What areas do you service/work in?
A: I currently work anywhere within the Charlotte North Carolina region
Some of the towns included are, but not limited to are:
Waxhaw, Monroe, Union County, Matthews, Pineville.
Would you travel farther than Union County?
A: I would, but would have to charge a small travel fee for the extra time and gas. Normally I only travel farther for the bigger jobs.
What size flatscreen is everybody buying?
A: Most people are buying 40-42” flatscreens.
What type of flatscreen should I buy?
A:That is the priceless question, and can only be answered based upon your needs.
Should I get a plasma or LCD?
A: Most of my customers prefer LCD over plasma, but some sports lovers say that plasmas are better for watching sports. I have a 42” LG LCD 720p and sports look great on it. Awesome high def quality!!! Overall you really have to compare apples for apples with the type of flatscreen your looking at. Each one offers something different in LCD or in plasma. One of the problems with plasmas is if you leave a movie paused for too long the image can be burnt into the screen. Most newer plasmas fixed this.
Also, most plasmas have a glass screen. The more expensive ones have the anti-glare screen. Most LCD’s have the anti-glare screen and I highly recommend it for watching TV during the day. The other important item to consider is the viewing angle. Try to get one with a viewing angle closest to 180 Degrees as possible. You’ll appreciate it when your stuck on the side of the room during a family party and can still see the picture just fine.
| Plasma | LCD | |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing Angle Contrast ratio | Excellent |
Very Good |
| Black levels | Very Good |
Good to Very Good |
| Motion Handling | Very Good |
Good to Very Good |
| Screen Burn-in | Possible | Not possible at all |
| Screen life | 60,000 hrs | 60,000 hrs |
| Energy use | Uses more | Uses less |
| Weight | Heavier | Lighter |
| Natural Looking Picture | Very Good |
Slightly less natural than top plasmas |
| Reflections on screen | Some good | Excellent |
Well, you can see that in the case of Plasma Vs. LCD we have a tie, the tiebreaker is up to you!!!!
What resolution should I get?
A1: If you watch sports and the flatscreen is 50” or larger, go with 1080i or 1080p.
A2: If you’re flatscreen is smaller than 50” you’ll notice very little difference between 1080p and 720p resolutions. Except for the price of course.
A3: If you don’t feel like throwing your money away, get a flatscreen with a resolution of 720p. That is what I have and compared side by side with 1080i and 1080p it is very hard to notice any difference while watching both screens play the same image at the same time.
A4: If you plan on watching a lot of blu-ray movies or have an hd-dvd player, the most ultimate image available is in 1080p.
I vs P
What is the difference between 720i and 720p or 1080i and 1080p?
A1: Simple, price and technology…
To answer the question, it's important to understand the difference between 720p vs 1080i. A 720p signal is made up of 720 horizontal lines. Each frame is displayed in its entirety on-screen for 1/30th of a second. This is known as progressive scan or (P). The quality is like watching 30 photographic images a second on TV. A 1080i signal comprises 1080 horizontal lines but all the lines are not displayed on-screen simultaneously. Instead, they are interlaced (I), every other line is displayed for 1/60th of a second and then the alternate lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second. So, the frame rate is still 30 frames per second, but each frame is split into two fields, which your brain then puts together subconsciously. Most of the time the interlacing works fine, but for fast moving images, such as sports like football, baseball, and hockey it can cause problems that look like a digital trailing effect. Progressive scan signals don't have this problem. That is why a flatscreen with P after the resolution is better than I, such as 720p or 1080p.
What type of damage will be done to the walls?
A: 90 % of the time we can install the flatscreen, cables, and outlet with no sheetrock cutting at all!!!! If any notching or cutting is necessary, it will be extremely small and we will patch/apply the first layer of spackle for you free of charge!!!!!
What do I have to buy?
A: just buy your flatscreen and wallmount bracket
What type of wallmount bracket should I buy?
A: Most people get a standard bracket that keeps the flatscreen in 1 fixed position (straight up/down) or you can get a tilt mount that enables you to tilt the screen downwards. The tilt mounts are sometimes double or triple the price.
Why don’t you supply the brackets?
A: Due to the enormous variation of flatscreen types and sizes, it is best to purchase the bracket while purchasing the flatscreen. This guarantees the right type for your flatscreen. Also, most stores offer sales or free giveaways on brackets when purchasing a new flatscreen. Some of my customers found good tilt brackets at Bj’s or Costco. And some of them got them for free with the flatscreen purchase.
How much do the wall mount brackets cost?
A: A standard bracket for a 33” flatscreen and up goes for around $100, most tilt brackets go for $200 or more. And again, it depends where you buy it from.
How do I size up the wall mount bracket?
A: Most brackets have a range of flatscreen sizes that they will work for, ex: most wallmounts have a range of 30-40 inches or 40-50, etc. If you have a 40” flatscreen, it is best to get the 40-50 inch bracket instead of the 30-40. The larger the wallmount’s capability the sturdier your flatscreen will be.
Anything else about brackets?
A:If your buying your flatscreen from BestBuy, check your local post office for a change of address package. You can get these without standing online. They are right next to all the forms. Inside this package are coupons for Home Depot, BestBuy and a few others. The BestBuy coupon is good for 10% off any single item. It also good for flatscreens $399 & up. There is no catch, nothing to register, or to fill out. Just open the packet and take the coupon and use it by the date on the coupon. Most flatscreens sold range around $1500. You can save $150, more than enough for a wall mount bracket.
Do I have to buy any cables?
A: No, we supply a 12 foot 5 wire component audio/video cable that delivers an excellent high definition signal and great audio. It is the next cable in line right below the HDMI cable.
What if we need a longer cable to get to the flatscreen?
A: We charge an additional $2/per foot
Can you notice the difference between the component cable and the HDMI cable?
A: The difference is so minimal that it is extremely hard to see by eye.
Why don’t you supply HDMI cables?
A: HDMI cables are extremely expensive and don’t work with most receivers or surround sound systems. In order to have HDMI cables ran to the flatscreen you would need all HDMI ready components and receivers. These components are ridiculously expensive themselves. Most receivers work only with the 5 wire component video/audio cable. This is the most common and used one. I have this setup in my house.
Could you supply HDMI cables?
A: Yes, but they are not recommended. Again I am trying to save everyone money and that is money that doesn’t need to be spent. It can be the difference of hundreds of dollars for barely visible difference at all.
Would it be hard to switch the wires if I wanted to change to HDMI one day?
A: Not at all, we can use the existing wires to pull the new HDMI cable through to takes its place.
Do you supply programmable remote controls?
A: We can supply them, but they are expensive, and expensive to program. They are convenient, but again on average cost $300 or more for the remote plus the programming. They have to be connected to a computer and programmed to each device it will be used for.
Is there a cheaper solution?
A: Yes!!! All you need is an automatic component switcher. When you install a DVD in your player, the switcher automatically changes the video and audio over to the DVD player. When your done it automatically goes back to the TV mode. You can connect up to 4 components to this switcher. On average they go for $45, and yes we can supply them if requested. This also eliminates the need for a receiver. Which cost several hundred dollars itself.
How do I plug in my video camera, digital camera, or video game system, or iPod to the flatscreen? It’s impossible to get to the inputs on the back.
A: Easy, just let me install the component switcher for you and you can plug anything you want into it and it will automatically switch your flatscreen and surround sound over to the device you want to use when you power it on. There is no need for trying to get back there especially if you don’t have a tilt bracket, this makes it really difficult to even try.
What type of packages do you offer for surround sound?
A: Due to the amount of variables with surround sound systems, it is best to have an in-home estimate. On average we charge $79/hr for labor with a range of 1-6 hours depending on your system.
Also, I can save you more money if you supply the system and speakers. This saves me time and that saves you money..
What type of MOVIE THEATER lighting can you install?
A: Well, from having experience to wiring real movie theaters in multi-million dollars mansions I can basically do whatever you can afford.
A1: Most people like to get recessed lights in the ceiling or wall sconce lights, either selection works great on a dimmer of course.
A2: What I prefer to do for people is recessed lights with two switches. One switch shuts off lights closest to the flatscreen and the other would control the lights by the couch so you can keep them on at a dim level to be able to see your food or popcorn. My price for 4 recessed lights and 2 dimmers installed can range from $350-$450 depending on whether there is an attic above the room or not. If there is an attic above, it makes my job easier and gives you a cheaper price with no damage at all!!! Recessed lighting averages about $100-$150 per light and $25-$50 for each dimmer installed. I guarantee your price will be less than the average. If you don’t have an attic above, but do have a crawl space below I can install wall sconce lights with no damage at all!!!
What does your 20% lower guarantee include?
A: I guarantee that my total price for the mounting, cables ran in the wall, and electrical outlet, and free patching or spackling if needed, and 3 year guarantee/warranty on the installation will be at least 20% lower than any major companies advertisement that offers all the same items that I do. Just print it out and let us know where you found it because I haven’t found one yet….
Who built your website?
A: My buddy Harry Candelario, the Mac Doctor from New York, who used to work in the five boroughs, he now lives in Charlotte, NC. He is a former Marvel Comics artist and now offers a variety of complicated computer services involving Mac computers, website design, drawings and graphics for advertising. The man knows a Mac like the back of his hand. He’s constantly studying different forms of business, advertising, design and anything Macintosh. He's helped many small companies increase profits by building a site for them or just tweaking their existing website. He also works as a "temp" IT guy (Mac of course) for companies that can't afford to employ a full time IT person.
He is a pleasure to work with and also offers over the phone advice on Mac computers for a very reasonable fee. His attention to detail is astonishing as well as his work ethic. He can be reached at harrycss.com@gmail.com or (704) 243-5893.
Are you single?
A: Nope, just got a ball and chain on March 8th