Another consideration is space. If you want to use a VisionArt system flush-mounted in the wall, for example, you may want to make the wall artificially deeper. “A product like VisionArt has a back box with a frame and roller attached to it,” Leidig says, “and then the TV is about 5½ inches deep” on top of that, “so we like to create a false space that's 8 inches deep.”
For ventilation, Ambiance Systems uses kits that exhaust the air to the basement or the attic. “The death of most equipment isn't keeping it on all the time, but rather the on/off cycles of going from really warm to room temperature,” Leidig says. “The expansion and contraction of components is what leads to premature [system failure].”
Hiding signal-source devices is also a concern. Nowadays, a TV typically requires an external box for programming whether the content source is HD cable, satellite, or even Internet TV. “You also have to figure out where the equipment will go,” Leidig says. Clients typically want a clean look, he adds, so where possible, he centralizes all equipment on a rack in the basement.
In one recent project—a New England weekend home—Leidig built a custom cabinet that rises out of the floor hoisting a 50-inch plasma TV. The cabinet was built to look like furniture but is actually a façade with cutouts for speakers beneath the display. When the TV is turned off, the entire mechanism retreats to its hiding place beneath the floor. “It simply goes away,” he explains. “There's something inherently cool about that.”
Rebecca Day specializes in writing about home electronics. She can be reached at customhomerd@aol.com. A version of this article originally appeared in residential architect's sister publication CUSTOM HOME.
