Blog

Wouldn't it be great if you could watch your favorite shows or movies, or listen to your music collection in any room of your home?

Don't worry, there's a solution for that and it's called audio/video distribution. 

Distributed audio/video, also called whole-house audio/video, is a centralized system that provides audio and video services throughout the home. That means that you can have access to your entire music & video collection in any room of your home without the clutter of equipment. Cable boxes, Apple TVs, amplifiers, and other equipment that often create interior decorating challenges are relegated to an equipment rack in a closet or mechanical room. The only thing needed in each room is a TV and a networked remote control. In a "music-only" space like your dining room, you can have hidden speakers and an on-wall keypad for music selection and volume control. These systems can also be controlled using your smart phone, iPod Touch or iPad.

Another advantage of distributed audio/video is that you are maximizing the utility of the equipment you already own.  Instead of a cable box next to each TV, you only need one for each personcentrally located in an equipment rack.

 His, Hers, Kids centralized cable boxes are very common and makes it easy to turn on any TV in the house and select your own personal cable box with your favorite channels and your recordings.

When you want to expand your system to add a new device, like a cool new AppleTV, it's simply added to the equipment rack and it becomes available to every TV in the house!

How does it work?

The concept is pretty simple. The entertainment equipment is all located in a centralized equipment rack. This location is often in the basement or a mechanical room to allow proper ventillation and serviceability. The next key ingredient is wiring - and lots of it.  The idea is to wire to every room that you may want music or video, either now or in the future. Fortunately, low-cost CAT5 wire works well for this purpose and it can be used to transmit just about any signal, including full high-definition video and surround sound audio. 

With new construction or a major renovation, it makes great sense to wire almost every room imaginable. There will never be an easier time to wire than before the walls go up!

And don't forget about outside!

There's nothing like enjoying your entertainment in the great outdoors. The outdoor products that are available now, and will continue to be developed, are better than ever. Take advantage of distributed audio/video and take the fun outside!