Home Audio – Cabling Solutions

AV Installation Guidelines

Gary — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 16:18:41 +0000

What Is AV?

AV Equipment also known as Audio Visual Equipment is now used in every imaginable setting. For instance, the equipment can be found in your home, commercial buildings, schools and in shopping centres. AV is the combination of sound and sight. In fact, the technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, enabling us to do things that were deemed impossible a few years ago. Below is the AV installation checklist.

Office

In a commercial setting, TV screens have been normalised as standard office equipment. The most common uses of these TV’s are, displaying a digital sign, a presentation promoting the business, display daily targets and stats etc… Additionally, In some cases employers will use these screens to boost morale in the office, for example, during the Olympics or World Cup employers would use the screens to stream live sports.

Education

As most of us are aware, some people visual learners and some are audible. The development of AV Equipment has given teachers the ability to try different approaches to keep students engaged. As a result, instead of traditional whiteboards, teachers are now able to use an interactive whiteboard. Similarly, Projectors are also used in education. Majority of the time, projector systems are used to present to a large group.

Retail Outlet

Our Shopping centres and many other public spaces have quickly become a target for AV technology. As a result, advertisements are shown on screens all around us. For instance, in shops or at the bus stops. Digital billboards such as the ones in Piccadilly Circus and Time Square are being used to convey information to the public.

Home

At home, technology is becoming increasingly connected and smart. This includes everything from multi room TV and audio experience to home cinema and security systems. For this reason, the technology is being integrated with the latest developments of voice and gesture control.

AV Installation Checklist

If you’re making a significant investment in Audio Visual Equipment, whether its for commercial use or personal. Its very beneficial for you to consult with professionals in this space. These individuals will be able to highlight any possible issues that could hinder your project. Our highly trained engineers will provide you with a survey and guidance to ensure all possible issues are minimised. See below for commonly missed issues.

Power and cabling

As part of the AV installation you must consider the best way to connect the new equipment to the existing power circuits and network infrastructure. Assumptions may lead to further costs thus, exceeding your planned budget.

**for a sleek modern look, you should consider concealed cabling**

Secure Fitting

Surfaces to hold the AV equipment need to be assessed and prepared to ensure they can support the weight of the equipment. Furthermore, due to health and safety regulations this becomes compulsory if your project is to be undertaken in a public area or work environment.

Integration with other systems

To maximise and future proof your investment. You must understand how well your AV equipment can integrate with other systems. Lastly, with the advancement of technology its important for you to build an AV system in a way that allows you to upgrade components over time.

A guide to home AV cabling

Gary — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 09:59:28 +0000

Understanding the Basics of AV Cabling

Most of us use AV cables daily. However, if someone asked us to hand them the AV cable, we wouldn’t know what they’re referring to. AV stands for Audio Visual. AV cables come in different shapes and sizes, the most common being the HDMI cable. Prior to the development of the HMDI cables such as DVI, VGA and RCA were at the forefront of home AV. These cables are used for televisions, game consoles and DVD players. In this article we’ll discuss the available options and outline the fundamentals to help you make the correct decision for your home AV set up.

Types of Home AV Cabling

Audio Visual cables are used to connect separate pieces of audio-visual equipment together. For example, an amplifier to a speaker. A traditional AV cable such as the RCA will have three individual cables (Red, White, and Yellow) each cable will carry an individual signal (audio right, audio left, and video). Each cable will carry its respective signals from one device to another, providing a seamless entertainment experience.

Other types of Home AV Cabling

Composite (RCA): Now only found on older equipment due to their inability to carry HD signals. Composite cables transfer video signal through one cable and connector. Because the video signal travels through a single cable it becomes heavily compressed thus losing its resolution and clarity. In addition, this cable is prone to suffering from radio interference which also degrades the picture quality.

DVI: Commonly found on computers, DVI cables allow you to connect your computer to a bigger external monitor or TV. With the ability to support both formats, analogue and digital. DVI cables can convert analogue signals into digital signal. This feature allows you to transmit a signal from an older piece of AV equipment to a HDTV or DVD player.

Coaxial (Coax): Previously used to directly connect your television to the aerial, coaxial cables have been around for decades and are still used today. Coax cables can handle different types of signals and can handle bandwidths of up to 2Ghz, this enables them to remain on par with modern technology. Today, these cables are used to connect your Aerial to the TV box but then the TV box connects to the TV via HDMI. This allows you to have a sharper/better image in comparison to a direct coaxial connection.

HDMI: High Definition Multimedia Interface cable is the most recent addition to the advancement of AV cables. With the rise in technology (HD and 4K videos) AV cables needed to be upgraded to deliver the required video quality. HDMI is highly versatile and powerful; the cable is designed to carry HD audio and visual. HD cables can send up to 5Gbps of information. This cable is widely recognisable as its used for all home AV equipment.

Choosing the Best Cable for Your AV Setup

Unfortunately, there isn’t a universal cable that will do everything that is required by your home set up. Although HDMI is the most recognised and commonly used cable its not superior to all other cables. The answer really depends on your requirements for instance, if you still have some of your old equipment such as DVD players or VHS players, HDMI will be no good. In this situation we’d advise you to invest in a selection of cables and possibly converters.

Which Is the Best Cable for Home AV?

HDMI cables are perfect when it comes to connecting HD input devices to HD output devices. As a part of a modern AV system, you can invest in gold plated HDMI cables to minimise resistance and signal interference. HDMI can be used across a wide range of products; they can be used to connect a TV to a sound bar. However, specialist speaker systems are unlikely to have a HDMI input as they will require other cables such as component (red and white) or coaxial digital S/PDIF cables.

Planning on converting your living room into a home cinema? Click on the link below for more details.

What do I need for a home cinema?

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11 Key Considerations for Home Data Cabling Installation

Gary — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 10:07:22 +0000

Tips for Successful Home Data Cabling Installation

Installing data cabling in a home is often more complex than in an office environment. The process tends to stretch over a longer period, and it’s difficult to predict exactly what will be required in the future. Once the decision is made, it can sometimes be too late to install the necessary cables. To ensure a smooth installation and optimal performance, here are 11 key considerations for home data cabling:

Centralise Everything
Allocate Space for a Data Cabinet
Overestimate on Cables
Always Have a Good Wi-Fi System
Recess and Hide Cabling Sockets Where Possible
Ensure All Cabling is Fully Fluke Tested
Install Incoming Broadband as Early as Possible
Have Regular Update Meetings
Use Samples of Technology Products
Get Used to the System Before Final Tweaking
Have a System That Suits Your Design Style

By carefully considering these factors, you can ensure that your home’s data cabling system is well-planned, future-proofed, and visually integrated into your living space.

More detail to make your installation go smoothly

Centralise everything where possible. Installing all your structured cabling back to a central point for all Television, Satellite, Audio Systems, CCTV, Internet and WIFI will give you the most flexibility in your system. Want to change from SKY to Virgin? – no problem just change the boxes in the central cabinet and everything updates straight away. Much better than changing 3 or4 boxes around the house and having Virgin install all new data cabling across your skirting boards
Create a central area big enough for this cabinet. The equipment gets hot so needs enough space to have airflow and cooling. A dedicated area will also make it easier to reset boxes / change equipment. An area of 1m wide by 1m deep by 2.2m high is usually sufficient
If in doubt put in extra cables. Unsure if you want wired internet to each room? Telephones throughout? Televisions now or in the future in certain rooms? Putting in the data cabling now isn’t a massive extra cost when the routes are open, especially if additional cables are running in the same direction of other cables. If you decide after completion you needed a cable you don’t have then it’s almost impossible or at worst case a very messy retrofit
Put in a good Wi-Fi system, in fact a very good Wi-Fi system. Most homes now will have in excess of 15 – 20 devices that access the Wi-Fi and are all automatically connected. Without a top Wi-Fi system you will either be unable to connect or when you do it will be very slow. Put the cables and access points into your planning. Your controllers will run on Wi-Fi also, if they can’t see the Wi-Fi they can’t control your system
Recess power and data sockets behind any televisions where possible. Flat screen televisions and ultra thin brackets are only effective if you don’t have a bulky power socket and plug surface mounted on your wall pushing the TV 50mm off the wall and losing the ultra slim picture frame effect.
Make sure every data cable is tested at completion and full data cabling results provided. Structured cabling throughout the project is left coiled for long periods awaiting final position install. Ensure you receive the data cabling test results to show the cables are running to full specification and standard
Install your Broadband and Phone lines as early in the project as possible. Too many homes will leave BT / Virgin until near the end to install the main lines into the house. With long lead times your line in from the street might end up requiring builders work to get it into the building and cause a lot of mess and disruption. Install them at the beginning of the project so that they can be built around by the contractor
Hold regular project management meetings with your Installer. Every client’s requirements are different. Make sure the heights of the televisions, the location of the speakers and the presentation of the data cabling sockets are to your taste and design and not leave it to last minute when some options will not be possible
Get samples / photos of the proposed equipment to be installed. There are hundreds of very small varying designs for speakers / televisions, faceplates, control systems. Sign off on each element before installation as changing after install can incur high cost building works
Use the system for a week or two before creating a final list of snagging / amendments. It’s only as you use your new system that queries and potential tweaks and changes will come to mind. It’s better to collate these into one final engineering visit than each time you find something as one change usually affects a change in another area. Ensure your installer has a final engineering / handover visit built into your proposal
When installing Data Cabling for Home, decide what’s important to you visually. Some clients will want the best brand television or higher specification / series for their budget even if it means a smaller television. Others will want the biggest television for their budget and not worry about the brand. Decide which you are in advance so it can be designed into the building works and installation drawings

Read more about Data Cabling and AV Installation – also see our Data Cabling FAQs for more information

Call our Sales office on 01923 888588 or Sales@nmcabling.co.uk for your free Data Cabling for Home survey and quotation

NM Cabling is a technology and structured cabling integrator working throughout the United Kingdom.

Click the link for a comprehensive Knowledge Centre for our industry

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SONOS – The saviour of early waking toddlers

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:08:55 +0000

SONOS Installation

Once again I found myself waking up to the baby monitor of our 3 year old at 5am on a Sunday morning. Furthermore she was murmuring about how she wanted to get up. Therefore our SONOS installation was to come into its own

In the past this would of involved walking upstairs to turn on her baby monitor or music. In addition hoping it would settle her before she saw Daddy in the room.

However now armed with a Sonos Systems and speakers in her bedroom ceiling a quick flick of the phone was all that was needed. Therefore choosing the SONOS app and putting on Baby Mozart music and she was settled back in and slept through to 8am.

The great thing about Sonos is from one App you can choose any room in the house. Furthermore each of those rooms may have any music with its own volume. In addition kids can listen to music to go bed with a shut off timer, unlimited radio stations can be streamed from all over the world and music services such as spotify – stream seamlessly throughout your system.

The units can be built into the fabric of your house if refurbing or new builds. Furthermore as standalone units placed on sideboards or units. All connected and working as a single music system.

Sonos Installation requirements

How flexible is your music system and is it time for an upgrade?

To get started all you need is a internet connection / WIFI and a Sonos Player. Whether it be a Play 1/3/5 or a Sonos Connect to your existing AV amplifier, or Sonos Connect AMP with dedicated speakers.

There’s also an option for a SONOS Soundbar for cinema style sound from your existing TV.

For SONOS installation and total audio visual installation surveys and advice please contacts sales on sales@nmcabling.co.uk or call 01923 888588

For further articles please visit our Knowledge Centre HERE

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