Kiwi Test Lab

One of the most important phases of a large, custom audio-visual installation is the in-house testing.  When Kiwi Audio Visual moved into its new building in Carlsbad, one of the first tasks was to get a test lab designed and wired so that future projects can be connected and tested fully.  This included testing the audio zones, video zones, touch panels, and other subsystems. 

In-house testing is instrumental in finding small bugs and other issues that might otherwise be found onsite halfway through an installation.  The efficiency with testing components and programming early also saves costly man hours later on during the project.

If you are interested in coming to the Kiwi facility and seeing our test lab, either give us a call (760-931-9922) or stop on by 1950 Kellogg Ave, Carlsbad CA 92008.

With Fiber, It's Not Always the Optics That Matter

Builders have the often thankless job of dealing with multiple contractors in order to ensure smooth project completion for a homeowner. For a builder, knowing everything about each trade that comes into a home is an impossibility, and one of the more complicated areas of subcontracting lies within the scope of an electronics system contractor – whose job it is to provide and install the latest technology desired by a homeowner.

New advancements in digital television and high-end sound systems have necessitated a number of changes to the way in which electronics system contractors do business, and one of the most recent and notable is the increased use of what is known as “digital media fiber.” To a technician, this cable represents a high transmission rate for information including sound and images, far greater than typically seen when using copper wiring, and often with far less latency.

For a builder, its most notable feature is that it is made of glass.

This alone can be cause for concern, but also that is due to its nature: it will break or tear easily or that it could be damaged accidentally and no longer work. Couple that with the fear that the DM fiber may not be compatible with all other systems in a household, and it’s no wonder that builders have questions about the use of this new technology.

Fortunately, digital media fiber not only stands up better to the test of time than copper and is less vulnerable to failure. But it is now being supported by some of the biggest names in the business – names like Crestron, for example.



Digital media fiber may look less robust than its copper counterpart, but provides not only better durability, but also greater functionality across the board.

Uncrossing The Wires

Being a homebuilder is no easy task. Aside from managing the concerns of a new homeowner, you have to deal with each and every one of the contractors that comes into the home. For better or worse, you're the face of the home, and that means that if something goes wrong, it is likely you that ends up with the black eye.

As a builder, you tend to be a jack of all trades. Bringing together so many different pieces of the home puzzle means that it is nearly impossible for you to be an expert in all fields, and high-quality A/V has changed significantly in the last few years. From custom speaker installations to full-home automation systems and televisions on motorized brackets that can slide away behind a picture or under a bed, the world of in-home electronics has become extremely complicated, especially when it comes to programming new pieces in a home.

Two of the best things that any Electronic Systems Contractor can do for you are to ensure that not only every piece of equipment they bring to the home is ready to go, but that they also take the time to program and test the same equipment before it ever arrives. Simply put, testing and programming before equipment leaves the shop leads to faster and more efficient installation times. Further, everything from television color and stereo sound can be tweaked, all before a homeowner ever sees it.

If you find yourself with equipment that hasn't been properly tested, you'll need to have it removed, serviced and properly re-installed. By finding a company that can set up racks, fit stereos and program components in-house before they are ever installed, both you, the builder, and the owner can save time and money, the two most valuable commodities in any home design.

At Kiwi Audio Visual, we know how important in-house testing and programming is to every new home project. For that reason, we never leave you in the lurch. Come see what we can do to make a project flow more smoothly.

Timing Is Everything

As a builder, when you’re completing a large and complicated home, you have more than a few things to worry about, but coordinating the work of various subcontractors ranks high on the list. Clients sometimes hire contractors on their own, which can disrupt a production team and cause pain all around. In particular, you may be concerned about the ESC bringing system components on site for installation without programming and/or testing them in the shop. You might have survived pain like that before, but only barely, and you likely have no desire to endure it again. Due to similar circumstances, you can likely remember one home you’d worked on vividly that had not ended well.

Some clients will hire an AV systems and installation consultant who shows up at the project site with tons of new gear and racks intending to program, lace and test them on site. Inevitably problems arise with the programming, leaving the installation team scratching their heads for solutions. So they’ll need to call the project managers, but often new homes are in areas with lousy cell service, and of course no Internet yet either. So, the installers need to find cell service, call the project managers and explain all the complications they’ve observed and wait while the project managers researched the issues for them and call back. Most builders will find an experience like this maddeningly inefficient and cumbersome.

By contrast, an ideal project will feature a highly reputable ESC who assembles, laces, programs and tests the entire home automation and AV systems in the shop before even trying to install anything. This allows for all teams to troubleshoot the issues they uncover together and with all their resources around them. Upon site arrival, the installation will go quite smoothly as a result, with the added benefit that the various trades can stay out of each other’s way and still get the work done on time and under budget. An experienced ESC can dramatically increase the project’s efficiency by testing and programming in the shop rather than on site.

Visit us at www.KiwiAV.com to learn more.

Rack ‘em Up: Sliding Equipment Racks Versus Built-In Systems

Creating a home theater system for a custom-built home is equal parts skill, knowledge and creative drive for an electronic systems contractor. With high-quality products from lines like Crestron, Prodigy, Genesis and Runco, owners have a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to creating the system of their dreams.


While the focus is often on the technology contained in a system, it is important for both installation technicians and builders to consider the homeowner’s ease of access to the theater system itself, and this can take one of two forms – a sliding equipment rack or a built-in option.


Sliding racks typically use rails to allow electronic systems equipment to remain recessed when not needed, but pulled out and rotated when access is required. Built-in racks are intended to permanently house equipment that must be manually removed in order to be adjusted.


Both systems have their advantages - sliding racks come in a variety of sizes and strengths, and allow both home theater experts and builders to quickly diagnose and correct any problems. Built-in racks do not offer the same speed of access, but can be custom-created to suit a room’s décor or adjusted to meet a client’s expectations with the use of a skilled designer or tradesman.


Racks of both types can be a welcome, logistical addition to a home theater room; and which one is chosen can be based largely on client preference – speed or style.