How to build an audio-video home.

• Author: Kibbel, Bradley K.

AS LIFESTYLES have changed over the past three decades, many American homes have undergone considerable changes to match. Whether shopping for a house or building a new one, people seek out the dwelling best matched to the way they envision themselves and their families living in it.

Technology has brought changes that greatly have enhanced the comfort of homes, and the way that technology is used has had an impact on the structures themselves. Not too many years ago, people moving out of one place and into another took with them such things as room air conditioners and kitchen appliances.

Today, approximately 70% of all U.S. homes have central air conditioning systems installed at the time of construction. Moreover, most new homes have kitchens designed to suit how they actually will be used, and those appliances that play so critical a role in this functionality are built in so that they match perfectly. This is quite a difference from the days of having to be in the room with the air conditioning equipment in order to enjoy it or having to lug old appliances into a new home and then worry about how--or even if--they were going to fit.

When looking at home entertainment, much of what used to be seen in the industries mentioned above still exists. In most cases, people can not enjoy their entertainment equipment unless all of it is in the room they are in at the moment. When they move, they are faced with the task of placing their entertainment equipment in a new location whether it matches the decor and fits the appropriate spaces or not.

The time spent in the home is increasingly important as the pace of life quickens. When at home, most people are eating, sleeping, or getting information or entertainment from their audio and video equipment. For roughly a decade, there has been a class of entrepreneurs who have seen a need to make audio-video equipment a part of one's home and lifestyle. These innovative audio-video contractors recently have come into the spotlight, with rapid expansion of their role in the electronics and housing industries.

The role of the audio-video contractor is to consult with the client and provide a finished entertainment system that matches the design and function of a home, as well as the lifestyle of those who live in it. The availability of such services is giving rise to increased demand for central audio-video systems in the home. Market activity in this area not only is in new construction, but also in...