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.

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.

Understanding The Plan

Today the architect began sketching for his latest design project, a residential property nearby. The project had all the earmarks of an ideal engagement: a large lot, clients with a vision, resources to support that vision, and a full slate of subcontractors to complete the work. What could possibly go wrong? As he contemplated the blank sheet in front of him, the architect ruefully recalled the answer to that question: presenting detailed project drawings to contractors who fail to read them correctly.

Perhaps other architects recognize the scenario. The design firm produces project drawings, meticulously detailed and revealing in elevation and plan view how each element of the home automation and audiovisual systems relate both to each other and back to power distribution. When the design team meets over the completed plans, the audiovisual contractors start asking tons of questions betraying the reality that they have no idea what the drawings mean. This begins a downward spiral for the project, as information in plain sight on paper must be conveyed verbally, wasting valuable time. Even worse, they might suggest the wrong size speaker boxes or perhaps misjudge the projector’s throw size, thus jeopardizing the client’s vision and wasting more time.

Shuddering, the architect shunned the memory of previous jobs and scanned the list of the subcontractors on his new project. Relieved he located the AV contractor and recognized the name of a reputable ESC (electronic systems contractor) he’d done business with before. He knew that the teams installing the home automation systems would arrive at the job site with their own meticulously detailed drawings. They would have already studied his drawings and culled from them exactly the information they need to complete their work. In short, they’ll contribute to the timely execution of the vision, while causing no pain at all.

Finding a high quality ESC to work with will enhance the value of your projects and minimize the pain associated with bringing them to completion on time and under budget. Visit us at www.kiwiav.com to learn more.

The Never Ending Project

Builders know that the pace of home building changes from exciting and well-thought out in the beginning of a project, to narrow and focused nearing the delivery date. In preparing to usher homeowners into their new residence, the professional builder carefully ties up many loose ends. He then delivers the house and moves onto the next job. At least that’s how it’s supposed to work, right? But often, that “finished” job keeps coming back to haunt his dreams.

When customers move in and start using the components of their new home, they may find that certain devices don’t perform as advertised. As the main contact for the customer, the builder can expect to take calls from them when this sort of event occurs. All builders want happy customers, so they deal with these questions as professionally as they do everything else. However, the process gets complicated when the questions involve systems beyond his control, like the home automation and A/V systems. Now someone must chase the vendor who sold the components and get them to return to make things right. Further, builders often need to source an expert to help if a customer has ended up buying anything that the local vendor subbed out. Now, he's got to deal with another company another arm’s length further away.

All professionals servicing the building trades prefer to move cleanly onto the next job. Time spent fixing completed jobs eats into an already thin margin. No one wants to handle such situations; especially after already getting paid. But when the customer discovers that the DVD player can’t send an audio signal to the amp, someone needs to address the customer’s legitimate concerns. Getting that to happen can cause great pain (this must sound very familiar).


What can be done? Successful builders choose to work with a reputable, experienced ESC (electronic systems contractor). How can a builder be sure to partner with a reputable ESC? They’ll consult with the customer and advise them on solutions, rather than selling them gear. The best ECSs will tailor a solution to fit the customer’s needs, budget and the time constraints of the project. Then, once they’ve finished installing the equipment, they’ll stand by the job until the customer is totally satisfied that the entire system functions as intended.
Visit us at www.kiwiav.com to learn more about how a good ESC can ease the pain of the never ending project.