Alan Hutchings Installation - Home Theater & Stereo Installation
Alan Hutchings Installation -- Home Theater Installation & Home Sound System Installation
At Alan Hutchings Installation we specialize in Home Theater Installation, home video installation, audio installation and distribution, and home wiring solutions - throughout the home and garden.
From the selection and installation of a simple stereo setup, to an elaborate multi-room configuration, we handle it all.
We will help you choose your components, connection and control options. We will wire and install all the components. If desired, we will program your remote control so only one controller will be required; and we can install controllers in remote locations (bedroom, kitchen, etc.). We also install Network (CAT-5 or -6 LAN) wiring for home or office networks. Our installations are clean and out of sight wherever desired and possible. Our company has experience with well-known home theater/audio companies' products, making us experts in our trade. We have the tools needed to do the job right, and we know what the best materials are for a great install. Our prices are reasonable and our professionalism is high.
The company started when Cambridge Sound Works downsized their installation staff due to the dip in the economy. Alan was suddenly unemployed, and began doing small jobs for previous customers and word-of-mouth referrals. He started with the many skills he learned as installer for Cambridge Sound Works. As business increased, he acquired the tools necessary to make installations easier and better (things most people don't have, like looong drill bits, looong snakes and wire pulls, high-quality wire-working tools, etc.). He is still acquiring the specialized tools needed to facilitate installations. The company is a Sole Proprietorship in Alan's name, with Alex Huin as Install Technician. When other skills (advanced carpentry, electrical, etc.) are required, a subcontractor is hired.
Why Hire Professional Installers?
Alan is an information resource. He will save you the time of learning about all the various systems and components. He has lots of knowledge gained from his sales and installation experience with several companies, and a diploma from the Electronic Systems Technician course put on by the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA). He knows what components go well with each other, and which don't. He can help avoid having "bottlenecks" caused by sub-standard components that degrade the whole system. He can get good prices from his distributors. You're welcome to search for better prices on the Internet, and order your own. But if you order through AHInstall (credit cards accepted), Alan takes care of ordering, receiving, unpacking, checking for damage, and handling any warranty claims if necessary. Besides, choosing and ordering the equipment is much easier than installing it so it performs spectacularly and looks good.
He has the tools you don't. Most people don't have the tools that make installations easier, and make proper "tuning" of the system possible. Sure, you could buy the tools (for about as much as you paid for the system), read the books (while you could be enjoying your system) and do the work yourself (if you really enjoy crawling under the house or through the attic). But life is short, so let the pro advise you and do the work - you get to enjoy the final product. He can help you get the best system for your budget (and if price is no object, that's fine, too).
He does an "invisible" install where possible and requested. That means your “significant other” will not be complaining about wires draped and running everywhere. That means you don't have to crawl under the house or in the attic to run the wires. You don't have to drill the holes and pull the wires. You don't have to install the connectors. You don't have to patch, refinish and repaint after the job. See how the home theater initial setup on the left is transformed to an integral part of the living room decor (bottom right)? • The 50" plasma TV over the fireplace had VCR cassette and DVD storage shelves added, and was hidden behind a Chinese folding screen, which also hides the computer input cable and video camera connections. • The AV control center (with DVD player, VCR, cable box, new electrical outlet, LAN connection to home router & cable box, filtered electrical output) at the lower right was hidden behind cabinet doors and a cabinet top that is completely removable for access to the back of the equipment.
He knows how to set up remotes. If you get a hi-tech remote, he can program it for you, and give you a copy of the program on a disk or CD. He can also re-program it later if you upgrade or change your system, and he'll help you install the remote control's programming software on your computer. (Modern hi-tech remotes allow you to have one and only one remote to control everything - that's right, every component that can be controlled is controlled from the one remote. But it is set up using a computer, and takes may take up to several hours - if you know what you're doing). Oh yes, he can also stop the components from blinking by setting the correct time.
He has the tools to calibrate the components. He adjusts the balance and tone until everything is perfect for the most awesome sound reproduction. Without calibration, sounds may not seem to come from where they should (you know that airplane is not flying underneath you!). Most TVs and monitors come with factory settings that are not suitable for home use - they are set to look good in a showroom. They may give you eyestrain, and can actually shorten the life of the unit. With the Spyder, the picture can be optimized for many parameters in just a few minutes, adjustments that could otherwise take hours (if you have the specialized DVD for adjusting those parameters).
When something goes wrong, who're you going to call? Alan provides on-call technical support. He'll help you track down the problem and get it fixed. As an example of the kind of question he gets asked, "what kind of DVD should I rent or buy to go with my new system?" The answer is, "if you have a widescreen TV, you want to buy the widescreen DVD version. If the movie was filmed in 16:9 aspect ratio then the picture will fill the TV. If the movie was filmed in one of the wider aspect ratios like 2.35:1 (as many directors prefer to film with) then you will still get black bars on the top and bottom of the screen even with a widescreen TV. Don't worry if you have full screen DVDs - they will play just fine on the wide screen, but the picture will either have black/gray bars on the sides, or the picture will be stretched (just like can be done with regular broadcast TV) to fill the screen. When you watch standard size on the widescreen, the "stretch" makes things (especially people) look fatter, unless a special mode (available on some TV models) that only stretches the sides is used. However, this causes another kind of distortion, especially for movement. By the way, the ability to adjust the way the picture is displayed is done through the TV's aspect settings. The output settings on the DVD player are done for initial setup only, so that the DVD player outputs the right size image for the display. In theory, you could use the DVD player's settings to adjust for each movie's aspect ratio, but that requires navigating through multiple layers of setup menus and would be much more difficult then adjusting the settings on the TV."
Your upgrade advisor. When you decide to upgrade, he can help you choose the optimal upgrade path. You'll get the most efficient upgrade to fit your budget, the most "bang for the buck".
He does an "invisible" install where possible and requested. That means your “significant other” will not be complaining about wires draped and running everywhere. That means you don't have to crawl under the house or in the attic to run the wires. You don't have to drill the holes and pull the wires. You don't have to install the connectors. You don't have to patch, refinish and repaint after the job. See how the home theater initial setup on the left is transformed to an integral part of the living room decor (bottom right)? 
