Michaels Audio and Video

At Michaels Audio and Video, we provide a wide range of custom wiring solutions. Whether you are adding new technology to an existing home or building a new home, we can design and install the perfect package for your needs. We are especially knowledgable with regard to design and equipment considerations relevant to mountain living.

There are a number of new and exciting electronic options to consider when designing your audio-video systems, including innovations in satellite technology, surround-sound home theater, high definition television, and high-speed Internet. What follows will give you some ideas of the things you should be thinking about in building or upgrading your home.

	Television Reception If you care about good television reception, it makes sense to plan ahead! In Winter Park, for example, there is a repeater which will allow for reception of five network channels in certain areas, if an antenna is pointed toward it. Also, if you live within town limits, cable television offers about 20 channels (although stereo sound is not yet available). If your home is in a rural area and not within the line of sight for Winter Park, satellite is the next possibility. And if you want big-screen television, surround sound, or music throughout your house, satellite reception will be your best overall choice in Grand County. There are two satellite service providers in Grand County: DirecTV and Dish Network. With one of these systems, there are hundreds of channels to choose from, and the sound and picture quality are the best available in the industry. In the next few years, a brand new "high-definition" broadcast system will be offered by the United States television industry. There already are many new television sets available which can reproduce the much higher picture quality of high-definition television (HDTV), and some channels are currently being broadcast in this new system. Eventually, the remaining broadcast channels in this area will be converting to carry the new high-definition technology. Satellite is leading this change. Especially in fringe areas like Grand County, it is satellite reception that will be bringing in the new high definition signals, as well as digital movie sound and music channels from all over the world. So it is definitely a good idea to consider this when designing the wiring for your new home or choosing a new system for your current home. Wired for Sound Another option to consider when building a new home is sound. There are many types of sound systems available that can be built in unobtrusively while offering the best in sound quality and controllability. For example, speaker systems can be built into a home such that the sound can flow from room to room, inside and out of the house. Indoor/outdoor speakers can be placed on a deck where you might have a hot tub or outdoor cooking and entertainment. The sound can be controlled or changed by a device as simple as a volume control or as sophisticated as local key pads. You can even have a wireless system operated by a small remote that you can carry from room to room Home theater "surround sound" is continuing to grow in popularity as it becomes increasingly affordable. Many great rooms or living rooms can be equipped with virtually invisible in-wall speakers, and the TV and stereo equipment can be built into cabinets. The result is that you no longer need to dedicate an entire room to home theater (although many new homes are opting for that as well). Instead, the main room in your home can be configured to give exceptional sound and video presentation in a broad spectrum of price ranges, and without disrupting the cherished elegance of your mountain home. Since people tend to spend most of their time in the kitchen and living areas, and since most new homes are being designed in an open floor plan, this type of integrated system makes a lot of sense. It is definitely advisable to have professional advice, preferably from someone who is familiar with room acoustics, in designing a system like this, as main rooms can be of various shapes and full of windows, and it can be difficult to place your television where the main speakers will bracket it. About Speaker Placement It is important to note that the speakers in a surround system are designed to be placed at specific distances from the television in order to create an accurate and believable sound presentation that matches the picture being viewed. The reason for this is that when a movie is being filmed, the sound is designed for a movie theater environment, where the main speakers are actually behind the movie screen, so that when someone speaks or moves on-screen, the sounds is located exactly where the movement is happening. Multiple speakers are used so that the sound is precise and accurate. Additionally, surround speakers wrap around the sides and back of the audience and are used to create an extra dimension. This allows the filmmaker to create a very realistic environmental sound that enhances the enjoyment of the movie. In order to recreate this experience at home, it is important to place the speakers in the same relationship to the television as you would find to the screen in a theater. In a dedicated home theater room, this is fairly easy to achieve. In a vaulted great room dominated by a fireplace and high windows, it becomes somewhat more of a challenge. This is where our trained audio-video professionals can provide answers and solutions, such as custom cabinetry to conceal equipment and a wiring system that will accommodate these issues. Wiring to Surf the Internet High-speed Internet is an important consideration when wiring a new home. In Grand County, for example, unless the home is directly in town, where wireless Internet is available, other than satellite, the only other option is a dial-up network, which can be very slow. With satellite technology, you can usually get high-speed access even in the most remote locations. However, there are some limitations. The bottom line is, you want to research the various Internet options in your location before wiring your new home, to ensure that you're set up to take advantage of what's available. A special Ethernet system can be designed into your new home or installed in your present home, with jacks at specific computer locations. This way, you can plug in a computer anywhere and still have high-speed access. Wireless ethernet systems also are commonly available. Wiring Packages As a custom audio and video company, we offer complete packages, from wiring and product sales to delivery and installation. The advantage of this is that your home can be custom wired not only for the specific equipment you have chosen, but also to take advantage of potential future technologies. Having our specialists do the pre-wiring will insure that your final installation runs smoothly, without needing to re-wire, add wires, or retrofit through walls. Also, if the entire system comes from our company, then we can guarantee it, service it, and make sure that all components are compatible. Whether you rely on Michaels Audio and Video or some other company, it makes sense to talk to an audio-video professional about wiring your home for immediate needs and for the future.

Call us at 970-726-8763 or stop by the store to find out more
about custom wiring for your new home.