News and Reviews....

    AMAZON's Installer In A Box   December  2012

    There is no question that Amazon moves a lot of electronics including TVs. The frequently sell at wholesale prices. You can browse through dozens of reviews and find the THIS IS THE BEST TV, probably written by someone that does not have a clue of what they bought technically speaking. And the reviews could be written by someone who at 3 AM in the morning has exhausted their search energies. That might be enough to make You BUY.

The deal killer is when two days later the box shows up and you have to do something with it. There is a TV, You have a wall and the strange stuff that goes on between that time and the time you sit down and watch is in question.

Then comes the reality, so the Amazon buyer calls their local custom installer and says something like this; Remember me, I was in your showroom a week ago and I went ahead and ordered my TV online and wondered if you can come out and install it for me. I guess this is something that I have to pay for although I do not want to spend more then _____ which I guess would be OK. How is tomorrow morning?

And while "No One Puts Baby in a Corner" Amazon is now selling installers-in-a-box. Starting as a beta in Seattle and King County areas of Washington, you can now order in this manner.  There are two options 1. Cables running up outside the wall for $275 or  2. Wiring concealed inside the wall for $339. These are serviced by there network of installers.

Wall Mounted TV Installation - the service provider will mount your flat screen on your wall. Televisions can be mounted on standard sheet rock only. The tilting mount bracket is included in the service price.

Cables Routed Inside the Wall - technicians install a power outlet behind the TV and route AV cables behind the wall. One in-wall HDMI cable is included. Please note that  1. Cables cannot be run behind brick or concrete surfaces. and  2. An outlet must already exist directly below the spot where the TV will be mounted.

Let's see; Standard Drywall only which I assume means 1/2" or 5/8". Doesn't say anything about mounting to wooden studs, so I assume they are all right with steel or tin construction which normally requires special hardware. Since they say an outlet directly below, I can say that "Over the Fireplace" will be excluded which is a very common installation option. They do not say what length of HDMI cable. They didn't say how far away from the TV, the equipment can be, how about other devices, my VCR which should be discarded due to the terrible picture they present on HDTVs or Wii or gaming system. They also state a BASIC REMOTE will be programmed, what is a basic remote and will it be enough. Also what if my walls have poured foam insulation?

   Comment .....  For all of the above reasons and more.....Buy from a company that is local, experienced and will know what is needed before the box arrives.   Also check on their policies on installing materials not sold by them before you buy. Some established integrators will not install materials supplied by others. For more information call Custom Audio-Video Systems  (203) 234-1303

For information leading up to this article see:

     Not All HDTV is Created Equal   November  2009

    Beyond Blu-Ray  February  2005

    Birth of the Blues    February 2002

    DVD - Blue/Out - Red/IN    March 2002

    DVD - New Standard    May 2002

    Next Generation DVD    December 2002