Custom Installation How-To

VIZIO, well known for high value, low-cost LCD and plasma TVs, is now at the forefront of the latest TV technologies with the integration of a 240Hz Refresh Rate and Scanning Backlight in their 42-inch SV421XVT and 47-inch SV471XVT LCD flat panel TVs. Coupled with a Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio of 50,000:1 these TVs provide a contrast ratio that rivals the performance of plasma displays. The 240Hz refresh rate virtually eliminates motion blur from fast-action movie sequences and video games.

Like Santa descending a chimney every year with an ever-larger bag of goodies, DVD players have been coming down in price while their bundles of features have expanded.

Who says you can't get quality work completed in less than a week? Talk to David Frangioni, CEO of Audio One Sound & Video in North Miami Beach and he'll tell you anything is possible. He knows because he's installed a world-class home theater with high performance AV in only three days.

When constructing a home theater, the first thing I recommend is cooperation from your spouse. She had (and still does) complete veto power over every single decision that went into the development of this theater. I first had to convince her to turn a spare bedroom in our brand new townhouse into a dedicated home theater. However, what probably took more persuasion was convincing her of the importance to paint the room an unusually dark color such as charcoal grey with black trim. Or painting the connecting hallway Hollywood red, or the third bathroom metallic gold. Of course, the idea of having "exit" signs all about and life size busts of pretty ugly Hollywood characters took some hard selling, too.

This was a retrofit project where the homeowner's existing 300 sq.ft. theater was upgraded with all new equipment, which included a six-zone distributed audio system for entertaining. The theater went from a 5.1 to a 7.2 audio system and outfitted with a top-of-the-line JVC DLA-RS35U projector outputting 1080P resolution at 120Hz. The original 92” screen was replaced with a 115” Stewart Luxus Deluxe Screenwall, creating a far more immersive environment. A single RTI T4 remote controls everything.