10 Smart Consumer Electronics Tips for the Home Environment

1. Wire for everything now – if you are building or remodeling your home,
   wire it with a plan for future needs. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA Professionals make it their business to stay current to offer good advice about technologies that are on the horizon. Best of all they can help you sort out the hype from the reality.
   
   
2. Plan for HDTV now – High Definition TV is the new digital standard for
   enhanced picture quality for TV broadcasting. If you’re buying a new TV or video projector, make sure you’ll be able to enjoy the incredible sound and pictures that are part of HDTV.
   
   
3. Insist on integrated systems – As you buy new electronic components,
   make sure you shop for equipment that can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system.
   
   
4. Don’t buy yesterday’s products (often what is in stock) – Many stores
   purchase large orders of all equipment and sell it at discounted rates. Shop with a dealer than only provides you with new equipment and technologies.
   
   
5. Consider integrating lighting control with your home electronics system –
   Lighting sets the mood for home theater, entertaining, or just a quiet night at home. You can control your home lighting from the same remote that you use to control your theater or music system.
   
   
6. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head. Quality and long-term
   dependability are the most effective attributes that you can build into a home.
   
   
7. Buy an experience, not a box – Find a dealer that allows you to test drive
   the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It’s smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value.
   
   
8. Don’t think you have to put up with hard to use, multiple remote controls –
   Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you.
   
   
9. Consult a professional – Designing and installing reliable, easy to use
   systems that add real quality to your lifestyle is the goal of CEDIA professionals. Check to see if the company you’re considering has CEDIA Certified Professional Designers and Installers on staff.
   
   
10. Increase your service expectations – Your home electronics system is a
    big investment. Automated Solutions professionals will provide you with extensive options, comprehensive designs, complete installation and especially, in-home service for your systems.

Reprinted from CEDIA Top 10 Tips literature.