As a Custom Installer, it’s common knowledge that the source does not provide the voltage and current for its own digital output. This is instead provided by the display’s HDMI® input. What installers probably do not know is that 4K, 4:4:4 color and HDR has now changed how TV manufacturers are making their displays.

To provide 4K, 4:4:4 color and HDR, display manufacturers have to cut corners and stay competitively priced. To provide this technology at a lower cost, manufacturers reduced the number of display side power supplies. In addition, there is less power provided and only enough to go about two meters to your source using a passive cable.

If your install is somewhere between 5 meters to 20 meters and you are using an active HDMI® cable powered by the display, you will not have a picture!

What do you do?

Whether you call yourself a Custom Installer, Home Technology Professional or Custom Integrator, today you must be better educated for new technology than ever before. With all of this emphasis on “new” information, we should still be mindful of the installation basics. In this post, the former CIs at Metra Home Theater Group explain their top five most useful tips for Custom Installers that will keep you organized and efficient when in the field:

1. Have Quick Equipment Access: The ideal component rack should give you full access to both the front and rear panels so all wiring and controls are easily accessible.
   Remember, time is money so make sure your setup is as efficient as possible.
2. Use Adequate Ventilation: Most rack installs need to have a thermal management plan depending on the equipment.
   For example, amplification gear can produce a lot of heat when in use and if left to accumulate around your gear, this heat will damage your system components.
3. Prepare with Location Planning: On new construction jobs, never assume the builder is wiring for technology integration. A quick discussion in the planning process can save a lot of time later on. Whenever possible, the optimal location for a rack is within 50 feet of the display. Having the master equipment this close to the display will certify less problems down the road. Plan ahead whenever possible!

Metra Home Theater Group provides a range of sophisticated HDMI® cables to support all types of sources and displays regardless of your technology requirements. Our cables come in a range of prices and technology capabilities to cover your various installation needs. Here are three of our lines, broken down by when you’ll use them in an install:

Good — The MHX Series Cables:
The MHX series of HDMI cables interconnects incorporated advanced engineering, quality materials, and expert construction to give high performance at an affordable price. This means a great picture and sound. These cables offer a premium quality abrasion-resistant high temperature PVC jacket for maximum durability, as well as low-loss foam-skin polyethylene dielectric maximum signal transfer and superior picture quality.

The increasing demand for smart home automation, surveillance and technology requires running more wires. Whether it’s an existing home or a new home construction, running more wires is a huge undertaking. The former CIs in Metra Home Theater Group’s Research and Development department anticipate a shift to a more complicated installation process, with more wires requiring more ports. As the future of installation projects becomes more difficult, we will be ready with time saving solutions for home technology professionals, customer integrators and installers. Taking what we’ve learned on the job from real projects requiring more ports, we’ve developed a simple solution: the Decora Style Multi Port (CS-PCDEC08).

The Challenge:

The more wire you have, the more ports you need. Custom wall plates with more than 6 ports are hard to find. Organizing and hiding all the wires can become a real challenge. Applying drywall to cover large holes made for the wires requires additional costs and even more time. When a customer is in a rush to move in or finish a project, extra time for drywall may not even be an option.

The Solution:

Our CS-PCDECO8 is an 8 port decora insert panel made out of durable heavy gauge steel and powder coated. Metra Home Theater Group is one of the few (if not the only) providers of an 8 port panel plate, and we’ve designed this larger plate to cover existing holes.

This photo is from a job where the new home had wire run that needed to be organized before the customers moved in. The after photo shows the 8 port panel in place.

Security surveillance cameras have grown in popularity for both small business and residential use. Owners can easily monitor their properties 24/7 with peace of mind — and without spending a fortune. They seek professional installers to help plan camera placements, install equipment, and setup a turn-key surveillance system with video feeds. As surveillance systems become more widespread, installers will see this area of home technology as a growing and viable revenue stream.

Metra Home Theater Group’s line of Spyclops surveillance systems offers a variety of styles, features and easy to use technology — making them a favorite among installers and home tech professionals. In addition to a great product, we continually win awards for our top notch technical support and customer service. Our tech team is comprised of top CIs who answer questions immediately. This means you’ll talk to a real person with real field experience in custom integration and home technology. In an effort to educate installers and help with future troubleshooting, we’re featuring the three most common questions and answers regarding Spyclops surveillance systems:

Question 1: Why is my remote viewing app not working? It goes on and off line.

Your feed will work 100% of the time if:

The internet connection to the DVR is running uninterrupted and at high speed, and you have internet of 4G or higher on the mobile device. Keep in mind that video feeds require a lot of bandwidth — if you are attempting to view your feed remotely from a mobile device, make sure you have full reception or are connected to high speed internet. If reception isn’t great, then the video feed may go on and offline. Closing other open apps on your phone that are also using internet will help dedicate your available bandwidth to the video feed (yes — that means you should close your facebook app and stop streaming music). Try this and see if the feed is back online.