a video source (TV), are included in one box. So you make one decision, and all the speakers, electronics, cable and source players (BluRay/DVD) are included.

Installation and setup are reasonably straightforward and usually can be accomplished in an hour or two.

What you get is a really good quality of sound; far surpassing your basic television speakers. Speaker placement will usually be on stands or on existing furniture. Wires may be exposed and the size of the room you use the system in may be somewhat limited. But for many people, or used in a second room, dorm, apartment, vacation home, this is a good solution. Expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $1500, not including the HD television.

If you need more than what you get in a TIB, then once you get past the basic TIB’s, the possibilities are endless.

Basically you will be designing a theater room, reviewing, selecting and assisting in the installation of speakers, an HDTV or HD projector, related electronics and possibly theater furniture and accessories like “starlight ceilings”. It does not have to be as complicated as that sounds.

To begin, you need a reference point. Perhaps you have friends or family with a theater. You may have seen or read about one in a magazine or on television. If not, stopping by one of our Audio Visions showrooms can be a start to understanding what is possible.

A reference point will help you understand what you want in a theater; 5 speakers or 7 or more, special theater seating, a flat screen or a projector, universal remote controls or a more sophisticated Home Automation solution, in wall speakers versus stand or wall mount speakers. There are many decisions to be made, and this is where a good advisor or “partner” like Audio Visions is invaluable.

What are you gaining with this extra investment? Simply said; performance. This next step up means you will be selecting a powerful Home Theater Receiver that will provide 5, 7 or even 9.2 channels of amplifier power up to 200 watts or more to create an even more realistic reproduction of your theater sound tracks. You may opt for what is called “separates” or separate “preprocessors” and “amplifiers” which provide the ultimate in sound reproduction, digital surround formats such as Dolby Digital, dts, THX Surround ES and more. Combined with the right speakers and a high resolution BluRay player and HDTV, you can achieve the ultimate home theater.

Audio Visions can visit your home and spend time with you in our showrooms explaining the various options and features you may want to include in your theater.

The next step is to determine a basic “budget” and specification for your theater. You may have a certain number in mind for your theater investment. Audio Visions can help you decide where best to invest your money. What technologies might be left for a future purchase and what might be eligible for an upgrade or future trade.

At this point a preliminary project cost proposal is prepared, along with contracts that spell out in detail each party’s roles and responsibilities. This will protect you to make sure you receive what you think you have purchased.

Next we need to prepare a detailed floor plan and equipment list. A detailed layout of the theater may be as simple as a 2D floorplan and location of wiring, electrical service, equipment and speaker placement and installation labor . Some projects will require a day or several days. Others may span weeks or months, especially in consideration of new home construction, and require more detailed CAD drawings and project plans and schedules. Co-ordination between other building trade contractors is often required to ensure that home construction proceeds without delay or rework caused by missed schedules.

Based on this more detailed planning there may be some changes to the preliminary plan and estimate. Changes are made if required, and a final agreement is prepared.

Now the fun begins.
Once the contract is signed and product is ordered, your project will be scheduled for installation by our professional installation team. Some product is kept in our local warehouse and some is ordered from our vendors after contract signing. We will manage all the logistics of gathering the product, and scheduling the installation with you and your builder or interior designer if required.

We use a “change control” process to accommodate any last minute alteration to the equipment list or installation plan. It’s a fact that changes may pop up and rather than keep you from getting exactly what you want, we can simply make any changes required and build that in to the evolving project plan. There are no penalties, just the additional cost of any new product or services that might be required.

Part of a professional installation means your new system will be “setup” or calibrated to make sure you get the most from your audio and video playback. This may involve the use of specialized microphones and video calibration equipment to tune your system to perfection.

What you have created now will usually rival or surpass the experience you get in most commercial theaters. And there is no driving to the mall and finding a parking space required. Explosive sound, rumbling bass, special effects, and stunning 1080p and even 3D video is your reward. You will be the envy of the neighborhood and you will usually have a better idea where you children are!

Turnover is the most exciting part of any Home Theater project. And no job is done until the paperwork is finished. Your installation team will spend time with you to familiarize you with your new system and the related documentation, and to make sure you are comfortable operating the system

There will be a lot to get used to and if any questions arise after completion, a simple phone call to us can usually resolve the issue. All that is left now is to get everyone gathered and start the movie. Congratulations!