Entertain Everyone with a Smart Home AV System without Breaking the Bank

    FREMONT, CA, February 16, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Wouldn't it be nice after a long day at work to just fall into place and your favorite show is already on, and then pause the show from the living room, then starting it at the exact spot from the comfort of your bedroom. Or having a celebration where the music moves with you, playing whether or not guests are in the kitchen, the lounge or on the terrace. This class of whole-house AV system distributes sources -- like satellite TV, set-top box, a Blu-ray player and even a game console -- to entirely different environments or zones, throughout the house. Sources are centralized in one location, supplying you with the convenience and joy of your music, shows, movies, video games and media in any room. Do you know that you can do all of this without spending a fortune?

The Most Affordable AV Switchers for a Home Theater System

The first step to setting up a smart entertainment center is to arrange for a whole-house system. You'll presumably want the assistance of a professional AV integrator. Secondly, we recommend finding the placement for the AV zones and the central location to place all devices. This area ought to be in a place with climate management to keep the devices from overheating. A cooling system or a fan can cost from $75 up to $250.

After you select the sources you want to go into this centralized rack or cabinet, it's time to wire. It's fine if you haven't established the equipment, the wiring is affordable enough to put in during construction or remodeling to avoid the trouble of retrofitting it later. We advocate a minimum of CAT5E wire for distances up to 320 feet from the central rack/cabinet, beyond that, fiber-optic cable is a must. HDBaseT , the most recent CAT standard, bundles video, audio connections, control, LAN and power into one cable for even simpler installation.

Once the wiring is complete, we suggest integrating a matrix switcher. We recommend the Atlona AT-UHD-PRO3-66M, or AT-UHD-PRO3-44M matrix switchers, the perfect solution for a smart entertainment system or home theater. These units range from $2500 to $5000 depending on how many inputs and outputs you are looking for. There are many matrix switchers available in the market, but you won't find an affordable brand that will offer a 10-year warranty like Atlona. From a central rack location, these innovative units can accommodate up to six or four sources via HDMI inputs. Now, homeowners can connect cable boxes, Blu-ray, X-Box/PS4 console and even a network router to manage their AV system. An IR remote control, a Graphical User Interface online or even a smartphone/tablet that's integrated with a 3rd party control system can now control all devices. We'll talk more about control systems in a little bit.

From this remote location, we can distribute the signal via the six HDBaseT category cable outputs from the AT-UHD-PRO3-66M or four from the AT-UHD-PRO3-44M to maintain the delivery of video, audio, Ethernet, power, and control. On each display is a compatible receiver for the Atlona matrix switcher, the AT-UHD-EX-70C-RX to convert HDBaseT to HDMI from the long extension up to 230 feet. For longer extension up to 320 feet, the compatible receiver is the AT-UHD-EX-100CE-RX. Now, each room will be able to choose any of the connected sources to display in any room.

With these technologies, homeowners can now distribute pristine high-definition video throughout their home with ease using touch control. You may also need a multi-format switch that can accept the various source signals such as DVI, VGA, composite, and component and convert them to a format that can be sent over this wiring if you own such devices.

For audio, you'll want to run in-wall rated speaker wire of the proper gauge to speaker locations. In-wall and in-ceiling speakers from manufacturers like Kramer, Soundtube ($100-$400/pair) are a favored preference for whole-home AV as a result of their subtle design and do not have to be plugged into electrical outlets.

While there are some innovative wireless systems on the market, they may not be the proper answer for people who need top-notch sound quality. With wireless, there's still a chance of lost connections, bandwidth limitations, and interference issues. Wired audio provides a robust signal path and protection from outside influence. For those with a sensitive ear, a wired speaker system will offer the most effective outcome.

Finally, you'll have a remote control system which will communicate through walls with centralized equipment. We highly recommend Kramer's K-Touch or Key Digital's Compass Control for their easy-to-use control systems that are reasonable and apps that transform your smartphone or tablet into a controller. The control interface is one of the most vital factors. If the user interface isn't intuitive and functional, it doesn't matter how well the remainder of the parts work.

Our BZB Express Team understands that we all have a budget in mind. The products above are recommendations only. Every client we work with has a unique situation which we handle case by case. The relationships we've forged with our partner manufacturers & distributors allow us to provide affordable solutions. If you're serious about building a smart entertainment system or just want to inquire about specific parts for an application, we'd love to hear from you.

BZB Express is an established AV supplier located in the heart of the Silicon Valley servicing customers nationwide as well as internationally since 2005. Exclusive relationships with highly regarded manufacturers allow BZB Express to provide the most affordable pricing to dealers, resellers, commercial integrators and end-users. BZB Express' main headquarters consists of a large capacity warehouse, design, local integration and sales team located in Fremont, CA, United States.

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