If the idea of a cinema-quality TV experience and the ability to listen to different music in different rooms sounds like an appealing prospect, it’s probably time to look at investing in an audio-visual (AV) system. But the possibilities don’t end at streaming party music into the kitchen-diner, with the bifold doors flung back and garden speakers booming the same tunes out in sync. Here’s our guide to getting started with AV – and how it can integrate with other smart tech.
TV & data
The wired vs wireless debate is perhaps no more furious than in the AV sphere, with so many mainstream wireless solutions available. But if you’re taking on a major project and having smart home infrastructure works done anyway, it just makes sense to run lines to every room. That means fitting both adequately-specified structured data cable and dedicated speaker cable. “In a large 500m2 new house, the material costs going into the infrastructure might be around £2,000. To my mind, that’s pretty insignificant compared to what you’re spending on the house,” says James