Hi everyone. I have been active in custom audio and video for the past 10 years. I started Advanced Home Entertainment in January 2007 as a part time business. Prior to that I practiced law for four years. As of three weeks ago I was able to make the switch from law to running the business full time. So far I have been keeping busy with my current clients and networking in an effort to grow the business. This site has been a great wealth of knowledge and I look forward to contributing to it.

Thanks,

Michael Christon
Advanced Home Entertainment, Inc.

That is not a safe place to be a Democrat. We are in a very conservative part of LA county so it is interesting. I am not a fan of either party...

Greetings,
I’ve been lurking here for a couple of years and watching the banter with interest. The exchange of info here is great. Some of the attacks are uncalled for and petty but most are kept in line. I’m usually just too busy with the business to read or reply but I think we have a great resource here.

I started by unloading a truck of Pioneer, Avid, Teac, Advent into a new store that opened which was owned by my neighbors who had been selling out of their house in the fair-trade days to help put them through grad school. That was in ’74 and within two years I was working there vacuuming the carpets, unloading trucks, mounting cartridges and delivering stereo’s, usually to dorm rooms. Some of those “deliveries” were really great for a high-school boy with raging hormones!

I used my babysitting money to buy a H-K 330B, Pioneer PL-10D and pair of AVID 102a’s (CU’s pick of the litter then). I’d also been studying music for years and was classically trained and playing guitar, clarinet, advanced recorder, tympani, trap set in both jazz and rock. I was also getting a lot of exposure to all kinds of music ranging from Chamber Music at Duke, (once with a full Euro quartet on all Stradivarius instruments, still the most amazing thing I ever heard with my ears in my life), all the way though full orchestra, jazz and a big Zep, Who, Dylan fan (saw them all in the ‘70’s).

As I started College at UNC I began selling on straight commission to pay my way through school (yeah, you could actually do that back then). I’d do classes in the morning, work all afternoon and then blow out at 6pm to go to Marching Tarheel band or Orchestra or Pep Band practice where I served as percussion section leader for 3 of my 4 years. Yeah, then most nights I’d end up at the local disco that I installed the sound system for (so got in for free) and drank and danced till way too late. Man, those Crown amps and GLI disco speakers were bulletproof!

Graduated and went to manage the new and biggest Stereo Sound store in Raleigh, NC, then transferred to attempt to manage the floundering Greensboro location before taking a job with Bosch Corp in their Blaupunkt division. (Stereo Sound became NOW! A/V and then was purchased by Tweeter after I left. Car was hot, the line was the best they ever had and retail was changing. I converted a four distributor, one direct dealer territory into a 24 direct dealer, one distributor (for car dealers) territory and doubled then doubled sales again. My brother and I then hung out our own Rep shingle and carried such lines as Nakamichi, Sennheiser, Celestion and we helped launch MB Quart in the US among another dozen lines or so. We decided to go our own ways so we handed off the lines to other reps and split closing the company.

I then joined Sony in their new DC office hired on as a Key Account Sales Rep. While my focus was HiFi, ES and Car, I also was responsible for all product lines for my big customer Crutchfield back in their middle/early days with Sony. I had huge growth in sales and eventually brought in other key reps to help with the workload. Later in my Sony career which lasted almost fifteen years I managed seven reps in the Mid-Atlantic responsible for calling on the growing Circuit, Best Buy, Sears, Wards, Tweeter chains.

I was constantly looking for the “next big thing” and joined A.I. in an equity position as VP of Sales and thought it was the opportunity I had been searching for. Four of us were hired to lend our considerable credibility and to change the company from a mom and pop to a legit powerhouse in the industry. Within 2-3 years, the new team had collectively succeeded in dramatically increasing sales and introducing the new concept of a dealer install-able theater interior product to appeal to a much broader market. The concept was embraced by really smart dealers, some of whom post here regularly and have great success selling theater interiors at all levels by showing the concept to virtually everyone, realizing that people really want it, they just don’t know they can actually afford it and can have it.

The four of us have since all had to leave A.I., but I really believed that if someone did the streamlined, turn-key, theater interior as a system for easier selling, easier installation and quicker turns with much superior quality, engineering and manufacturing, then we could really create a high-volume, quick delivery business for smart custom install dealers. Any successful business must be based on a win-win business model with trust and honesty in all aspects of the business.

@Home Theater Rooms, Inc. was born and two years of intense investment was made in research and development. The concept was born from the installer’s point of view first to make installation as easy and flexible as possible, to make it easy to present and sell and to stick with the 80/20 rule, that 80% of people really want architectural millwork theaters with framed acoustic panels, miter corner columns and upscale soffit system that can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the rest of the “system”. We will NEVER become another “custom” theater manufacturer and we focus on a product line that represents the least confusing and most desirable aspects that the majority of clients are seeking.

In the last few years we have delivered a variety of theater interiors, all with successful installations and very pleased dealers and clients. For the new Lutron Experience at their HQ in PA we partnered with EDG to build a killer, small, 12 x 18 six-seat Theater which is used for every dealer training and client presentation. We have smart dealers with client installations and in-store demo theaters with ClassicA Panels alone, or with Columns and Panels or complete @HomEscape Theater Interiors combined with our modular Tray-Ceiling Soffit System. These dealers are making the effort to PRESENT this concept to all of their qualified clients and building a great additional layer to their already successful businesses.

I’ve taken a wealth of CE industry experience from virtually every viewpoint possible, (big, small, and multi-national company with retail, wholesale, key, regional, big box, account sales, along with independent and factory representative for home, car, audio, video electronics and custom, customizable theater interiors and theater seating) and have put my entire effort and resources into this entrepreneurial endeavor and it is my hope that I can offer a real support business model to the custom install class of trade that I believe is the rock and the foundation for the future of real home A/V solutions to end-users. Our success to date indicates that we have hit a real homerun and the universal reaction to our installations is how pictures just don’t do it justice. Again, thank you for a great installer forum and everyone keep up the good posts and sharing of positive information. Feel free to call for feedback or advice 410-884-9154 or check us out at www.athometheaterrooms.com

Hello All.

I've been doing CI work for nearly 5 years. I'll admit that getting into the business wasn't a grand life scheme, it was more happenstance. I put a HTIB (poor college student) in my apartment right after I got married, and realized that DVD was cool, and that surround sound was really cool (neighbors didn't share that opinion :D). After being laid off from a photo lab, my wife sent in my resume to a small AV company on a whim. Having some lighting and FOH sound experience came in handy for once and they hired me to pull wire. Apparently hard work and attention to detail occasionally pays off, because they started having me do some basic equipment as a junior tech. The equipment stuff came very easily to me, and I progressed very quickly to small project management on prewire and trim, as well as installing basic systems in medium sized homes. I then started programming Marantz/Pronto remotes for the company, and got to wire a few racks (one of my favorite aspects of the job)and broadened the equipment/skillset in my arsenal. Unfortunately that company went under to to tremendously poor ownership/financial oversight. Luckily I had two VERY good lead techs that taught me some extremely important aspects to being successful.

I live in Salt Lake City, and do most of my work in Park City (pulling wire in -15 degree temps is futile, I promise). I work for a small AV company that has secured some very big jobs that has allowed me tremendous opportunity to learn and expand my skills, not to mention challenge me on a near daily basis to make the customer happy, meet the deadlines, and do it under budget. I do every aspect of install (prewire, trim, equipment install), as well as security, CCTV, Theater, audio video distribution, automation (Control 4, but soon AMX) and programming (RTI, C4, Universal, Pronto, Marantz, Harmony, Speakercraft, Nuvo, and some others I'm forgetting).

There's days that I wonder why I do what I do, but there's far more days that are extremely rewarding. The thrill on a customers face when you fire up a Blu-Ray on a 133" screen with the room rocking and shaking is rewarding. Even more rewarding is having customers DEMAND that I'm the only tech allowed to work on their system, and they ask ME what my opinion is on future upgrades, or current concerns.

that got my attention!

I used to have a '70 Cuda, my best friend had a '70 Challenger TA

damn, i miss the early 80's... LOL

Hi everyone

Just thought I might introduce myself. I am the technical support manager for a small company here in Australia. After a short stint in the broadcast industry I decided I was more into consumer a/v than high end stuff.

Been a rough few months getting adjusted to the change of pace. In the consumer world its almost like you are trying to trick all your equipment to work. Where I came from you had to trick the users into doing what the equipment wanted, which was much easier!

I guess I will finally Introduce myself. My Name is Mike, and I have been in the business for at total of 14 years. The Early part was spent doing consumer electronic repair (It was much easier and less stressful). I work for a CI business in Cincinnati. We sell mid-fi components our main focus is retrofit. The following main brands we use are Denon (Maybe not anymore), URC, Lutron, Sony, LG, Velodyne and Boston.

...And best writer / contributor in the industry!

Well, My name is Ron and I have been in the CI field for 15 yrs now. I am a transplant from S. Calif and now reside in NC. I have been in NC for 27 yrs and love it here. And I can't complain about my job either. I get to see some beautiful homes, meet some nice people and get to play with some cool toys.I started in this industry in the early 90's and have not looked back. I worked for a company here in NC that was purchased by Tweeter in 2000, stayed on until around 2004 and now work for a great company and am loving every minute. As we all know this industry has really grown and will continue to grow,( more cool toys) and with it ever changing it keeps you on your toes trying to keep up with the changes. I am looking forward to getting to know some of you and maybe, just maybe we can learn from eachother. Oh and don't hold it against me but I am also a dihard Dallas Cowboy fan not that matters.

Hey, I'm just up the road (live in Mint Hill and work in Matthews). Welcome!

CJ

Hi I'm trustworthy!

That's as may be but my name is actually Phil, and I'm neither a scientist nor an audiophile, but I do love playing with electronic toys!

I have been in the industry for just over eleven years now, starting in the lowly world of small PA systems in high street shops, through to High-End whole-house systems and even a football (for our US friends, soccer. For my Aussie friends, soccer. As football could mean; football, rugby union, rugby league, Aussie rules, hockey, cricket....) stadium.

I worked at a small company in England, then called Music Systems, for five years before deciding to cash in my chips and go travelling, whereupon we came to Australia for a working holiday. I joined a HiFi retail outlet called Stereo Supplies and was on the verge of being sponsored when my wife decided that very day to become pregnant :-). We agonisingly moved back to England, where I worked for CEDIA-award-winning installers Smartcomm for five years until we all moved back here to Brisbane, where I now work for a CEDIA member Custom Install company, along with HiFiRobbie, in fact. I have dabbled and played with many control systems, including of course Pronto (Certified Level 3), and also NevoSL, Extron IPLink, Systemline, Living Control, and my favouritest toys of all, AMX (Designer, Installer, Programmer II - not ACE yet)


I've been hanging around RC.com for a few years but keep pretty quiet, but frequently use the forums and file searches for help and, of course, find it a fantastic resource, all thanks to DT.

I am a 7 year Installer with CEDIA 1 certification. My projects have won 5 awards one of which was the EH Best $25,000 to $50,000 Theater of the Year in 2006. I am now involved in Nuvo tech support and design. I will do my best to check in and help with any issues you guys may have. I have been out in the trenches amoungst the fire and feel your pain....thats why I'm here. I hope I can be of service and get you home earlier with more money in your pocket.

I can't promise I will be on here all the time due to I will be doing the Nuvo thing via phone and email. We are now extending our tech hours to 9:00 Eastern time and hope this will help alot of you guys out there at the end of a hectic day.

I was the only emplyee for several years of a company that did ALOT of installs and I had to do every last phase, design/wire pull/trim out/install/trouble shoot/programming/training/Customer Service/Marketing/Website.....you get my drift. I want to hear what makes your day better and worse and I will bring these things to the table. I was brought here for you guys....the field warrior's. I'm a straight up guy with a Rocking background (literaly I had a few record deals in some Metal bands as a singer songwriter as well).

Basically friends I am here to make your day easier....as best I can.

Having found the light (or remote as the case may be) three years back, I part own a CI business based in Auckland, New Zealand. Our focus is on the residential market although we don't yet do lighting.

For my sins, I look after the design, data and remote programming side of the business. Have recently spent time getting a Pronto TSU9600 to display metadata from a Russound iPod dock attached to a CAV.

Go the All Blacks.

But
refused to help some needed for help

Hi My name is MICHEL
and I have been doing electronics since 1984 professionally
repairing TV-VCR-CAM-MONITOR-CASSETT-most of electronics cards.
I've loved Automation since I was a kid .
I did IBUS system with ABB.
I did BMS with honeywell.
I helped to build 3 AMX system a hardware racke
but i didnot fined any to help me with the sofware.
My wish to fined some one help my to do self study
how to install AMX software.
Thank you