Television Safety is an issue that we've written about before, and we will continue to write about it to raise awareness about the dangers of toppling furniture and TV's - and kids.  Especially at this time of the year, with school holidays and the kids at home, we like to remind everyone about the potentially dangerous situation that may be present in your home right now...  

As far as we are concerned, there is nothing more important than keeping your family and friends safe, especially the little ones.  With the increase in flat panel TV's in the home, the number of injuries and deaths relating to TV's toppling is still on the rise.  Scary!

It's not that difficult to safely secure your TV to the cabinet that it rests on with an anchor or safety strap, or better still, get the TV off the furniture (which can also topple) and get it on the wall.  You still need to ensure proper safety procedures are followed and good quality parts (mounts, bolts, straps etc) are used, to ensure that your installation is safe.  

This is an excerpt from the Safety Alert issued by the ACCC about Televisions and small children. Please take the time to read it.  You can access the full alert on their website:
​https://www.productsafety.gov.au/news/toppling-furniture-and-televisions-anchor-them-and-save-a-child-s-life

Now is the time to make it happen, before it's too late.

If you would like to get professional help to install your safety straps, anchors or wall mount your TV - Get in touch with us.  We will ensure that ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) recommendations and regulations are adhered to. 

Stay Safe :-)

Image and video source: www.productsafety.gov.au

Last week we had the pleasure of helping these Customers get their Media Room set up in their new home.  We loved this job, helping these guys make the most of their space and give them all the entertainment they need in the comfort of their new home.

The media room installation included:

• 65" TV wall mounted
• Installed 5.1 Surround Sound (inc wall mounted rear speakers)
• Connected Amp and optimised home theatre sound
• Connected all devices including Foxtel, Blu Ray, PlayStation, Xbox, Record Player
• Full system check and Customer education

As the cold approaches, there is no better time to stay in bed under the covers and watch your fave shows.

If you don't have a TV in your bedroom - get it sorted now. 

​We can install a TV point and even wall mount your TV so that you can keep the style you want in your room without taking valuable space for bulking TV cabinets. We can even install your apple TV or connect your Smart TV  to the internet to have you watching your favourite Netflix shows from the comfort of your warm bed. 

Don't face the cold today.  Stay in, stay warm and watch T V.

That's our advice for dealing with the weather today.

​Enjoy.

Let's face it... Moving is the ABSOLUTE PITS!

Let us take the hassle out of your move.  We offer a move house service where we come and pack up all your Audio Visual gear (TV's, DVD's, Amplifiers, Speakers, Foxtel boxes, playstations, apple TV's, all your cables and any other AV gear you have).  We'll box it up safe in waterproof plastic containers and move it all to your new home.  Then, we'll set it all back up for you, connect it all and have you relaxing on the couch after a hard days moving, watching your favourite shows. 

This customer was moving from Scarborough to Narangba, so we dismantled, moved and set up all their AV gear for the lounge room and master bedroom.  

Certainly made life easier for our customer, and they didn't have to worry about there expensive gear going in the back of a moving truck with the rest of their furniture.  

Winning Solution!

Give us a call if you're moving and we'll help you out with your AV stuff. 

​Geoff 

So today's job in Redcliffe, was installing an LG short-throw laser projector and wall mounting the accompanying 100-inch screen.  We did a few of these when they first hit the market back in around 2013, but this is the first one we've done it quite a while.  It was a reminder of how different this product was compared to all the other home theatre solutions on the market and also how tricky the installation is - requiring 100% professional installation. 

Our customer had moved house and needed to get the equipment installed in the new house.  The product, once installed is really quite good, but it never really took off as a concept.  Mostly, I think because for the price point (and the tricky installation), technology was soon catching up, with bigger screens becoming available on the market in LCD and LED technology. However, at the time, this was the biggest screen that you could get without installing full rear projection technology with roof mounts etc. 

This customer has had the equipment for around 4 years and its still performing as well as it did when they first got it home, which is great.

It's a short-throw projector, meaning it sits close to the screen — just 56cm away, actually. This means you don't have to worry about installing it on the roof or on a back wall, it can sit directly in front of the screen without anything (or anyone) blocking the projection.  It's also designed to work effectively even in rooms with a lot of light which many cheaper projector solutions don't do too well. It does this by using a specially designed black screen that uses reflective anti-glare technology. 

Whilst I'm glad technology has moved on from this product as a home theatre solution, I appreciate it for what it is and the innovation at the time it hit the market.  

Give me a high quality rear projection home theatre solution any day.

​Geoff. 

As far as we are concerned, there is nothing more important than keeping your family and friends safe, especially the little ones.  With the increase in flat panel TV's in the home, the number of injuries and deaths relating to TV's toppling is also on the rise.  Scary!

It's not that difficult to safely secure your TV to the cabinet that it rests on with an anchor or safety strap, or better still, get the TV off the furniture (which can also topple) and get it on the wall.  You still need to ensure proper safety procedures are followed and good quality parts (mounts, bolts, straps etc) are used, to ensure that your installation is safe.  

Now is the time to make it happen, before it's too late.

If you would like to get professional help to install your safety straps, anchors or wall mount your TV - Get in touch with us.  We will ensure that ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) recommendations and regulations are adhered to. 

Stay Safe :-)

If you are anything like me, you probably walk into your local electronics retailer and are totally baffled at the sheer volume of TV’s in there.  Why are there so many to choose from?  What can we possibly need from a TV that warrants this huge selection and variety? 

Well, truth be told, you aren’t just buying a TV anymore.  You are buying a device that is capable of delivering a variety of media and entertainment to your home. A device that is connected to the internet and is capable of far more than the old screen that has a few TV channels on it.  You are now buying a SMART TV, and they’ve come a long way from the first release of smart TV’s, that to be honest, weren’t that smart.

So how do you choose a TV that is right for you when there is so much variety?

Here are my top 3 tips to selecting a TV that is right for you and your family.


1.     It’s still all about picture quality

I’ve listed this as the first point, because despite what the new model TV’s are capable of doing, for most people the thing you will be doing the most with the TV is watching television… Shocking I know but it’s still the overwhelming number 1 use of the TV.  Perhaps gaming is a close 2nd but even if you are racing a virtual Ferrari around some mountainous track in the Himalayas, you are still going to want excellent, crisp, quality picture from your TV.

So what do you need to consider with picture quality? 

My advice, ignore the specs sheets for the most part.  You will be confounded with stats for each TV such as refresh rate (120Hz, 240Hz, 600Hz etc), CRM, TruMotion, MotionFlow, SPS, display resolution (1080p, 1080i and 720p) and so on.  Whilst some of this information is relevant and useful, all you need to do is take a really good look at the TV’s on display to understand the picture quality.  So here are some hints to help you choose the TV with the best picture quality when shopping.

• Ask your salesperson to put High Definition (HD) as well as Standard Definition (SD) content on the TV for you to see the quality of the picture under both definitions. Particularly if the majority of your content viewing is in SD.
• Make sure that the content you are looking at is not animation.  Animated films always look crisper and colour rich, that’s why the stores are usually playing kids movies in HD on all the TV’s. 
• If available, ask your salesperson to put on a channel such as FoxSports or OneHD to see if you can catch a football match, car race, horse race etc on the screen.  With motion and action on the screen you can get a sense for how well the picture handles motion.  Images should appear smooth and not too jumpy.
  
• A final note here is that almost all TV’s have a “shop” setting which is optimising colour, brightness, sharpness etc. for an in-store environment with artificial lighting.  When you get the TV home, you will always have to optimise the TV settings to suit the room and the lighting, so just keep this in mind when you are browsing in store.  Be sure to ask your salesperson about glare and dealing with well-lit rooms for their advice.
  

2.      Bigger is better

It’s an age old argument, not just for TV’s, but it is an important one.  In my view, with TV’s bigger is always better.  There is simply nothing better than being totally immersed in your movie or TV show and with a bigger TV, this feeling just comes so much more easily.  I would recommend a size of at least 32 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 50 inches for a living room TV (or your main TV), although 60 inch plus is even better.

Of course, you must first consider the space that you have to put the TV in and the seating arrangement.  Second you must consider your budget, like most things, the bigger it is the more expensive it’s going to be. 

So here’s how I’d sort through my choices: 

• Decide on your maximum budget and only consider those TV’s within it.
• Of those, look at which will fit in the space/room that you are buying for.
• Of those, which have the best picture quality and are a brand that you trust.
  

3.       Now what about all the other stuff…

In my view we’ve covered off the 2 most important factors of buying your new TV, but there is still so much more to consider to really cement the decision.  I recommend covering all of the following off with your salesperson before you make your final decision.

• SMART features 
  
• The remote control
  
• Connectivity
  
• 3D
  
• Styling and installation
  

SMART Features

Ok so it’s now almost impossible to buy a TV that doesn’t have some SMART functionality, so it’s part of your buying decision whether you like it or not.  Now you may choose not to use the SMART functions on your TV, but you should still have a fair idea of how it works because a) one day you might find yourself accidentally inside the SMART menu and need to navigate your way out and b) in the majority of homes, there will be at least 1 person who will want to use the SMART features (particularly if you have kids in the home).

SMART technology and the apps available through SMART TV’s has come quite a way since the first released TV’s.  In my opinion the new SMART features are getting better all the time, but still have a way to go to achieve excellent useability and customer friendliness.  Some of the leading brands are doing this better than others, for example Samsung seem to be leading the pack at the moment as far as I’m concerned when it comes to the TV’s SMART functionality and user friendliness. 

In my experience (and to be clear I am often installing and educating about 4-6 customers per day on using their new TV’s), retailers aren’t bothering to show customers how their TV’s SMART features look or function.  In fact, most retailers don’t even bother having remote controls available for customers to test out the features and menus on the TV.  In today’s market, I find this shocking.  The user friendliness of the menu’s and functions on the TV is important and should be part of the customers buying decision.  So if you are planning to spend your hard earned money on a new TV, I’d be asking to have a demonstration of the SMART features and menu options on the TV before buying it. 

Trust me, I’ve had so many customers who I’ve installed the TV for and they are shocked or disappointed at the way that the SMART features work or the availability of particular apps with particular brand TV’s.  For example; Spotify, Quickflix, Bigpond Movies, YouTube and other such apps may not be available with your brand of TV.  If you know you want particular apps – you need to check that they will be compatible with the brand of TV you are using.

So, be SMART and ask to see the SMART features on your preferred TV before you buy.

The Remote Control

OK this one sounds a bit silly, but again, now days you aren’t just getting a remote control with labelled buttons on it… You are getting a SMART remote.  Most of the 2014 model TV’s are only coming with the SMART remote (or clicker) which functions very differently from a traditional remote.  In most cases they are interactive in several ways;

• You can press the buttons
  
• You can point at the TV and select options using the on screen pointer
  
• You can scroll across a base pad (a bit like the mouse pad on a laptop)
  
• You can talk to the remote using voice controls
  
• Or you can even put the remote down and use only hand gestures to control the TV
  

As you can see from this list, things have changed when it comes to remotes.  If you aren’t too tech savy or have a preference about how you interact with your TV you simply MUST ask your salesperson to demonstrate the remote control.

Connectivity

Thanks to HDMI, connecting devices to your TV has become so much easier, almost everything uses HDMI connection.  So all you need to do is simply count the number of devices that you plan on connecting to the TV and make sure that the TV you are choosing has enough (and I suggest a couple of extras for future proofing).  This is not really a big deal these days as the majority of TV’s will have ample HDMI ports. 

If you like the idea of displaying photos or accessing external content, USB inputs and an SD card slot are nice to have.

You only need to worry about analogue ports if you plan on connecting older devices such as Nintendo Wii.

3D

If all new TV’s don’t currently have 3D capability, they soon will.  In my view this should not impact your buying decision at all.  I consider 3D just an add-on that the majority of people won’t use (or will use once or twice), after all there is very little content available to watch.  If you are interested in 3D the only thing I’d be asking is how many pairs of glasses we get and how expensive is it to get extra?


Styling and Installation

We spend loads of energy selecting, buying and placing furniture in our homes that look great and function well, TV’s are no different.  If you don’t like how it looks or don’t think it’ll fit with your décor, then you should probably keep looking.

 If you are planning on setting up the TV on a cabinet, be sure to check your cabinet dimensions with the dimensions of the TV stand.  Sometimes the two just aren’t compatible or pose a safety risk if not correctly sized. 

If you are planning on mounting the TV on a wall, there are some different considerations such as wall space, mount type, viewing angle and such that you will need to consider.  Take a look at our article Should I wall mount my TV? for more useful information about wall mounting.

With the new curved TV style, you may also want to pay particular attention to the mounting requirements and the room setup before deciding to wall mount.

I hope that this info has helped to make your TV shopping exercise a little easier and effective.

If you would like to talk to us about installing your new TV and connecting up all your devices, give us a call.

Geoff

The optimal height to mount your flat screen will vary depending on the following factors:

1. The size of the TV
   
2. The distance you will be watching the TV from
   
3. The room layout (e.g. position of lounge, bed, chairs etc)
   
4. Whether you’re likely to be sitting, standing or laying down while watching TV
   
5. Other mount considerations (placement intended above fireplace, bar area etc)
   

In our experience every case is different, the rooms, the layout and the way in which people intend to use the TV is different, so we recommend starting with the following steps to help you decide how high to mount.  It’s important to note here that most people when mounting their TV’s themselves, mount too high.  Try to be aware of this as you want to avoid neck and eye strain as well as ensuring optimal picture quality of your HD TV.

1. Sit, stand or lay down where you intend to mostly watch the TV from
   
2. Where possible place some markers (e.g. post-it notes) on the wall to outline the edges of the TV
3. Keep adjusting the height until you feel the position is comfortable for your neck and encourages optimal viewing.  You should not have to look upward or lift your neck to watch TV comfortably.
   

Here are my top tips for a common installation scenarios:

Standard Mount

For most lounge room installations where you will be sitting while watching, the centre of the TV will usually be 1 - 1.3 metres from the floor.  Standard (static or low profile) mounts will function well in this situation, as you will be looking at the TV directly at eye level.

Tilting Mount

If however, you prefer the look of a higher installation or if you’re mounting over a fireplace, you will need a tilting mount. Tilting mounts will allow you to point the TV downward so you can still view the TV easily. The average height for most tilting mount scenarios is 1.3 – 1.5 metres from the floor (sometimes more where an obstacle is involved (e.g. fireplace).

Swivel Mount

If you are likely to be watching the TV from various angles (such as lying down in bed or standing up at different points in a room such as kitchen or bar area), you should consider a swivel TV mount.  These mounts not only tilt downward but swivel left and right as well. Swivel mounts provide the greatest flexibility to adapt to the environment and the viewing activity. Like the tilting mounts, Swivel mounts are also typically mounted about 1.3 – 1.5 metres from the floor.

If you are looking for the most suitable mounting solution for your TV, give us a call and we’d be happy to provide a free assessment and quote for mounting your TV.


Geoff

There has been much debate over the benefits of wall mounting your TV vs. setting it up on a cabinet or stand.  While there are many benefits to mounting your flat screen TV (of which I’ve outlined my top 5 reasons here), there are some things to consider before you decide for sure.



TOP 5 BENEFITS of wall mounting your TV.

1.    Looks stylish and sleek
Let’s face it, flat screen TV’s are designed for mounting.  Nicely mounted in the optimal position in your lounge room (or bedroom, entertainment area, sports bar etc) with the wiring concealed creates and ultra clean and stylish look for your room.  Most mounts are slim and place your TV between 2 and 8 cm from the wall which looks very sleek. Using modern technology or smart TV functionality, you can also turn your TV into an awesome wall display with family photos or slideshows when no one is watching TV.  Very cool!

2.    Save Space
Regardless of whether you are considering wall mounting for a TV in your lounge room, bedroom or another area of the house, there is no doubt that wall mounting is a space saver.  By mounting the TV on the wall you remove the need to have bulky cabinets or furniture to support the TV.  In addition, the variety of mounts available make mounting really flexible – for example in a bedroom you can get a corner mount to have the TV in the top corner of the room and avoid using up any valuable bedroom space.  Or a swivel mount that allows for a TV to be viewed from a family room or a kitchen depending on where you want to watch from. 

3.    Safety
As we’ve already said, flat screen TV’s are designed to be mounted.  They are built with holes in the rear of the TV where bolts are fitted to attach to the mounts, which are sturdy and designed to bear a particular weight (very important to ensure you have the right mount for the size & weight of your TV).  Correctly mounted, the TV is firmly affixed to the wall and will not come loose or fall even if pulled or bumped.  Conversely a TV (particularly a larger size TV) that is sitting atop a cabinet, is not secured and risks falling or moving.  Very dangerous in a home with small kids in particular, but a risk regardless – accidents happen!

4.    Optimal viewing angle
There are 2 main considerations when deciding on the height that your TV should be mounted.  The height of the TV should be optimised to ensure that;
       1.    There is little risk of incurring neck or eye strain when watching the TV.
       2.    The viewer obtains the full advantages of high definition viewing.
With the variety of mounts available, achieving the optimal viewing angle is much easier than being forced to have your TV on a pre-built cabinet or stand at a static height.  There are many factors involved in knowing and achieving the optimal viewing height, you can refer to our article How high should I mount my TV? for further information.

5.    Cost effective
Despite how amazing a wall mounted TV looks, it’s not that expensive to achieve.  There are a variety of mount styles and suppliers out there, so you can shop around or ask your installer (AKA AV Made Easy) to provide a suitable and cost effective mount.  Price of installation may vary depending on the size of the TV and environment for mounting, but you might be surprised to find that it's not crazy expensive to do.  Comparing the cost to wall mount, to the cost of TV cabinet or built in shelving and I’m sure you’ll agree that mounting is a cost effective option.

 So, we’ve established that wall mounting a TV has benefits, but…

Should I wall mount my TV?

Some of the things that you should think about before you wall mount include;

• Do you own the home or do you need to seek approval from a landlord before drilling mount holes in the wall?
• Are you planning to move anytime soon?
• Are you likely to rearrange your lounge room furniture often?
• Is your TV mountable (Flat panels are designed for wall mounting so most new TV’s will mount to perfection)?
• Optimal TV height needs to be considered (you should not need to lift your head too much to watch your TV).  Do you have a free wall space that will allow for mounting at optimal height?
• Is there adequate wall cavity to run “concealed” cables behind the wall (should be of particular consideration if mounting above a fireplace)?
• How many devices do you intend to set up with the TV?  You will need to consider the location of devices (e.g. low rise cabinet or device cabinet with receiver set up).

If you have considered all of the above and agree that wall mounting your TV is the way to go… Give us a call to arrange a quote for your TV mount job.  Alternatively if you have decided that wall mounting is not the way to go at this time, then we’d be happy to set up your TV on a cabinet, stand, bench or other location. 

Either way happy viewing!


Geoff