Home Theater And Home Automation - Atlanta GA

Home Theater And Home Automation Atlanta GA "4 Things You Need To Know Before Hanging A TV Over A Fireplace"

Installing Georgia Plasma and LCD TV's throughout Atlanta, Jefferson, Braselton, Statham, Hoschton, Chestnut Mountain, Bethlehem, Dacula, Winder, Auburn, Cumming, Flowery Branch, Buford, Sugar Hill, Roswell, Lawrenceville, Norcross, Duluth, Suwanee, Dunwoody and Gainesville Ga

So you've saved up your money and now going to buy a flat screen TV. Perhaps you have settled on a 42" HD Sony Bravia LCD, or a Panasonic, Pioneer or Samsung Plasma TV.

Here are a few things that you need to know, and more importantly budget for if you are not a very handy person.

Where are you going to install your Flat Screen?

Will you put it on a TV stand? Then it is a very simple installation.

But what if you plan on hanging your TV over the fireplace. For that matter, I've seen people even hang their plasma TV on the vault of their master bedroom ceiling, so they can watch TV in bed. If you haven't purchased your TV because you do not know whether to get a Plasma or LCD then you need to read our artticle on that topic. If you are in Atlanta, give me a ring and I may be able to save you a few hundred dollars over Best Buy Pricing.

Now my friend you are getting into a little trickier installation. It is not as simple as plug it in and play.

1) Do you have an electrical outlet over your fireplace to plug your TV into?

An electrician can install that for you. You should budget approximately $200 to have a licensed electrician to add a receptacle for you. (If you are in Atlanta and don't have an electrician you trust, then give me a ring. I might be able to help suggest someone.)

2) Do you have a TV outlet over your fireplace already?

Before you say yes, and think you are out of the woods&mdash,there is something that you need to know.

Imagine if you will your existing TV set up. Perhaps it is on a TV stand or sitting in an armoire. Can you see all of those wires that connect back and forth between your TV and your satellite box, DVD player and receiver?

Here&rsquo,s the question nobody ever thinks about&hellip,

If you hang your TV over the fireplace with a standard cable TV jack installed there&mdash,

What about all of those wires that we just talked about? How do you plan on connecting all of those wires that connect to the rest of your electronic equipment?

I told you that no one thinks about this.

Unfortunately, with a single cable TV jack over the fireplace&hellip,your ONLY option is to stack your:

·, Satellite receiver

·, Cable TV box

·, Surround sound receiver

·, DVD player

All on top of your beautiful fireplace!

Can you imagine moving into a beautiful new house and seeing all of that equipment balancing precariously on top of the mantel next to your $2,000 LCD?

So what can we do about it?

We know what the problem is already. We need to be able to send an HD video picture, plus sound from your equipment to your new television.

So you have basically (2) options:

A) We need to run something called plasma feeds (don&rsquo,t be alarmed&hellip,they are used for both plasma as well as LCD TV&rsquo,s.) These are a big bundle of cables that will deliver component level video to your TV. What does that mean in English? It means that you will get up to a 1080i HD picture on your television with your equipment installed in a remote location.

What should you budget for this? Well depending on how far the plasma feeds need to be run, you can expect to pay between $295-$395. (This does not include drywall repair.)

B) Do you have a 1080p television? Then HDMI cables are the way to go. You should budget from $395- $595 for HDMI cables, depending on how long they are.

3) Do you have a rack mount to hang this TV onto the wall with?

Remember you always get what you pay for, so do not settle for the cheapest rack there is out there. If you are like most folks, a new flat screen TV is quite an investment. You wouldn&rsquo,t want to jeopardize your new TV with a cheap flat panel mount.

Here&rsquo,s another thing to think about. The cheaper racks may not work with your new television. What you want is a universal mount.

I often find that the cheaper mounts take a lot longer to install the TV with. So any money saved on a cheap rack is usually spent on extra labor to install it.

I would budget $ 225.00 for a flat tilt mount and $350.00 for a heavy duty articulating arm mount. (This is the kind that allows you to pull your TV away from the wall to see it at any angle. Remember do not use this kind if you are drilling into stack stone or rock fireplaces.)

4) Who is going to hang this TV for you?

If you are not a handy person then there are a few things to think about.

• Is there enough wood blocking behind the wall to support a 100 lb TV from falling off of the wall?

• Is there a stack stone fireplace? What will you use to drill thru solid rock?

• Am I confident that my TV will never come crashing down?

I would budget about $395.00 to hang a 42&rdquo, or larger TV on drywall.

I would budget about $495.00 to mount it on stack stone.

This price gets you an installation that is guaranteed for 1 year by a licensed installer that will protect you with full insurance coverage.

I know you are probably thinking that sounds like a lot of money.

The reason I said this is that I did all the work for you already. That is what all of the big box electronic stores like Best Buys are charging.

In case you are thinking about getting a cheaper deal&hellip,

Beware of shopping your installation fee simply by price.

Here are a few questions to ask when interviewing a plasma installer:

• Are you licensed low voltage contractor?

• Do you have general liability insurance in case you damage my new TV during installation?

• Do you have workmen&rsquo,s comp insurance?

• How long have you been in business?

• Will they be around 6 months from now if the TV falls off of the wall?

• What written guarantee will they give you?

Are you the kind that is adventurous and is ready to tackle installing your plasma on your own?

I take my hat off to you.

I have had several clients that have made this choice to go it alone. I always follow up with them afterward to see how I may be of assistance.

The funny thing is that they ALWAYS say:

&ldquo,If I knew what a pain in the neck this was just to save a few bucks&hellip,

I would have had you do it from the beginning&rdquo,.

We&rsquo,ve also had our share of wives call and ask us to take down the crooked TV their well intentioned husband installed and re-hang it nice and level!

Either way, I am available by phone to help.

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