Why do people call FunHouseMedia?
We live in a digital world. We have hundreds of photos, music files and videos/movies in some digital format often spread across different computers or devices in the home or office. This presents a few challenges-
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How do we organize it in a way that it can be easily and securely accessed and searched? |
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How can we share all of the content with the users in our homes or offices? |
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What equipment is necessary to enjoy it in a reliable and easy-to-use fashion? |
Anyone can sell you a stack of parts that might work well together. We offer our clients Solutions - complete, reliable and compatible combinations of services and equipment that will delver the expected results every time, all the time.
Many people have the perception that “Custom Installation” translates into Expensive and Complicated. Our goal is to change that perception. Just because we design and install some very expensive and elaborate systems, it does not mean that you cannot achieve high-performance and practicality on a budget.
Would it surprise you to learn that the average customer spends less than $5,000.00 on their project?
What kind of projects to do people hire us to do? Here is a list of jobs that cover about 90% of our day-to-day work.
Install Speakers in a Pre-Wired House – (This is my #1 request)
Many homes today are “Pre-Wired” during construction. This means that cable, phone, data and audio wiring is run to various rooms in the house during construction. It may be as simple as having 2 surround sound speaker locations in the ceiling to having speakers in every room.
How do I know if my home is pre-wired? One way to tell is you may have small, white, rectangular plastic outlet covers on your walls or ceilings. These look like regular electrical cover plates, but are usually solid (no holes). You may also find similar plates near light switches - indicating a volume control location.
Replace those ugly plates with a set of high-quality in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. A quality pair of in-wall/ceiling speakers start at as little as $150.00. These speakers mount flush in the wall or ceiling and can be painted to blend into the room. See my “Customer Photos” link for many examples.
LCD or Plasma TV Installation- Starting at $50.00!! (Lowest price in Austin)
Trust us on this one; you do not want to attempt to hang a 75lb+ TV on the wall if you don't know what you are doing! Having one mounting screw off 1" can have disastrous consequences. We offer the best pricing in town starting at just $50! A complete selection of Mounts and cables are available depending on your needs. Call us for a quote on your project.
Equipment Connection-
Another popular request is from people that have purchased equipment but cannot get it connected correctly. We can untangle even the ugliest nest of wires and get your equipment working properly in no time. We also sell quality cables at a fraction of the prices of the retail stores.
Media Room Design/ Home Theater Installation-
Lots of newer homes in the Austin area are built with a separate media/game room. We help customers make the most out of the space they have within a realistic budget. An exceptional Home Theater System can be had for well under $10,000.00.
Remodel Projects-
For those of you that were not lucky enough to have your home pre-wired - you may still have hope.
Depending on the construction of your home, 8 out of 10 are fairly easy to retro-fit with the necessary cabling to facilitate multi-room audio and video. The other 2 out of 10 houses are possible, but the required effort and expense could be prohibitive.
New Construction Pre-wire/Consulting
Most large homebuilders have existing contracts with electricians or other trades that do the audio and video wiring. Unfortunately, many of these people limited experience with Audio/Video cabling. You can hire us to come and inspect the wiring independently and provide feedback on needed changes. If these issues are not caught before the walls go up, it is often impossible to change it later without MAJOR reconstruction.
So, if you fit into one of the categories – We urge you to contact us.
FunHouseMedia vs. the "Big-Box" Chain?
In the world of retail, volume is KING. Due to the competition among these giants, we generally DO NOT sell the exact equipment that can be found in these stores or online. Many manufacturers in the "Custom" Industry work hard to ensure that our products are of a better quality and a consistent value across the board.
If your intent is to shop my quote against an online store or other major retailer - We welcome the competition. However, you will find that you are often comparing apples to oranges. We are a SERVICE provider first and a retailer second. NO online store or Major retailer can provide the same level of service as we can, period.
If Price is the primary factor in your decision process, hiring a custom integration company may not be beneficial.
In addition to Great Products and Competitive Prices, here is what else we offer over the other places:
| We come to YOUR house. We ask questions to determine what your needs really are. Then we tailor a system to fit your needs and ensure it works with your existing equipment. |
| You have a problem - we come to YOU. Ever tried to ship back a defective plasma to an online company?? It's not easy OR cheap. |
| We don't give you my 1-800-outsourced customer service number. You get a "call me anytime, even on the weekend" phone number. You WILL usually get a return call or e-mail within 4-6 hours. |
| We are not commission based. We spend your money like it is our own. |
| We have years of experience. Find one salesman or Installer at the "Box" with 20+ years experience. |
| We do all the hard work for you. We have spent considerable time and research to identify a limited number of quality brands. We don't carry 10 brands of DVD players, We don't need to. How can you be expected to make an educated decision with that many choices? |
| We make sure things work like they are supposed to. Other stores hand you your Box and a receipt and say "best of luck!". We can hook it all together for you to enjoy it the way you expected. From the inputs to outputs, digital coax, HDMI, HDTV, speakers, optical cable connections, we can get it all hooked up and running smooth. We make sure this happens and that you get ALL of what you paid for. |
Beware the Handyman!
On the flip side - there are many folks out there that think installing a quality home entertainment system is akin to hanging a ceiling fan. There are Lots of new companies popping up that want your business. I'm all for capitalism, however here are a few points you should consider when shopping for an installation company...
| Do they have a website? If you are serious in this business, and you don't have a showroom - you need a web presence. |
| Do a Google search on their phone number - you'd be amazed what you can find. |
| Do they have insurance? A general minimum is $1,000,000. If they don't have it - keep looking! |
| Do they have a Texas Sales certificate? |
| Look at the condition of their vehicle, this is a good indicator of how they will treat your house. |
| Get referrals if possible |
| Ask to see pictures of their work - ours are here |
That is why you need us. In the beginning, it may cost a little more. However, the long-term enjoyment will pay dividends for years to come!
YOU Deserve it!!