Need help analyzing a quote for a multi-room AV install

[jamijam]

Hi there,

This is going to be a long post. Thanks in advance to anyone who gets through it.

I'm a bit of a AV novice so I had a company come in and go through my home to discuss and design a complete AV set-up. I've just received the quote back and it's quite hefty, even more than the amount of work would suggest. I don't want to jump to conclusions though so I thought I'd post it here so some experts could give me an idea of what margin of inflation has been added to the whole thing.

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Proposed system in detail:

Lounge
The main focus in this room is on the screen, the client has a 37” LCD TV which will be concealed inside a wall. A custom mechanism installed in the closet in the adjoining room will slide the screen out of the wall horizontally. the screen can then be manually swivelled to face the dining room if desired.
As well as the mechanism the closet will also be home to the AV receiver, X-Box 360 and HD media player.
The HD media player is a small box containing a hard drive which can store music, video and pictures, it can also play these file types from a portable external hard drive or from your PC via USB or Ethernet cable.
Infra-red control will be linked through to the closet via a discrete IR “eye”

A Sonos wireless music player could be located in the closet and the wireless colour control would allow the client to listen to a choice of thousands of internet radio stations as well as any song from his digital music collection stored on his PC in the study. The colour control pad could either sit on a coffee table or in a wall mounted charging cradle.

Study:
The study is the room that contains the closet where the majority of the equipment will reside. The clients existing desktop PC will be used for storage of digital files and these will be accessible from the media player or from the Sonos music system.
The PC will act as a controller for the Sonos system meaning the client does not have to move from the desk to browse his music collection or radio stations.

Bedroom:
In the bedroom the optional Sonos wireless music system can be installed to add full functionality to this room. A small Sonos ZP100 player would sit somewhere in the room where it would connect to a neat speaker wall socket which in turn would connect to a pair of ceiling speakers. The colour control pad would sit in a charging cradle on the wall.

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A sample gallery of some of the equipment will be used has been attached to the post as well as the costing.

Total is approximately £14K.

The sonos multi-room quote seems OK at 2K since that basically covers audio playback with LCD remotes in 3 rooms.

It's the other two quotes that seem a bit pricey to me. 7K for a mechanism + installation that will allow a 37 inch LCD to come out of a wall, and 4K for a media player. speakers and receiver.

I am going to reply to them and ask for a more detailed list of all the components they are going to use as well as a description of the motorized slide, but if anyone has any feedback in the meantime, it would be really helpful.

Cheers

[hornydragon]

does it include programming the remotes to operate all the kit? the actual LCD will vary the cost alot as will specs of the rest of the kit doesnt seem to be massive in terms of price, but isnt what i would call "Hi spec" £11k for the lounge seems very odd how is the sonso system connect wireless or wired? is the cabling installed or need doingdoes it include making good? motorised screen mechs are expensive £1000+ do you rally need it motorised?

[jamijam]

Hi dragon,

- Not sure if it includes remote programming, but surely that bit is insignificant when we're talking 10K+

- I already have the TV (Plasma) so the price doesn't include a TV!

- The Sonos is wireless.

- They will have to do all the cabling and clean-up/making it look good.

- I do think motorized is probably a necessity as it will be coming out of a wall.

I've requested and am waiting for a full list of components that will be used.

[hornydragon]

programming can add £1k easily so check, i dont like wireless for audio distribution, control OK if necassary but not streaming as for the necassaity of motorising i'll leave that to you but what LCD? most are completely unsuitable for custom install so make sure it can be changed without serious consequencies

[jamijam]

1K for programming a remote. the world has gone mad! I should open a remote programming sweat shop... Thanks though. I'll check.

- The Sonos speakers will be wired. It's streaming the mp3s/music from the media player to the amp that will be wireless.

- The panel is a 37 inch Panasonic plasma (the new one), but if I'm gonna spend 10K on an installation, I think I might as well trade up to a 42 or 50 inch from the get go.

Anyone else have any experience with these types of set-ups? Does 7K for the "bespoke in-wall motorized slide mechanism" sound reasonable?

Here is a drawing of what's happening exactly, the blue box is the TV which will reside in the closet of the study (along with all the AV gear) and extends into the living room for viewing when needed.

[Crustyloafer]

Originally Posted by jamijam

1K for programming a remote. the world has gone mad! I should open a remote programming sweat shop... Thanks though. I'll check.

It can take a lot more time than you might think to program up a high spec remote like that to a professional level. I would estimate about 2-3 days labour at £300/day is not an unreasonable expectation what to pay to program a remote.

[Tesla]

Personally I do not see the point in motorising an LCD or Plasma panel to come out of a wall.

PJ screens, definately. LCD/Plamsa panels, why?

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by jamijam

Anyone else have any experience with these types of set-ups? Does 7K for the "bespoke in-wall motorized slide mechanism" sound reasonable?

Here is a drawing of what's happening exactly, the blue box is the TV which will reside in the closet of the study (along with all the AV gear) and extends into the living room for viewing when needed.

is it slide and then twist to face to face you? or just slide out? if it slides out straight depending on building work seems steep is it slides and twists, perhaps, was the slideing bit your idea or theirs? Where abouts are you? and Sonos being wireless for MP3 data transfer is the issue i would want a wired system

[Liam @ Prog AV]

Dunno about the sliding mech but the rest seems fair.

The remote and RF extender and programming of is responsible for *at least* £1,000 of that. Another grand for install of the system and you've got 2 grand left for AV electrics. Assuming speakers and sub run up to *at least* another grand (£150 per ceiling speaker, £400 for sub hits you £1,100). The media player is a couple or three hundred, same for the AVR, and you haven't even cabled it up yet. All looks about right to me.

Good price on the Sonos, I assume there isn't much install to be done with that or is it soaked up in the main lounge install?

[Liam @ Prog AV]

Was gonna go on to say, I'm not a fan of expensive and elaborate plasma sliders and swings etc. A lift in a cabinet I love, but a swing out and move around the place affair always leaves me feeling a bit off. You spend thousands on a system that you then have to go over and move around by hand. For 7k plasma budget, why not get just buy two plasma screens in two different locations and wire both from a DA where the main kit is??

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by Liam @ Prog AV

Was gonna go on to say, I'm not a fan of expensive and elaborate plasma sliders and swings etc. A lift in a cabinet I love, but a swing out and move around the place affair always leaves me feeling a bit off.

I have to agree with Liam on this if you want to hide the screen when not in use its fair enough but there are less expensive ways to do it, cabinet lift is one picture frame another. Is this for use in the study? or is that just where to keep it if not in use? if for use then agree go for second display hell for the cost put the 37" in the stdy and have a 50" in a lft for the main room!

[jamijam]

Right, thanks for all the new responses.

First of all, the reason why I want the slide-out set-up is because it allows me to have an otherwise tackishly large TV in a modest living area. So I get a cinema experience when I need it, but revert to less cluttered living space for social occasions. The display will roll out right in front of the sitting area. The alternative, cheaper option, is to put it on the wall and just have it swivel to face the sitting area (if you look back at the diagram you will see why some swivelling is necessary if it sits on the wall; the wall is slanted).

I've just received a more detailed breakdown of the quote which I am attaching. Excluding the 6K for the mechanism it does all seem more reasonable now that it's broken down. Does anyone have any feedback on the type of equipment used and whether it's good value?

Thanks once again...

It's going to be hard to swallow a 7K price tag to have a 1K piece of equipment (Plasma) set-up the way I want it!

PS: dragon. the main need is for it to slide out. the manual swivelling is a secondary function that will allow viewing from a secondary area (the dining table). In other words I can lose the manual swivel and just go for the motorized slide-out but I don't think that will have a huge impact on the cost.

[jamijam]

Check out my living room.

The 37 incher is sitting now where that small TV is on the picture. That means it's facing the dining area. It can swivel a bit towards the living area but it's not ideal (sideways viewing and can't really put in a 5.1 speaker set-up). That's why I want to move it further down. A cabinet is not ideal since it would be in the way of the balcony doors.

How does a picture frame conceal work dragon? You mentioned it in your last post.

PS: I know what you are thinking, just switch the dining area and the living area around. That's probably the cheapest solution by far, but I kinda want to keep the dining area next to the kitchen and living area next to the view/balcony.

What a mess!

[hornydragon]

ER blimey it seems a very mixed bag of Kit Sonance Ellipse rear pair (Very nice speakers if the room is right) then 1 standard ceiling speaker as centre with same as fronts?? WHY? TR1 Sub is pretty pants too. Its the slider thats costing all the money £6k reasonable? Thats up to you but i think you could spend less and have a much better system the kit spec isnt great apart from the elipses its all prety low end 1907 is fairly basic havent used Nuvo speakers but if they are better than everything else someone would have said so. If your having the pronto why have a Xantech IR kit why not have the pronto RF base?

FRom the bits of info i could gleen from this http://www.avforums.com/forums/attac...2&d=1180572650 i think there are better "discrete solutions" which wouldn't cost anymore infact could cost alot less and swap your LCD telly for a 50" panel and suddenly its not tacky..........

[hornydragon]

Originally Posted by jamijam

PS: I know what you are thinking, just switch the dining area and the living area around. That's probably the cheapest solution by far, but I kinda want to keep the dining area next to the kitchen and living area next to the view/balcony.

What a mess!

Can you post some photos to give a better idea of whats where and whats possible.

EDIT: ah OK seen the photo now hmm tis a very shaped room isnt it Lovely view which i understand you dont want something wedged in front of all the time the slide option does now seem more sensible but at £6k seems very steep but if it is all custom then not alot you can do but get some other quotes