Home cinema, audio set-up HELP!!

[tuckerkop81]

Hi guys
Im currently finishing my level 3 electrical installation 17th edition, ill be finished in 3 months. However, id like to go down the route of home cinema, gamestations and audio setup and installation. What would the best courses be for me to take as a beginner and is this trade in electrics reasonably rewarding?

Thanks

 

[robsparky1975]

I dont know of any for this lot,i have experience on the job for an AV firm years ago,its specialised,but nothing that you cant make your own installation guides on everything by googling,diagrams,etc.most home cinema is plug and play and cheap compared to when i was installing projectors onto 6ft screens 10 years ago,market place has dropped for firms like that,specialised,need to find the mtv cribs clients.although it is an extra service you can offer when doing rewires etc.

 

[grantr37]

Not many courses as such, but it can be very interesting to do.....I did Electronics at College then Uni then I did another course called computer technology with Diagnostics at College....
To do the home entertainment/games installation, servicing and repair, I would recommend doing the Mechatronics course at college (1 year full time, 2 years nightclass) this will give you all you need to pick up the rest by yourself and covers microelectronics(graphics/D-A etc) interface systems, controllers (fan and motor), some introductory programming (PLC'S and interface chips) and a project, as well as some circuit design work....this will get you used to thinking about the inner workings of games consoles, projectors and Audio amplifiers/ Digital to Analogue converters etc...



you have to be willing to sit in front of a computer for upwards of 8 hours at a time interpreting software code and writing small applications/firmware and you also need to be willing to learn the RS Catalogue/Maplin catalogue cover to cover.....a good place to start out is at a music/instruments shop doing set-ups and repair...

 

[bugsy]

Go on a few home automation courses ( lutron, rako,crestron,) try getting in with a cedia member doing the electrical and data installs, progress from there

 

[karlhill]

Hi Tucker - look into electronic servicing parts 2 & 3 that will enable to fault find at component level also look into something called BTEC National Diploma in entertainment technology this is sound and light for theatre and tv which I did at college and will get you clued up on sound systems for theatres and studios.

Also you need to swat up on optical cables as most audio buffs will insist on you using these as they are far better than rca/phono connections and nearly all pro audio stuff only allows optical connections.

Working as a DJ and in an audio shop I've had many a conversation about optical leads and sub woofers all of which have made me think why???

 

[Scratch Music]

AV is a really fast growing business with screens and speakers everywhere you go. Yet there is no worthwhile course that I know of to enable people to get a basic training. I have been in the business 30 years, learned by doing it, am still learning. The only courses are from manufacturers like QED but they are product specific and really need a basic appreciation first. Peavey Electronics do a great audio course for their dealers developed by Eric Lund their current UK MD. I learned loads of basic stuff from that - like how equalization works and what it can do to speaker impedances. Without the basics you can make some horrific errors. any questions just ask and i'll try and give my non qualified assistance

 

[lee foster]

Hi , Try contacting www.cedia.co.uk they are the niceic of the AV world , they hold various training courses at their place in Cambridgeshire as well as training when they carry out exhibitions, most companies carrying out this type of work are members of Cedia.

 

[honeymonster]

Not sure if you have a home cinema system at home, but if not just get yourself the main components (Bluray player, AV receiver, Sky box and 5.1 home cinema speaker package) together with a Logictech Harmony remote, and play around with it, connecting it up, seeing how all of the items interact, getting the best performance from the system using the built in on screen menus, which you can tweak for the best audio and video performance. Automation is a key skill so getting to grips with rs232 Control, IP addressing, and integration of cinema systems with security, telecomms and lighting. I have done this recently, I got myself an Onkyo TX-NR616 network receiver as I wanted to teach myself about music streaming from the internet in addition to HDMI and HD video/ audio. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.