It's Show  Time!
With options to fit every budget, audio-visual integration enhances your home-entertainment experience

by JD Polzin

So here you are, ready to upgrade your home with some new technology. The trouble is that you think Blu-ray is something from Star Wars, and the representative at the TV shop is drowning you in liquid crystal and plasma display information. With so many audio-visual choices out there for your home theater, what do you do?

Hiring a systems and installation consultant is gaining traction for consumers everywhere. It’s not just the daunting task of connecting all the gadgets into a working unit. It’s understanding which products will fit into your space, lifestyle, and budget.

Doug Harbert of Harbert Home Systems is an electronics whiz who turns living areas into home theaters. He’s pretty good at “fishing wires” through attics, walls, and whatever else is in the way of mounting your LCD screen. He also knows which gear will put on the best show for your space.

“I don’t have pre-packaged systems. I meet with homeowners, and tailor a system based on the space it is going in,” says Harbert.

Consultants like Harbert are up to speed on what fits best into your budget and into your home. Most importantly, using an installation company resolves the complications and service issues that many traditional vendors can frustrate you with.

Harbert recently completed a residential home-theater project for clients in Saginaw. The challenge, because the home was built in 1929, was to conceal components and wires. But for Harbert, the job was another day in the park.

“We hid some of the components up behind the crown molding, and the owner chose custom Artison speakers that mount right to the plasma screen,” says Harbert.

First, a 65-inch plasma-screen display was mounted over the large fireplace and angled down for easy viewing. Along with the mounted speakers, extra speakers were added in the rear of the room for that surround effect that makes home theaters boom. Also wired into the system is the family computer. With a wireless keyboard and mouse, the homeowners can surf the net on the big screen.

Another “must-have” Harbert recommends is an integrated remote that controls it all. With one wireless unit, you can program your house lights, sound, TV, computer, climate control, stereo, and XM radio. “You can also eliminate ‘remote shuffle,’” Harbert says. “The control makes the system!”

The graphics interface on the handheld remote makes it easy to manipulate all of your home’s entertainment devices. “You can even control the sound, lights, and climate,” says Harbert, “from anywhere in the world by using your cell phone!”

With all the choices out there, it pays to get reliable counsel and service for your entertainment needs. “It’s all about the system. The right system, the right price for the right budget,” says Harbert.   

Resources:
Harbert Home Systems, 989-239-8958,
www.harberthomesystems.com