Audio/Video Companies, Full Service, A Dime a Dozen
Not Really!!!

First things first, consider YOUR individual audio/video needs. The questions you ask should be all about you and/or your family. Build a personal profile for yourself and the company you want to consider. Simple questions should prevail.

Breadth and depth, possibilities, and options are all good and all lead to great results when selecting an A/V company and ultimately getting quality results. The company you select should know who they are and who they are not. As grandma used to say, they should stick to their knitting. If you have not been through this experience before, reframe your thoughts if necessary. There is no reason why the experience should be other than a delightful and constructive process that produces the WOW that you desire.

One of the most often asked questions is why so many labor hours are allotted to the project? The answer is not complex, but simply that the work is often difficult and time consuming. Getting wire from point A to point B is not an easy task. Finding a path that keeps the wiring out of harms way and hidden from sight, away from electrical, in and out of basement crawl spaces and attics, and meeting your local code requirements can heavily impact the time element. Hanging a TV on a wall is all about measuring , drilling and putting up the bracket that holds the TV prior to actually hanging the darn thing. A little know fact is that the initial research that goes into the selection of equipment, combined with the system design, can sometimes take as many hours as the actual on site work. A recent project for a church took 34 hours of research and prep work and was estimated at 45 hours to do the actual work. A rock solid company will not charge you for the prep work and will not pad the estimated work hours.

Areas of expertise when considering a robust and complete audio/video company should include consulting, design, pre wiring, installation and integration expertise relating to all forms of audio/video, home theater, whole house audio, computer networking, home/office automation systems, and security, which could include cameras inside and out.

Try this on for size. The company you select should have a focus on Customer Service, which translates to an option to utilize your existing equipment if appropriate for the solution, allows you to make use of a a shopping list of needed electronics supplied by your selected company, or simply have your selected company acquire the products for you. Did I mention Customer Service?

Oh yea, back to those simple, but all important questions. Hopefully this helps you get started on your way to the WOW you want for your home.

-How many folks are in the family?
-Are there children in the family?
-What do you like and dislike regarding your listening or viewing pleasure?
-What are the preferences of others in the family?
-Do you like to listen to music?
-How much TV do you watch? Some, lots, upon occasion.
-What do you watch on TV?
-Are you a move fan?
-Do you have a lot of DVD's?
-Do you listen to talk radio?
-Do you or anyone else in the family use an IPOD?
-What things would you consider needs vs. wants vs. neat to have goodies?
-What kinds of electronic equipment do you presently have and can it be used in a newly designed system?
-How much money do you want to spend? Budgets are very important for you to know and it helps guide the company you ultimately select.

As always let us know if you have questions. I can be reached at (j.williams@tsicolumbus.com) or visit our website at (www.tsicolumbus.com)