How to build an audio-video home

AS LIFESTYLES have changed over the past three decades, many American homes have undergone considerable changes to match. Whether shopping for a house or building a new one, people seek out the dwelling best matched to the way they envision themselves and their families living in it.

Technology has brought changes that greatly have enhanced the comfort of homes, and the way that technology is used has had an impact on the structures themselves. Not too many years ago, people moving out of one place and into another took with them such things as room air conditioners and kitchen appliances.

Today, approximately 70% of all U.S. homes have central air conditioning systems installed at the time of construction. Moreover, most new homes have kitchens designed to suit how they actually will be used, and those appliances that play so critical a role in this functionality are built in so that they match perfectly. This is quite a difference from the days of having to be in the room with the air conditioning equipment in order to enjoy it or having to lug old appliances into a new home and then worry about how--or even if--they were going to fit.

When looking at home entertainment, much of what used to be seen in the industries mentioned above still exists. In most cases, people can not enjoy their entertainment equipment unless all of it is in the room they are in at the moment. When they move, they are faced with the task of placing their entertainment equipment in a new location whether it matches the decor and fits the appropriate spaces or not.

The time spent in the home is increasingly important as the pace of life quickens. When at home, most people are eating, sleeping, or getting information or entertainment from their audio and video equipment. For roughly a decade, there has been a class of entrepreneurs who have seen a need to make audio-video equipment a part of one's home and lifestyle. These innovative audio-video contractors recently have come into the spotlight, with rapid expansion of their role in the electronics and housing industries.

The role of the audio-video contractor is to consult with the client and provide a finished entertainment system that matches the design and function of a home, as well as the lifestyle of those who live in it. The availability of such services is giving rise to increased demand for central audio-video systems in the home. Market activity in this area not only is in new construction, but also in remodeling and system retrofit into existing residences, even when structural changes are not being undertaken. Depending upon the type of central system used, there are ways of providing these total entertainment packages in nearly any home.

Central audio-video systems are just what they sound like--systems in which the bulk of the equipment is set up in one location, but owners have the option of using it in any number of places throughout the house. The location of this equipment may be a family room or a more dedicated "home theater," though it just as easily could be a special closet or an equipment rack in some out-of-the-way place. In rooms where only audio is desired, there is a need just for speakers; in areas where both audio and video are wanted, speakers and a TV set are required. In addition, there must be some means of controlling the equipment in the central system. This is accomplished through a keypad mounted on the wall or by simple receivers that respond to remote control commands and transfer them to the actual products in another area of the house.

When considering central audio-video systems, consumers should be aware that there are two main types--multi-room and multi-zone. Multi-room systems allow use of equipment in any number of areas, but at any given time, all rooms where the system is in use must be utilizing the same source. For example, music could be playing the master bedroom, kitchen, and family room, but, with a multi-room system, those in the house would have to be listening to the same music in all of those locations.

Multi-zone systems, on the other hand, allow individuals to enjoy different sources in different zones of the house simultaneously. Thus, various people could be listening to a CD in the master bedroom, FM in the kitchen, and a mini disc in the family room, all off the same central system.

Many people who desire such central audio-video systems do not have them simply because they do not know where to look to find a reliable contractor, and are not sure how they would work with him if they did. You can locate audio-video contractors by getting in touch with the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, a trade association for audio-video contractors, or by contacting the offices of the suppliers of multi-zone equipment.

In working with the audio-video contractor, you should expect that he is capable of interfacing equally well with you as the consumer or your builder, architect, or interior designer, depending upon the stage of the project and exactly what it is that you are seeking to accomplish. A good audio-video contractor is experienced at coordinating his work with other trades-people and is an expert at determining what it will take to meet specific needs.