Pre-wiring by a volumne builder???

MKR · Mar 21, 2008 3:26 pm

Hi Guys,

We are building a new house and wondering if getting the rumpus pre-wired for projector and 7.1 surround system by a volume builder is a good idea?

HDMI cabling for projector along with the cabling for 7.1 surround sound is costing us a little over $1100, do you guys think its a good idea to get it done by the builder for that price or get it done later when we pick the projector and the other equipment that needs to go in the room?

Appreciate your ideas and comments in advance.

Thanks

Rodda · Mar 22, 2008 8:55 am

Hi mate.

It's always easier (and therefore cheaper) to cable a room while the house is still at frame stage.

Will your builder allow anyone else to do the cabling at frame stage?

MKR · Mar 22, 2008 9:16 am

Thanks Rod,

I'll check with our builder if they'll allow third party access during construction, if they do, do you think its better to get it done by a vendor who is supplying us the equipment?

Cheers

Rodda · Mar 23, 2008 11:25 am

The best way to do it is to have a consultation/chat (should be free) with an experienced Home Theatre / Audio Visual installer to go over all of your options and plan a solution that will give you what you want, before construction begins.

Then you (both) will know what equipment to plan/cable for. Only after that are you going to be sure you are running all of the cables you will need for everything you want to do (it once took me and a home owner 6 hours of sheer persistence to run a HDMI cable between the levels of his newly completed 2 storey house, and he was lucky because he still had some limited access to do it... , all because neither he nor his sparky considered his video cabling requirements during construction :roll:

).

Is it best to use the vendor supplying the equipment to install the cabling? It's certainly no better to go with anyone else, as no one else would know the equipment and it's requirements as well as the people actually supplying it. For this reason alone, if something presents itself that forces a deviation from the original planning, the vendor can make decisions on the spot that still work with the equipment. Or if the customer, for some other reason, just wants to change something, again it's the vendors who know what is being/will be/will most likely be installed and can provide the best assurance that all of the cabling requirements have been met.

Sound fair and reasonable?

MKR · Mar 23, 2008 11:51 am

sounds very fair and reasonable Rod, thanks for that. I have sent a pm to Matt about this and waiting for his reply, I believe soon we could look at setting up a time to sit and have a chat.

Thanks for your help.