Now that you’ve got your home office set up, it’s time to turn to your leisure time! Whether you enjoy movies, music, or watching the game, having an awesome entertainment setup is a great way to relax and enjoy your spare time.
There are some tricks that can be utilised to help keep the mess of cords organised, protect your equipment, and optimise the performance or your entertainment centre.
Setup Tips
Careful planning from the start will ensure you are able to kick back and enjoy the best from your entertainment setup.
1. Plan the Furniture Placement First
Whatever type of cabinetry you are using (shelves, wall unit or built-in), it pays to plan out the placement of certain elements of your entertainment centre and seating before getting started. Placement of the TV, speakers and wiring will depend on your seating configuration. Having enough power points installed is also important.
2. Controlling Cables
Having a multitude of cables can get out of hand very quickly. Clips can help keep cables in place from different components of your entertainment system. The television often has many, many cables leading to various electronic devices – speakers, gaming consoles and subwoofers – that need to be contained. Colour coded sleeves or labelled zip ties can help with organisation so that you know which cable leads to which device.
3. Surge Protectors
As well as having an RCD fitted to the switchboard of the residence, making sure that every device is plugged into a surge protector will ensure that your equipment is safe. A power surge is unlikely, but can cause expensive damage if it does occur. Comparatively, surge protectors are incredibly inexpensive, so it is best not to risk it.
4. Do Not Overload Circuits
Do not plug all of your equipment into one outlet. If you are able, having a dedicated circuit installed will help to prevent overload. If you cannot have a separate circuit, making sure that you disperse your power draw evenly across outlets will help prevent a problem. Check which circuit breakers control the different outlets in your home and try to separate equipment onto the different circuits.
5. Be Aware of Heat Output
If your entertainment equipment is enclosed in a cupboard or shelves, make sure there is somewhere for the heat to go. Electronic devices generate heat and, if multiple devices are close together, this heat can become a fire hazard or can potentially fry your equipment.
If you would like to talk to us to learn more about setting up an awesome entertainment centre, please contact us here.