Whole Home Audio Video

A Planning Guide

San Diego, want to consolidate all of your music and video equipment into a central location and enjoy music and movies in every room of your home? A whole home audio video system will give you this type of freedom. Things like pausing a movie downstairs, then starting it from the same place in your bedroom can be done with a system like this. Even better, play music in one room, or everywhere you choose. It also enables you to have a clean, uncluttered look in every room. In fact, because the system allows you to share your audio video sources throughout your home, you won’t need a satellite or cable box for every TV.

Gone are the days of having all your cable boxes, Apple TV’s and music equipment stored away under your TV. With this type of system, your equipment will disappear leaving you with more room to kick back! Don’t limit the media you love to just one room when you can enjoy it from anywhere in your home. Although creating a whole home audio video system can seem intimidating to someone who doesn’t do it every day, with a plan in place, it can be accomplished. All it takes is knowing what things you need to consider. And, to help you with that, we offer you a guide on planning a whole home audio video system.

Planning A Whole Home Audio Video System

Start Here

The number one thing you need to figure out is how many zones (rooms) in your house you want to integrate into your whole home audio video system. By doing so, you’ll get an idea of the scope of the installation as well as what equipment you need. Keep in mind, you will need a pair of speakers for every area you want to integrate into your system. You may also need, surround sound in a few rooms depending on your needs.

Other Considerations:

Take the room’s features into consideration such as room acoustics
List all pre-existing connections
Make sure to find a room/closet where all of your equipment can be stored one that has lots of ventilation
Consider how many people you have in your home and if they want to stream separate things at the same time (more on this below)

How Many Sources?

Next Step

The next step is to figure out how many sources you will need. Consider whether you want to simultaneously stream separate sources to different zones, or the same source throughout your home. For example, you could watch movies in your living room while your kids watch their shows in their bedrooms while also streaming music to your backyard, and/or dining area. Or, you could simply watch or listen to the same thing every where. Although this may over simplify things, it is important to understand with a single source system streaming separate things at the same time won’t be possible. On the flip side of that, with a multi-source system, problems like these can be avoided entirely.

Sources/Devices (Make a List):

Cable/Satellite TV
Streaming media devices
Streaming music services
Blu-ray DVD player
Satellite radio

Aesthetics, Wires VS Wireless & Integration

Last Step

Another thing you’ll want to consider is what type of speakers you want. If you would like a hidden or concealed sound system that blends into your home’s design, there are a few types of speakers that can achieve this. There are options for a wireless or wired speaker system. However, just because WiFi make things more convenient, it does not mean everything in your home should be using a wireless connection. Read our article on Wired VS Wireless to learn why.

For homeowners that just want a couple of indoor audio zones, a few decent wireless speakers to listen to their favorite music might be fine. However, for those who seek a higher quality experience, it will take a professional design and installation. With a professional grade whole home audio video system the options are vast (in fact, too many to list). The important thing to consider here is that when hiring a professional AV integrator, knowing what your needs are will make the process itself that much quicker.

San Diego Audio Video Installation Services

The key to a successful whole home audio video project is working with the right AV installer. Retrofitting older homes for a whole home audio video system can be done. Wires can be routed through your attic or walls and when necessary wires and cables can be run along the exterior of a home. Retrofit installations require thinking outside of the box. The type of thinking that sees beyond the missing wire and the low vaulted ceilings in your attic.

When you are ready to add a whole home audio video system and want the best solutions, products and installation services, call Shultz Audio Video. San Diego’s trusted source for home theater installation and home AV integration. Ready to take your home entertainment to the next level? Let us help you create a setup to suit your needs and budget. Call us today at (760) 505-7461 or press on the button below to fill out the popup contact form to get started!