FAQ

General Questions

1. Do you have your own installers? Yes we do and they are all licensed and bonded through CISI.
2. What kind of speakers do you install?  The majority of our speakers installed are SpeakerCraft. They are one of the original in wall speaker manufacturers and they all carry a life time warranty. We also work with Sony and Bose.
3. What kind of TV's do you sell? LG, Samsung and Sony.
4. What kind of central vacuum systems do you sell? Vacuflo, bagless filterless and come with a lifetime warranty.
5. What is you warranty? We offer a Customer For Life guarantee on all Continental systems. View Customer for Life Link at top of page for more information.

Audio/Video Components and Infrastructure

1. What is HDTV?  High Definition TeleVision, is the absolute best picture quality available to watch TV in, HDTV is a standard set forth by the American Television Standards Committee and is very specific.
• The shape of the picture is different, almost twice as wide as it is tall.
• There will be a minimum of 4.5 times the amount of bits of information (pixels) as there were in your existing cable box, VCR or satellite receiver..
• There are currently only three approved formats within the HDTV standard, and they are 1080i, 720p and 1080p.
2. How does HDTV com into my home?  There are currently only 3 ways to receive broadcasted HDTV.
• Cable- HDTV signals are available from your local cable vendor, BUT require the use of a High Definition set top box, which is different from a digital box.  To clarify, ALL HDTV boxes are digital, but NOT all digital boxes are HD.  The box must then be connected to the TV using a different kind of wire than usual to assure an HDTV signal.
• Satellite- Both of the major vendors of satellite TV service offer an HD option, again, your current set top box must be changed to assure HD reception AND the wiring from the box to the TV must be changed to assure the signal is getting to your set.
• Off Air- HDTV signals are being broadcast locally from the network affiliate channels as well as independant stations.  With the use of a high quality UHF antenna, and in most cases a rotor to point the antenna towards the broadcast source, you can receive HDTV signals on any TV that has an ATSC tuner built in (Every new TV being manufactured currently that has a tuner in it, must also have an ATSC tuner as well).  HDTV signals are available in Metro Detroit from Channels 2, 4, 7, 20, 32, 50, 56 and 62.
3. I hear all the numbers being thrown around 1080, 720, 16:9, what's it all mean?  Let's take a look at each number individually, they are a little confusing. 
• 1080i- This number is a way of explaining the total resolution (clarity) of the TV's display.  1080i is the lowest resolution acceptable to be called HDTV.  The bits of information (pixels) are counted from left to right and from top to bottom, and then the number of bits from left to right are used to express the number you are hearing.  Although it has a higher number, 1080i only has 67% of the clarity of 720p; this has to do with the way the information is translated by your TV.
• 720p- This format is the one in which you will do over 80% of your HDTV viewing, it is the most employed by all cable and satellite vendors, as well as broadcasters.  When the ATSC first set forth the HD standards, they allowed each supplier to choose which format they would employ, so that adds to some of the confusion.  But, a good quality signal sent to you in 720p is so clear it's like looking out a window.
• 1080p- This format is the absolute best picture quality available, 50% better than 720p, but it is also the new kid on the block.  Because of this it is also the least usable.  Even though every person buying a new TV would like the ability to receive the best picture quality, 1080p is not being sent by any providers and wont be for the foreseeable future.  Imagine as a vendor that you have just recently adapted to provide HD signals; and now with this new format you have to replace every camera, monitor, cable, antenna and every other piece of broadcast electronics.  NOT going to happen easily!
• 16:9- This is a simple ratio to define the shape of the new TV displays, so every TV will be in a shape where the image is 16 units wide by 9 units high.
4. Aren't all DVD players High Definition?  Simply stated, No.  A standard DVD player has resolution FAR lower than the HDTV standards.  50% less than 720p.
5. What about the new High Definition DVD formats?  There are 2 ways to watch HD from a DVD player.
• BluRay- This is the format originated by Sony to support PlayStation3, which is a game console that is also a DVD player.  The player will output images at 1080p, 720p or 1080i. 
• Standard DVD player with Upconversion- There are a number of players available, and more coming, that are standard DVD players but will take the video image from the disc and digitally alter the signal so that it appears in 1080i, 720p or 1080p.  Although the signal is not truly HD since it is manipulated from its original format, and is therefore not quite as good.  You can get HD-like performance out of your entire existing movie library of discs.  As with anything else, we would recommend a high quality player to assure best performance.
6. Are the connections different for HDTV?  Yes, the required connections to support HD are completely different from your current cable or satellite connections.  To be completely clear we will discuss the differences in the 2 connection methods that can be used to produce HDTV.  At the very LEAST a component video cable should be used, but preferrably an HDMI cable should be used to produce the best picture.
• Component Video- Component video connections are simply the analog video signal devided into three seperate cables; one for the Red color signal, and one for the Green color signal which includes the video synching information.  Component video has been the backbone of HD since its beginning, but it is NOT capable of transmitting 1080p signals because 1080p signals are digital not analog.  For 1080p you must use HDMI connections.
• HDMI- High Bandwidth Digital Multi-Media Interface.  HDMI is the latest and greatest in a string of digital audio and video connections.  On a single wire you can carry a 1080p, 720p or 1080i video signal and a digital audio signal that contains all of the surround sound information for up to 8 discrete channels.  HDMI does have some drawbacks though;  we are now into the third iteration of the platform (HDMI 1.3) which will now also carry the analog surround info for DVD-Audio.  We still have some distance problems with HDMI (150' with 720p and 75' with 1080p) so it is really not ready for use as the backbone of a digital whole house HDTV solution.  Component wire is still the best option for this situation.  Because HDMI is embedded with a signal (HDCP) to block the possibility of making perfect copies digitally, each source has to handshake itself to the TV when it is introduced, this can create a delay while the 2 devices get familiar with one another.
• *NOTE- Please be aware when choosing new equipment, that not all equipment has the same connectivity, especially with HDMI, make sure to know which release is being used as you may encounter compatability issues!
7. What is upconversion?  As stated earlier, up-conversion is a method of manufacturing an HDTV signal out of a non-HD source; like a DVD player, cable or satellite box, AV receiver or even a VCR.  The most common method is by connecting all of your sources to one Audio Video receiver, and then allowing that receiver to "transcode" (simply convert the single composite video wire into a component connection) and then running the component video wire over to the TV.  This allows all of the video switching to be done by the receiver and leaving the TV in the same source, ALWAYS.  Some more expensive receivers will take the transcoded signals and then run them through an analog to digital converter, which would allow you then to run one HDMI cable from the output of the receiver to the TV, again allowing the receiver to do all of the switching.  The most expensive receivers will also integrate an upconverter or scaler to increase the video resolution to HD levels, this would then allow you to have HD-like performance from every video source, over one wire, and allow that same receiver to manage all of the switching.
8. What is surround sound and how many speakers do I actually need?  Dolby Digital is the most prevelant method to get a true surround sound theater like experience in your home.  There are currently 3 supported formats.  5.1 which is contains a left, center and right front speaker, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer channel.  6.1 adds a rear center channel speaker to fill in the middle of the back room with sound.  7.1 is a setup where there are 2 side surround speakers and 2 rear surround speakers.  Dolby Digital sources are only available from a source with digital audio outputs ie. DVD, CD, cable or satellite box and gaming consoles.  Your VCR will have to be connected with analog audio and most AV receivers will manufacture the additional surround information so you will get sound out of all the speakers.
9. What is the difference between all of the new TV types; Plasma, LCD, DLP?  All of the new Flat-Screen and rear projection formats are HDTV sets and will produce varying qualities of picture.  Without getting to technical we will briefly discuss each.
• DLP- Digital Light Processing is a method employed only for front and rear projection TV's.  The picture is made by reflecting a light source off of a lens that has millions of micro-mirrors on it.  The mirrors pivot to focus the light onto the back of the lens or into the back of the set where they remain unseen.  As with any rear projection device, where the picture is projected onto a lens, the result is a narrowing of the viewing area both from side to side and top to bottom.  This means that you need to be more careful as to how you position the set in the room so as to not be to far off axis.  The picture quality is great given the placement limitations.  These sets are less deep than a traditional TV allowing for easier placement.  Most are less than 17" deep.
• LCD- Liquid Crystal Display is a method of creating a picture by electro-magnetically manipulating a group of colored crystals in a small chip to make an image and then a light through the panel.  LCD TV's are available in both rear projection and in flat screen formats.  The rear projection method has the same off-axis problem as the DLP, but the flat screen method allows the set to be hung on the wall due to its 4" depth.  The flat screen sets are becoming very popular due to cost, easy placement and vivid colors.  If there is a complaint about LCD it is that because the light source shines through the panel, there is no truly Black image only varying colors of dark gray. And also that the refresh rate is slower than plasma; so while watching high speed contact, like live Hockey, the puck is not quite as clear.
• Plasma- Still the king of picture quality, plasma sets are unique because they manufacture their own light source from a PDP panel.  The panel energizes a series of Red, Green and Blue bits (pixels) causing them to light.  Because there is no lens or offset, the picture quality can be seen clearly from all angles and heights.  Plasma TV's, which were once tens of thousands of dollars, have come down in price amazingly and are very affordable.  The majority of sets are less than 4" deep and are easily placed in any room.  If there is a detraction to Plasma sets inherently, it is that they are subject to burn in.  If a non moving image is left on the set for too long the image will be retained and burned into the panel.  But as you know, both LCD's and even standard tube sets can fall victim to the same burn in problem, just take a look at your computer monitor.
10. What is distributed audio?  Distributed audio put simply is a way to have sound in every room of your home.  There are, of course, a multitude of methods to attain this goal.
• Single Zone Single Source- The simplest and most fundemental method, in every room sound is desired, there is a pair of speakers and some form of volume control to give you minimum control over the music in that room.
• Single Zone Multiple Source- In this method, the same music is enjoyed throughout the whole house, there are just added control devices.  The devices can be either keypads, infrared or radio frequency remotes that allow the changing of a source and the volume in each area.
• Multiple Zone Multiple Source- The best way to do distributed audio!  Allows each user to listen to their favorite music, at there favorite volume levels, in each area.  Keypads or touch panels are employed in the area to give the user the control over the source.  Play, pause, FF, FR, skip song or skip disk, as well as volume control.
11. What is structured wiring?  Structured wiring, or media center wiring, is the absolute best and most recommended way to build a future-proof infra-structure in your new home.  Wiring for your telephones, cable or satellite TV, computer network, distributed audio/video systems, home theater, cameras, security systems and any other low voltage products is all housed in a console in the mechanical area of your home.  Even your doorbell wiring can be integrated so it rings through your speakers and allows paging throughout the house from any telephone.  From this console, individual wires are run to each and every component in your home (commonly called homeruns), labeled as to location and connected so that you can maximize your investment.  Every wire in your home will be easy to get to, easy to find and most importantly easy to re-assign if you are adding or changing services.  Many of your low-voltage systems which are already connected together like your security and telephone services, can be housed together in a neatly trimmed console keeping all visible wire to a minimum.  Structured, put simply, could not be more recommended!
12. Can my home have a computer network in it?  Absolutely, just like any small business, a computer network can be set up allowing multiple users to employ the same High Speed Internet connection at the same time.  Also the network could be set up to share printers, scanners, fax machines and modems.  Information can be easily be moved from computer to computer and you can even play interactive multi-player video games within the network against one another.  A hub just needs to be installed in your Media Console and all of the rooms where there is a computer connected to it.  You can even use wireless solutions although we strongly recommend the wired alternative, then the network and its devices need to be configured properly.
13. How much cheaper are flat screen TV's going to get?  Well, we think they are pretty near as cheap as they will ever be.  The more important question to ask is "How cheap are they really?"  This needs to be asked because the Big Box houses that sell TV's really cheap, do not include installation.  So your job is to find someone who is willing to take on the liability of installing your TV, knowing that if the TV is bad they will need to remove it from the wall, wait for you to get a new one, and then return to install it again at no additional charge.  Most dealers charge between $500 and $750 to hang a TV on the wall with a flat bracket.  Tilt and swing arm brackets are additional dollars, up to $800 more.  Then the appropriate wiring has to be run and the remotes programmed.  It is not unusual to hear of a customer buying a TV for $1500 and then paying $2000 to get it installed.  Talk to your dealer and make sure you get an INSTALLED price.

Central Vacuum Systems

1. My vacuum system seems to have low suction, could it be clogged?  This could be one of two things: First, check to make sure that your canister bucket is not full.  If the canister is not full you may need to clean the screen.  Inside the white cone (viewable while bucket off) there is a screen.  Use a small brush to clean the screen until you can see through it.  Screen is not removeable.  If this does not resolve problem, Contact Us to schedule a service call.

Security Systems

1. There was a storm and now my alarm is not working, what should I do?  Make sure that the alarm is still receiving power.  There is a small box (the size of your fist) usually next to the control panel.  Unplug this and use a hair dryer to test that outlet is receiving power.  If there is no power make sure that a circuit has not tripped in your breaker box.  If there is power to outlet contact us for a service call, most likely to replace transformer.

Intercom Systems

1. My intercom panel is just showing a black screen, what should I do?  Most likely your system just needs to be reset.  There is a small reset button that looks like a hole, usually towards the right side of the panel.  Use something small, like a toothpick or paperclip, to press button and reset system.  If problem persists contact us for additional service.