CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home. The association was founded in September, 1989 and has more than 3,000 member companies worldwide. Its members are proven experts held to the highest standards of certification and professional development. CEDIA members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this very specialized field.

 

<<< RETURN TO TOP

ESC stands for Electronic Systems Contractor and is the official designation that CEDIA and several other industry trade associations have agreed upon as the accepted term that refers to a contractor who specializes in this special field.

 

<<< RETURN TO TOP

A home electronics system could quite possibly be one of the larger investments in your dream home and so you shouldn’t trust it to just any wire puller. A CEDIA certified member has met vigorous industry standards and has been formally educated and specially trained. They are also required to complete continuing education units on an annual basis to ensure that they continue to stay abreast of the latest trends emerging in both technology and design. In addition, as a CEDIA member, their company has agreed to the CEDIA Code of Ethics, perhaps the most highly regarded standard in the Electronic Lifestyles® industry.

After all, you wouldn’t trust your personal investments to an amateur so why would you use anyone that is not a CEDIA certified designer or installer?

<<< RETURN TO TOP

The meaning of this term can vary depending upon who is using it. Other related terms include home automation, home networking, residential electronic systems and smart homes. When CEDIA members talk about integration, they are referring to the ability to integrate television/home theater, lighting control, multi-room audio, HVAC, security, and other systems through a centrally controlled network. These systems are custom designed to allow the homeowner the convenient, time-saving, and cost saving benefits of controlling electronics through a central control, or even remotely. Many think of home networking as simply connecting PC’s. While this is a growing segment, it’s only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can be connected in a home. CEDIA members are on the cutting edge of connecting electronic systems for consumers. And more consumers are demanding the benefits of connectivity – in convenience, safety, and lifestyle enhancement.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

Not really. The time it takes for the whole process depends on the complexity of your system and whether you have an existing home or are building a new home. It can take as little as a week or as long as a year. Here's how the process goes.
The initial meeting in our design center takes an hour or two. Next, we like to visit your home for a walk-through to understand how best to integrate your system into your decor and room layout. Depending on the sophistication of the system, we'll spend a day or two more on the basic system design. Then we'll meet with you to show you our design, the system functionality, and the cost. Following that, you'll probably take a few days to decide on changes and additions. So within a week to ten days, you’ll have decided on the overall system so that wiring can begin. Wiring for most of our systems takes between 1 and 3 days. After that we install equipment and perform on site programming and calibration. This phase also lasts between 1 and 3 days, longer if your system includes lighting, security, and HVAC system integration.

Finally, your designer will meet with you at your house to conduct training and complete our quality assurance checks. This is usually done in a few hours when it's convenient for you.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

Having a dedicated room for your Home Theater gives you the ability to optimize audio and video performance while creating an interior design that suits your taste. As you begin your planning there are three very important considerations.

First is the shape of the room. Rooms that are rectangular will have better acoustics than rooms that are square. And it's even better when the dimensions of length, width, and height, are not divisible by a common factor (e.g. 21' x 16' x 9' is better than 24' x 16' x 8').

Next is ambient light control. Light falling directly on the screen washes out the picture. Ideally, your plan for window treatments and lighting should provide enough ambient light for people to comfortably move around and operate controls, yet prevent bright light from falling directly on the screen.

Finally, the actual construction of walls needs to be considered. If you want to prevent the sound of your Home Theater from reaching other rooms, special sound absorbing and insulating techniques can be used.

After these basic considerations, there are many other things that need to be planned: wiring, speaker locations, furniture and cabinet layout are just a few. We love having the opportunity to work with clients planning a dedicated Home Theater. The results are always worth it!

<<< RETURN TO TOP

As a rule, screen sizes of 36" or larger are required, but as they say, "bigger is better." A larger screen means you can sit further away and more people can watch comfortably. Broadly speaking, there are four types of video displays that work well for Home Theater. Direct view TVs are the tube televisions we've all had for years. The largest of these is 40". Rear projection television sets start at 40" and go up to 80". Most of our Home Theater installations use screens in this range. Plasma and LCD panels, the newest video display technologies, are currently made in sizes from 40" to 70". The largest displays for Home Theater are created with projectors where the video image is projected onto a white projection screen. Common screen sizes run from 80" to an incredible 300".

<<< RETURN TO TOP

Certainly not. The amount of money you invest in your home electronics system really depends on you. We like to spend a lot of time with our clients to define exactly what they want their system to do, how they want to use it, and how it needs to fit into their living space. We've found the best approach is to start by helping you understand how the different technologies can add quality, comfort, and convenience to your life. From this, we'll help you create your 'wish list.' And after we've done all that, we'll help you find the balance between your dreams and your budget. At the end of the process, regardless of how much you decide to spend, you'll know it's right for you.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

We work with electricians every day, especially in our lighting control systems. They install the high voltage stuff, we install the control wiring and devices. But when it comes to doing all the wiring for a home electronics system, we prefer to do it ourselves.

Electricians are trained and licensed to work on high voltage. Very few of them are trained or experienced in handling the delicate analog and digital signals that are the lifeblood of your home electronics system. Don't get us wrong; your electrician is probably an excellent electrician. But the performance of these systems depends upon a lot more than using the correct type of copper wire. Things like bandwidth, frequency, noise, and impedance are serious issues for home electronics systems but they're not even a consideration in a home's typical electrical wiring.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

AD+E has a tradition of working collaboratively with architects, builders, interior designers, lighting designers and homeowners. We understand that the project is a team effort. It is preferable that we are contacted earlier rather than later in the project - better planning often times means more savings.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

Ease of use is one of our top priorities. The majority of clients want benefits not technology. After we are finished programming, our systems are as easy to use as an ATM machine.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

Reliability is only as good as the products and installers and AD+E uses only the most accredited products and the most certified, professional technicians. Our clients know that when they choose our company, they are getting the entire package: design, sales, installation, education, and service.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

We go to great lengths to integrate our systems within the home’s décor. Recent innovative products within our industry have allowed our company to accomplish this quite effectively. We can disguise plasma TVs as beautiful, framed pieces of artwork as well as virtually hide in wall speakers with paint or wallpaper. We work closely with your architect and interior design professional to beautifully integrate the chosen electronics with the overall room design.

<<< RETURN TO TOP

<<< RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE