Understanding Subtle Electrical Fluctuations Affecting A/V Performance Barrington IL

These days, it's likely anyone shopping for electronics has at least seen a surge protector and has been told they ought to unplug their computer during a thunderstorm. But while the destructive nature of a lightning strike is commonly understood, the detrimental effects of more subtle electrical fluctuations are less well known. This makes power, as a basic system component, a tougher concept for the custom A/V integrator to introduce than the differences in quality of more visible parts of a home theater or stereo system.

For the most part, consumers understand that when they spend more on a screen or speakers, they are paying for better construction and greater precision in engineering, which is reflected in picture and sound quality. Similarly, it is easier to see, at a cursory glance, how high end wires and cables improve those expensive components. Yet at the same time, many hold the belief that simply putting those fancier parts of it) today and years from now.

A good way to start is addressing the nature of power supply. Our electrical grids, while miracles of design, are examples of engineering on a huge scale; they are full of distortion that does not affect their performance on a macro-level.

That same distortion, while appearing minor from far away, can have disastrous impact on individual systems. Utility grid switching and sources closer to home-refrigerators, copiers and elevators-constantly disrupt electrical flow as their operation requires frequent changes in power-consumption. The resulting choppiness, or "noise," is passed on to a surrounding community often unaware of the consequences. The effects are felt in the long and short term.

Power spikes and surges, in individual occurrences, over extend power capacity for only a fraction of a second but, when repeated over time, can erode wires, chips and microproces together should provide the audio/video experience they've dreamed of, even when powered by the same wall-outlet as their coffee machine.

Clarifying the effects of running electrical appliances on unfiltered power is beneficial to the custom A/V integrator for many reasons; meeting customer expectations may have the furthes treaching effects. After purchasing a home theater system, for example, the customer is simply anticipating a satisfying movie experience. While a warranty may hold a dealer or installer responsible for some aspects of product performance, they cannot be held accountable for fluctuations in the local electrical environment over time. Regardless, they can receive a customer's blame for dissatisfaction incurred when parts break down for that reason, and a bad story is more likely to be passed on when the subject arises. It is then critical to communicate how those fluctuations affect their theater system (and their experience sors beyond use.

Audio/video signals and data can also be corrupted when subjected to erratic electrical supply and in a much shorter time frame. How many war stories ha...

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