Custom Install v. ‘Off-the-shelf’ home entertainment systems
It all looks the same, so what's the difference?
By ‘off-the-shelf’ I am referring to home cinema or multi-room A/V systems that can be bought over the counter in a high-end hi-fi shop or even your local high street shop. There are brands that immediately spring to mind but this writer is reluctant to name them as manufacturers change their product lines and product specifications all the time and I fear opening the floodgates to emails demanding my head due to the seemingly inaccuracy of my generalisations. Anyway, enough of the disclaimer, see the table below for a run down of the pros and cons of each.
At first glance these two types of home entertainment systems may seem similar, especially since some of the same products are used in both types of systems, for instance, the same flat screen TV may provide the visual interface in both systems. On further inspection however the way that the individual products are used and the degree of integration in which they are incorporated into the two types of systems reveals that they are entirely different animals which serve different purposes and achieve completely different levels of functionality. Expectations really determine which type of system is better for your home.
