So you’re building a new house and want to make mounting your TVs effortless. Here’s our step-by-step guide to make things a breeze.
1. Block things out:
Every good TV install starts with a firm foundation. Since TV brackets have limited adjustability, ask your builder to provide wood blocking between the studs to make mounting easier. This ensures you can get that TV just where you want it, while keeping things securely fastened.
Just make sure they leave room for a back box…. (more on that below)
2. Just Pre-Wire:
Yes, we know it’s 2025. Yes, Wi-Fi is everywhere, and yes, 99% of sluggishness and control issues are still caused by your TV using a Wi-Fi connection.
If you walk around with a device, that’s a great use case for wireless, but spend the paltry sum of money, and have CAT 6 run to each of your TV locations. It’s incredibly inexpensive during the rough-in phase of construction, and you definitely won’t regret it.
We even recommend running two or three lines to each location. That way, your TV, Apple TV, or any other device can be hardwired, keeping your Wi-Fi fast for wireless devices.
3. Plan for Plugs:
Power and network connections protrude from the wall when plugged in. If you want that Pinterest-perfect, completely flush TV installation, you’ll need a place to make the necessary connections. Fortunately, such a device exists. It’s called a “back box”.
A back box, recessed between your studs, sits inside the wall and provides a low-profile way to make all of your connections. It even lets you hide extra equipment like a cable box, audio transmitter, or other AV sundries.
Strong makes the nicest models, but lower-cost alternatives from Legrand work just as well.
Strong Versabox Back Box
Thinking of a Samsung Frame TV? An extra-large back box is a must. Many people are unaware that the Frame requires a large external box to manage its power and connections. (This is how they make the Frame so magically thin!)
Usually, this needs to be recessed into the wall and hidden behind the TV. These boxes are expensive, and it’s best to budget $300-$500 for each Frame TV location.
Looking for a Frame TV alternative? We love LG’s Gallery Series TVs! They have the same sort of Art mode as a Samsung Frame, without the need for the XL backbox. They even include a built-in recessed mount.
LG G5 Gallery Series TV
No AI was used in the creation of this article. We’re just offering advice from the friendly humans at Audilux.
At Audilux, we make it a point to take a few days off and make a pilgrimage to CEDIA Expo every year.
We do this for a couple of reasons; of course, it’s essential to stay up to date on the latest trends in the space, but I also want to make sure the vendor and product selections we offer our customers are the best available.
It can be easy to keep repeating the same thing and not realize what you’re missing out on.
The agenda usually consists of visiting our existing vendors and seeing what’s new, and then going to all their competitors to see what other experiences might be like. This year, we focused on attending demo spaces for new brands, and there were a few great surprises. I also came home more confident than ever with most of our product offerings.
Now that the dust has settled, here are a few standout observations we made at CEDIA Expo 2024.
#1 – JVC’s new projector demo was jaw-dropping
We attended the JVC Projector demonstration, featuring several new models. The first few scenes looked great from the get-go, and the room was shocked when the presenter explained we were actually watching their new entry-level laser projector, the NZ-500 ($5999).
JVC NZ-800
Halfway through the presentation, they switched to their flagship model, the NZ-900, which I could only describe as staggering. JVC has taken the lead with this latest crop of projectors at both the entry-level and high-end price points.
JVC NZ-900 Projector
JVC even had a dedicated demo room showing the flagship Sony model directly beside the NZ-900.
It wasn’t even close.
Point. JVC.
#2 – Epson was illuminating
Epson’s New Projector Lineup QB-1000 , QL-3000, and QL-7000
The Epson demo was also exciting for some different reasons. They seem to be focused on offering models with outsized lighting output, starting at an impressive 3300 lumens and going up to 10,000 lumens on their flagship model.
Epson QL-7000 / 10,000 Lumen Light Cannon
They seem to have made it their mission to defy conditional wisdom and install massive projection systems even in the brightest spaces.
The entry-level model, the QB-1000 , will be a sweet spot for many installations. It’s 30% brighter than the new JVC, and in rooms with any ambient light, it should be a home run at the price point ($7999).
Epson QB-1000 / 3300 Lumens / $7999
I could see us giving this projector a home in lots of mixed-use spaces, or if a customer just want’s extremely vibrant HDR.
#3 – Theory Audio Design / Pro Audio Technology
Paul Hales of Theory Audio Design & Pro Audio Technology had a very impressive space in a listening room downstairs. They had a fun element of having tons of speakers placed around the room and then using spotlights to show what you had been listening to after each segment.
It harkened back to the old days of Bose demonstrations, where you hear something so big, only to discover it’s coming from the tiniest of packages.
Of course, unlike Bose, Theory’s speakers were sonically fantastic.
Theory’s SB25 All Weather Loudspeaker
The secret sauce is proprietary DSP processing that extracts every ounce of performance out of each of their speakers.
Theory Audio’s new DSP Enabled Amplifiers
They only have a few different speaker models, but they are adaptable to all kinds of housings depending on what installation application you’re looking for.
The ceiling speaker could transform into a landscape bollard, pendant, etc.
Very Cool.
#4 – Ambisonic should be the soundtrack to your outdoor oasis.
Ambisonic’s outdoor speakers were our first big surprise at the Expo.
We’ve been installing some fantastic landscape speakers over the last few years, and our clients have always been elated with the results.
Ambisonic’s Tiny But Mighty Landscape Speaker
But….. Ambisonic’s Planar Ribbons are quite simply a cut above. The focused sound and even sound dispersion are to die for, and their tiny size would allow them to blend into the most sensitive design.
Ambisonic Bollard Speakers feature an integreated 10″ Subwoofer.
Sign me up.
#5 – Nice keeps getting Nicer
Our control platform of choice, Nice Home Management (formerly Elan), is at the heart of our installations.
Nice OS 8.9
During this Expo, we took the time to examine everything offered by the other platforms. After a visit to each booth, my lead technician remarked that the Nice touch panels felt like an iPad compared to what felt like an old Android at some of the other booths.
I couldn’t agree more.
The Nice HR40 Remote was still the best we found at the show
Nice showed their next-generation touch panels, controllers, and a new door station. They also previewed their latest software updates. I’m looking forward to putting them to work in the coming year.
To be fair, both Crestron and Savant also had a very robust offering, but I don’t feel we are missing out on anything. Nice offers a much better value proposition and superior performance, which is a win for our clients.
What were your favorite finds at CEDIA this year? Did anything surprise you? Let us know in the comments below!
As you can probably guess, you never know where you will be asked to build a home theater. Having a completely blank slate is almost unheard of, and this particular project began its life as a bonus room over a new home’s garage space.
Like most structures not built from the ground up as dedicated screening rooms, this build had its fair share of design challenges. Chief among them was the litany of angled walls, the vaulted ceiling, and the need for a doorway to access a hidden attic library space in the middle of the room.
Case Study: A Truly Custom Home Theater 27
We decided to break up the long walls in the room with columns to serve the dual function of providing visual interest and concealing the extra depth needed for bass trapping to tighten up the acoustics.
The real elephant in the room was the puzzle of maintaining access to the adjacent attic library space without compromising the theater’s overall design or acoustics.
We ultimately settled on concealing a door inside one of the room’s decorative columns.
Custom Build Hidden Door
This was accomplished using a custom door, with acoustic treatments applied directly to its face.
Hidden Door When ClosedHidden Door with Library Space Beyond
Space was also at a premium, so we also needed to find a way to minimize gear deployment inside the room.
We were able to commandeer some unclaimed attic space and installed a recessed rack to house all the equipment. This kept things accessible while also not encroaching on the livable space in the room.
Retractable Middle Atlantic Equipment Rack
Audio:
The client opted for identical in-wall Focal 300 series speakers in all seven primary positions and a timber-matched set of 8″ In-Ceiling speakers for Atmos.
Focal 300 Series IWLCR Speakers
A duo of Focal subwoofers rounded out the low end.
Focal Sub 1000F Subwoofer
A Nice Remote
Nice HR40 Remote Control
This also marked our first deployment of the new Nice HR40 remote control. It offers seamless control of all of the sources in the system and even shows cover art from the Kaleidescape during playback.
The finest source: Kaleidescape
Kaleidescape Strato Interface
It’s been a long-standing secret that if you want the best picture quality, there’s only one place to get your movies.
Long hailed by Hollywood moguls and used in their own personal theaters, the Kaleidescape Strato player serves up movies at a higher quality than HD Blu-Ray with unadulterated audio to match.
Construction Gallery:
The space prior to transformationCustom acoustic treatments prior to the installation of the fabric wallsThe Secret RoomCompleted Home Theater
Full Equipment List:
System Configuration: 7.4.2
Visual:
Projector: JVC NZ-7 8K Projector
Screen: 150″ Screen Innovations Zero Edge Pro, Acoustically Transparent
Video Processing: MadVR Envy MKII Extreme
Sound:
Audio Processor: AudioControl Maestro X7s
Amplification : AudioControl Savoy G4 , Audio Control Pantages G4
Suppose you’re like many Americans who haven’t spent significant time in a small town or even a remote enclave of a developed area. In that case, the struggle to obtain reliable internet access may have never crossed your mind.
The “Better-Than-Nothing” Beta
We joined the waiting list for Starlink back in 2020, knowing the service wouldn’t be ready for prime time. But, compared to the ongoing struggles with cellular options and the associated never-ending maintenance to keep things running, I was happy to plunk down $500 and get in line. About four months later, a slot opened up in our cell, and like magic, a giant black box showed up on our doorstep, seemingly with love from Elon.
Since our home is very architecturally modern and features a flat roof, I had the service up and running in minutes. Of course, during that time, the connection would be intermittent a few minutes out of every hour, but it was rock solid the rest of the time. Speeds were clocking in well over 250mbps, and on a day when the powers at Starlink deemed our household blessed, I even recorded a speed test at over 600mbps.
This is another thing that never occurs if you’ve never struggled with internet access. Rural users run speed tests constantly.
The War on Speed
All of that changed around the time Space X deployed massive bandwidth to aid the people of Ukraine. While this is admittedly a first-world problem, it was shocking to suddenly have to pay attention to our connection again after being lulled into a sense of relative complacency after a year of entirely consistent service.
As we ring in the New Year of 2023, we’ve gotten used to the new normal of Starlink. It still has so much potential, and we’re cautiously optimistic that the continued expansion of the Starlink satellite constellation will offer even faster speeds and more reliability. In the meantime, I can’t help but feel the compulsion to run another speed test 😉
Is Starlink right for you?
While satellites, Elon Musk, and laser links may sound exciting and fun, Starlink is not for everyone.
I would refer to it as the “Internet of Last Resort .” Frankly, if you have wired options available at your location, in 99% of cases, they’re a much better value than internet via space.
For starters, Starlink is expensive. $110 a month for 1 TB per month of bandwidth and a $549 fee for equipment which amounts to double or even triple the charge compared to most cable or fiber connections.
There are no speed guarantees, and you kind of “get what you get.”
5G Options:
Life with Starlink Satellite Internet 29
If you cannot procure a wired connection, I would start your search for a provider a little closer to earth. Thanks to the emergence and rapid deployment of 5G technology, T-Mobile has raced to market with an unlimited-use home internet product that is much more affordable and, in many cases, faster.
At my location outside of Nashville, TN, I’m seeing transfer speeds over 400mbps, all for the low price of $30 per month.
While I’m still doing a long-term test before recommending this as connectivity for any of our customers, it’s certainly off to a promising start. So, with no setup fees or hardware costs, what do you have to lose?
In the meantime, I think it’s time for another speed test. 🙂
I recently had a good friend and client reach out to me about designing an automation and security system for his new property in Mt. Juliet, TN. While he wasn’t looking for a traditional monitored system, having good quality surveillance and access control for his gate was a very high priority, mainly since he’s often out of town for work.
Since the site was on a little over 5 acres and comprised of a network of pastures, barns, and a residence, I spent the better part of a day designing a system for him that I knew would be reliable and meet his needs, running coverage calculations, solving distance limitations, and value engineering where possible.
Unfortunately, what happened next was the moment an integrator fears the most. I sent over our proposal, and I’m confident the price tag induced a seizure on the other end. (Fortunately, my friend made a full recovery!), but the next day, he called back to ask what on earth could be so different about this system than DIY products like Ring or the dreaded Lorex.
Honestly, It’s a fair question, and while ultimately, he didn’t decide to move forward with what I designed due to budgetary constraints, it left me thinking of the best way to explain the value of a well-designed system as a whole vs. a pile of well-marketed but hugely inferior parts.
I’ll be the first to admit that these consumer-grade systems have a place, and for your average 3000 sq ft track home nestled away in suburbia, you certainly can’t beat the value. I often suggest this arrangement when even our entry-level products are overkill. However, as the size of the home grows or other elements like distance become a factor, these off-the-shelf solutions can quickly become massive sources of frustration.
At the end of the day, though, a custom system brings two words to the table that we know are more important than our clients initially realize; reliability and support.
So while I won’t bore you with all the nerdy details, let’s talk about one of the most common DIY products we tend to have issues with and explain what a difference professional-grade equipment can make.
Cameras & Video Doorbells:
There are two main types of camera and doorbell systems. The first is what we call a cloud-based system.
1- DIY Cloud-Based Cameras
Cloud Based Camera System Diagram
These cameras rely on an internet connection to stream video from their installed location, through your home’s network, and out to a server in the cloud to be recorded. You can then access these recordings, or live video feeds on the go by using your cell phone, tablet or computer. Some major players in the space include Ring, Arlo, Blink, etc.
There are, unfortunately, some downsides to this type of equipment. The first and most obvious is that your property is suddenly unprotected if your internet connection is lost or intentionally interrupted. In most cases, no recording is even taking place. Second, since most of these cameras use a wi-fi connection, any level of instability or interference can once again take your cameras offline.
Lastly, unless you pay a pretty hefty fee, these cameras typically only record when a certain level of motion is detected rather than recording continuously. While it might not seem like a big deal at face value, imagine trying to figure out the path an intruder took to access your property, it can be nearly impossible to do if enough motion was only detected right as they came to your door.
2- Local NVR
Local On-Premises Recording Diagram
The second type of system utilizes a Network Video Recorder or NVR. In an NVR System, footage from each camera continuously records across the local network without ever leaving the premises. Although cameras are usually wired to avoid dealing with batteries, wired connectivity also offers much greater picture quality and reliability than wireless.
Thanks to the NVR’s internet connection, NVR systems still offer excellent remote access. In fact, you probably wouldn’t know, based on your phone’s app, that you’re using an NVR rather than a cloud-based technology.
A local NVR-based camera system can offer several benefits:
Reliability: Since the footage is recorded locally on the NVR, there is no dependence on an internet connection for the system to work. This means that the system will continue to function and record footage even if the internet goes down.
Privacy: A local NVR system stores the footage on the NVR itself rather than sending it to a cloud server. This can be beneficial for those who are concerned about the privacy of their video footage.
Control: With a local NVR system, you have complete control over the footage and can access it directly from the NVR. You don’t have to worry about logging into an online account or dealing with potential delays in accessing the footage.
Cost: A local NVR system may be more cost-effective in the long run, as there are no ongoing cloud storage fees to pay.
Speed: Since the footage is stored locally, it can be accessed and reviewed more quickly than if it were stored in the cloud.
