subject: Three Tips For Choosing Installers For Your Home Theater [print this page] If you are planning on having special seats, or a lot of equipment in your home theater, it may be of some use to hire a professional installer. Among other things, he/she will be able to give you advice on optimal methods for arranging the room, as well as ensuring that the equipment will not overheat. While hiring an installer can be very helpful, there are still a number of things you should look for in the company before making a final decision.
Installer Reputation
As with any other profession, you will find that some home theater installers have more customers than others. It is also important to realize that each company hires people with differing elves of skill. In many cases, you should try to find local installers that have a good reputation in your neighborhood. That said, as you measure other criteria, you may still want to give a relatively new company a chance if they have other qualities that appeal to you.
Experience Level
There is no question that home theater technologies are changing at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, complex electronic equipment tends to need certain temperature and ventilation levels on order to function properly. If you hire an installer with a low level of experience, he/she may wind up creating a room design that will cause damage to the equipment in the long run. In some cases, something as simple as blocking ventilation holes under a unit can cause the equipment to be ruined very quickly. You should always ask about the skill levels of the technicians that will work on your equipment, as well as ask for a list of devices they have already installed.
Design Plans and Style
Chances are, you don't want to be in a room that is hard to get around in, or one where the view of the TV is continually blocked by one object or another. This is one of the main reasons why you should ask to see sample room designs, as well as ask what each installer would do with the space you have available. If you happen to notice that some elements will not work out very well, it amy be best to seek another installer. As may be expected, if you find someone that seems to know exactly how to arrange things, then you can look forward to having a comfortable home theater, as well as one that will remain mechanically sound for years on end. You may also want to ask about how easy or difficult it will be to add new equipment at a later date.
While you are in the process of planning your home entertainment theater, you may want to leave some room in your budget for a professional installer. Ideally, this person will be aware of all technical issues associated with the equipment that you want. At the very least, you should try to find someone with a good reputation, as well as someone that can create a theater design that you will be proud of.
