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.

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.

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.

Five Essential Factors for Custom Home Theater Design

Custom homebuilders are doing more work than ever, and thanks to readily available information on the Internet, homeowners have become a great deal savvier about what they want to see created in their custom homes. These builders must then obtain a range of skilled subcontracts, from plumbing and electrical to electronics systems contractors. Further, when it comes to high-quality theater system creation and installation, there are five things a professional technician can do to help.

Know: What, When, and Who

Builders have to operate on a timeline and within a certain framework laid out by the homeowner. An electronic systems contractor can assist in making sure a home is finished on time and on budget by doing three simple things. Those three things are: knowing what they are going to install, when it needs to be installed, and what assistance they are going to require in the home from other professionals.

For example, if a homeowner wants an A/V cabinet installed in a particular location in the home, a home theater technician can liaise with the framer to ensure that sufficient space is allotted. Technicians also work with electricians to make sure that enough outlets will be available for all of the necessary cabling and wiring that a home theater system will need.

Where and How: Important Up-front Considerations

In addition to working with other contractors in a home, a home theater programmer can also work with builders by providing information about: how much space will be needed for home theater equipment, where in the house it will be going, and how all of the equipment is going to be stored. Speaker dimensions are a key concern in building proper enclosures and obtaining maximum sound quality. Further, how this equipment will be stored – be it slide-out or built-in racks – can also make a difference when it comes to placing other features in the home.

Take architectural speakers as an example. Accommodating these speaker in a home will require proper ceiling wiring as well as room for housing, an element that a builder must be aware of prior to beginning work. Or, consider custom-made speakers by Triad – the company offers a range of custom-built speakers and housings that must have space allotted for them in the home.

In addition, electronic systems contractors must consider the need for cooling and ventilation of systems. Options like Runco 3D projectors or motorized TV lifts must be properly maintained in order to ensure smooth functioning, and a builder must know about such systems in advance to account for them.

By being upfront about what, when, who, where and how, an electronic systems contractor can help smooth the custom-home building process.

Theater of the Lost – The Trouble with Home Theater System Installation

According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, 25% of all homeowners rate the inclusion of a high-quality theater system in their home as either “important” or “very important.” As both options for Audio-Visual (A/V) systems grow and technology becomes more mainstream, this number will only grow. Despite the desire for these systems, however, one of the major challenges for general contractors and homeowners alike is the process of installation.

The Contractor’s Challenge – Effectiveness and Efficiency

For anyone in a general contracting position, two things are paramount when it comes to A/V technology – the speed at which the technology can be installed and its effectiveness once it is in place. Major hurdles faced by contractors directly employed by homeowners are that an A/V tech will be unable to properly install home theatres, or will make an error that will require the contractor to undo some of the work, which has already been completed.

Contractors require an A/V installation company that not only knows its own products, but has the ability to consistently communicate timelines and progress, enabling the entire contracting project to be completed on-time.

The Homeowner's Challenge – People and Professionals

From the perspective of a homeowner, the fewer people that are working in the home, the better. The installation of high-quality A/V systems necessitates the presence of a professional home theater technician in the home, and if the A/V installation is part of a larger process, this technician may be simply one of many.

For a homeowner, knowing who is in their home and for what exact purpose they are there for, is paramount in feeling both safe and comfortable with the installation process. A technician that is both professional in appearance and can easily relay updates to the general contractor and homeowner directly, can go a long way to making the process as seamless as possible.

The Technology Challenge – It Just Has To Work

Both contractors and homeowners are at the mercy of the one facet of technology they cannot control – does it actually work? Clunky control systems, poor reception and complicated explanations from A/V technicians can all contribute to frustration on the part of both a builder and a homeowner.

When A/V, cutting-edge technology is installed in a home, it must:
• Work properly
• Operate simply
• Come at a reasonable cost

Premium A/V systems demand a premium price. However, to ensure that homeowners and contractors are willing to do business with a company and recommend them, home theater installation technicians and their technology must be effective, of high-quality, and straight forward.