Hi,New to the AV forum

Archana Nandi

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Hi, I'm new to this forum and feels good to be a part of it. I am really very inquesitive to know where India stands with respect to AV,in other words AV is a part of most of the houses in US,how is it in India? Do people refer toAV as only installing Home Theaters in thier houses or doing Audio Video wiring for the entire house.
I did read through some of the threads posted where i came across people looking for AV racks, what sizes do they generally look for and to install wht kind of equipments on the racks.
Would be great to get some feedback.
 
Hi,

Hearty welcome to forum Archana ! Glad you chose to be a part of this beautiful and very very Indian forum !! hope you'll have wonderful time here !!


To answer your questions in one word is not possible !!

Here in India also we are having these set-ups on a very regular basis ! meaning almost all the city folks have one for sure ! how and in what way is different topic altogether ! But they sure do have some set-up for sure !!

Even the entire house Audio is also quite common in Urban India !! So there too !!

The Racks and the other related stuff is purely situation based and need based so there's no common thing ! moreover we do not have regular companies making these and selling in the open market !! One has to look very hard to find some decent Racks ! or have to get em fabricated !!

Hope this gives a small insight into the Indian AV scene !!

Regards.
 
Thanks a lot...I am from Namma Bengaluru too:)....am keen to know more cause i work for an AV company in US, and have no idea of how AV works in India especially Bangalore. It would be great if I could get any info. on good MNC's working on AV in Bangalore...
Do you think if there were companies like in the US manufacturing AV racks their would be a good market for that in India.
 
Hi,


Ohh IC ! Glad to know that :) ! Wow even better, So which company do you work for ?? whats the primary activity of it ??

There aren't much MNC's into this ! if Am not wrong there are only a couple of them !! all are Indian companies who are into AV integration and stuff ! Onkyo is one MNC that comes to my mind,They've tied-up with lot of AV automation firms (one from US,maybe you know that ) !

Bangalore is one of the biggest market India in this field besides Mumbai and Delhi !

Yes infact I do think if there were such companies in India we could've definitely benefited by them ! there were a couple of companies who tried and still are trying but due their exorbitant cost and limited range they are not able to make a real presence in the market !

Regards.
 
Welcome Archana.

I was one of the guys looking for Audio Racks. It is quite frustrating to see a well made audio rack in a showroom, and make do with stupid MDF/Ply based rack that the local carpenter puts up for you at home. To mount equipment worth lakhs of rupees on such racks, and worry about looks, stability, and whether the damn thing is acoustically stable.... Ahhhh give me a break, please !!!!!

Anyhow all that aside, welcome again to HiFi Forum. This is a great place to be.

BTW if we can get some good racks at reasonable prices, many of us would jump at the chance. Hell !! why did I have to say that. :mad:
 
Hi,

Thanks soundsgreat and venkatcr for ur replies...wonder why Bangalore doesnt have good MNC's for AV...with more and more people looking for such
ammenities right now... or do the companies charge exorbitantly for such AV drawings.
Hi,

Ohh IC ! Glad to know that ! Wow even better, So which company do you work for ?? whats the primary activity of it ??

There aren't much MNC's into this ! if Am not wrong there are only a couple of them !! all are Indian companies who are into AV integration and stuff ! Onkyo is one MNC that comes to my mind,They've tied-up with lot of AV automation firms (one from US,maybe you know that ) !

Bangalore is one of the biggest market India in this field besides Mumbai and Delhi !


I work for Audio People in ohio a small scale firm,where we do a lot of AV works for residences ,offices,auditoriums,churches etc....they also do lighting for all these projects....

I just had a big doubt:
Say if i was interested to get a AV done for my house in India whom should i approach and what kind of work can i expect from them...in other words will they do the cad drawings for AV and then select the kind of products like TV's,Speakers,Keypads ....and also give me a decent estimate and execute the work. just like how Architects or Civil Engineers would work on projects.

Thanks for all ur replies
 
Hi,
I just had a big doubt:
Say if i was interested to get a AV done for my house in India whom should i approach and what kind of work can i expect from them...in other words will they do the cad drawings for AV and then select the kind of products like TV's,Speakers,Keypads ....and also give me a decent estimate and execute the work. just like how Architects or Civil Engineers would work on projects.

Thanks for all ur replies

You are way off the mark. Most of the so called consultants do not know what a CAD drawing is. They come to your house, take some measurements, send a quote by email and disappear. Most of these people make some money in professional environments such as an auditorium and cinema halls, and try to sell their so called expertise to some individual clients.

The other factor is that these consultants are linked to some brand/products or the other. If you already have some products (other their own) they lose interest and move away.

The worst is that none of the consultants I have met till now have any taste for music. For them music is as loud as it should be and as booom booom booom as possible.

I am seriously considering a nation wide set of consultants with a central computer based system who can provide unbiased consulting and real professional work. They must be trained on sound, sound measurement, have a set of good DVDs and music DVDs, and must be able to tune a TV and HT system irrespective of which company it is from. I am sure people will be ready to pay money for this kind of service.

I have been calling everyone I can think of for setting up the room acoustics in my HT room. Finally I am going to do it myself by buying the material, and personally managing a set of carpenters and electricians.

Just to mention a strange incident I came across recently. I met the owner of a company that manufactures high end audio products costing lakhs of rupees. He said he was a radio / electrical engineer and had no idea what music is !!! He does not listen to music at all !!!! And, to boot, he is very successful.

Aaaaaargh the vagaries of life !!!!!!!
 
Thanks Venkatcr,

You are way off the mark. Most of the so called consultants do not know what a CAD drawing is. They come to your house, take some measurements, send a quote by email and disappear. Most of these people make some money in professional environments such as an auditorium and cinema halls, and try to sell their so called expertise to some individual clients
Its a pity to see the plight of AV in this condition...I understand there are lots of people like these who just know one thing is make money hook or by crook....when i worked as an Architect in India use to face similar problems
many of these small time contractors who r illiterates would just come into the picture get some kind of a drawing done and charge some fee....that system needs to change...:mad:.

When people are willing to spend so much of amount on having a good HT or anyother facility i dont think they would hesitate
to have some good professional for guidance (who can charge reasonably)

I have been calling everyone I can think of for setting up the room acoustics in my HT room. Finally I am going to do it myself by buying the material, and personally managing a set of carpenters and electricians.

To just get an idea what exactly are u looking to do when you say room acoustics,and what kind of products are u using to set up ur HT.
I need some serious help as i am so used to products in US and have no clue of what kind of products are used in India where could i get a better idea. I would like to contact some companies who do offer some AV services to people so i could kind of get an idea.

I have some few questions this time too:
In India are TV mounts used to fix to the wall like omni mounts used here, or are they just free standing.
Are Keypads and Touch panels used.
When one says he is insatlling a HT at home what are the various products used in that room.(i know it varies from
person to person)but atleast the basics.
With so much of problem with power failure what necessary steps does one take to protect their gadgets.

Thank u all for having started this forum, a wonderful place for info.:)
 
You are way off the mark. Most of the so called consultants do not know what a CAD drawing is. They come to your house, take some measurements, send a quote by email and disappear. Most of these people make some money in professional environments such as an auditorium and cinema halls, and try to sell their so called expertise to some individual clients.
....

You know what Venkatcr, I have had the opportunity of meeting one gentleman from the UK (he has even written books on sound etc). He showed me a software he has created that uses the architect's drawings of the auditorium and the software can show images of how sound waves originating from different parts of the auditorium will progress across the room and how reflections from walls will affect listening in different parts of the room. I wasn't too impressed by all that, but when he told me he worked with Eric Clapton and had for some time worked with Pink Floyd, I was all ears. :D That aside, its with this kind of professional help that one can really get the best out of one's home music system.

Oh, and by the way, welcome Archana Nandi. Interesting topic, you have brought up.
 
Thanks Venkatcr,

I have some few questions this time too:
In India are TV mounts used to fix to the wall like omni mounts used here, or are they just free standing.
Are Keypads and Touch panels used.
When one says he is insatlling a HT at home what are the various products used in that room.(i know it varies from
person to person)but atleast the basics.
With so much of problem with power failure what necessary steps does one take to protect their gadgets.

Thank u all for having started this forum, a wonderful place for info.:)

At the outset, I would like to APOLOGISE UNCONDITIONALLY for my comments on audio consultants. Though I have had some personal experiences, I have subsequently learned that there are a large number of consultants who are very professional, and who employ modern computerised system, measuring instruments, and use the best of materials to set up top-notch room acoustics.

Again, to all the consultants on this forum, and to the general audio consulting industry, my sincere apologies.

Archana, to answer your questions:

In India are TV mounts used to fix to the wall like omni mounts used here, or are they just free standing.

TVs, particularly the flat TVs are generally fixed on the wall with wall mounts. With CRT and back projection system, the story may be different. Sony for example, comes with a stand that fits the TV exactly. There are a number of shops that manufacture wooden TV stands. You can place a CRT TV up to 29 inches on this and also add a DVD/VCD player, a set top box and other items. These stands also have drawers and shelves where you can keep your DVDs/VCDs and other TV related stuff.

In many houses, the TV stand is the center of attraction in the drawing room and is used to keep some medals, photographs, etc.

Wall mounted stands for CRTs are also available in India. But I have seen these used more in public places, hospital rooms, and some hotel rooms.

Mumbai may have a different situation because of space constraint. I am sure TV wall mounts for CRTs must be common in homes there.

Are Keypads and Touch panels used.

Key pads, touch panels, and music and video distribution systems have just started getting popular. They are yet out of the reach of most people. Secondly, most houses in India are built of brick and mortar, and there are no hollow spaces behind the walls. So if you have to install system with extensive wiring, you have to plan and do it during construction. Generally HT and music systems are yet in the domain of audiophiles and music enthusiasts, and we tend of think of a HT room or music system AFTER we have settled into a house. My personal thinking is that wireless system will be more popular here as it does away with the need for breaking walls and doing wiring.

When one says he is installing a HT at home what are the various products used in that room.(i know it varies from person to person) but at least the basics.

I would categorise this into three segments.

The first and most common segment are the people who buy a HTIB system and install it in their living room. These are available in India from about Rs.20,000 to about Rs.60,000. These come with a entry level DVD source, minimal AV amplification, and a 5.1 speaker set consisting of a powered sub and 5 satellite speakers. I would say that this would occupy more than 50% of the market in India. They would usually deploy cables recommended by the dealer, and in most cases, get the installation done by the dealer. The cables would be carried across the room by plastic conduits that are fixed on the wall. Many of the satellite speakers come with their own stand, and would just be made to stand on the floor. If not they have small wall mounts that would be used.

The complete installation would be completed in about 2 to 3 hours. The placement of the TV and the accompanying speakers would be driven more by the present seating pattern in the living room, rather than any aesthetic or acoustical requirements.

A slightly different version of the same segment would be people who buy a DVD Player, AVR (entry level) maybe a 32inch flat TV, and 5.1 speakers separately, and get the set installed by the dealer.

Amplification would be in the range of about 50 to 100 watts per channel. Popular brands for HTIB are Samsung, LG, Sony, Onkyo, Panasonic.

The second segment are people like me who read a lot, audition equipment extensively, and then purchase, piecemeal, equipment that they think are the best for the money that they can spend. They would usually deploy good a DVD player, a 42 Inch TV going up to a projector, a mid to high end AVR, and good connectors and speaker cables. They would spend a lot of time fussing over the equipment, and getting it installed the way they like it. They would tear apart their living room to get the system installed to perform well. They would also spend some money on room acoustics, installing bass traps, and sound absorbing material on the walls. The roof, in most cases will be fitted with a false ceiling using POP.

Maybe 50% of this segment would also spend additional money on an independent two channel system that is separate from the HT System. They would generally use medium to high end front speakers that would do double duty for both HT and two channel music. These would invariably be floor standing three way speakers.

The HT rooms of this segment would be fitted with requisite lighting, air conditioning, and couches for watching movies and listening to music. The couches would be procured from local furniture shops or made to order to fit the existing decor.

Because of limited funds and, at the same time the drive to have the best, such installation may take up to a year or more, and would involve a large amount of time of the audio/video enthusiast.

Amplification would be in the range of 100 to 200 watts per channel for HT and roughly 200 to 500 watts per channel for two channel. Popular brands for HT would be Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Marantz, Rotel, NAD, Cambridge Audio, etc at the top. These would be followed by Harmon Kardon, Pioneer, Sony, Panasonic, etc.

The music system would be difficult to categorise in terms of brands, as many go in for pre/power amps, while a majority would go in for integrated equipment. The list is quite large.

The last segment is the price no issue segment. These are people who would go to a dealer, tell him he wants the best that is available, and leave it to the dealer to choose the equipment and also install it for him. They would certainly have an independent room that would be done up with the best room acoustics, having a dozen or more branded couches, a high end AVR, a projector, a self powered screen, and lighting that can darken the room completely to watch a movie. This segment would spend somewhere between 25 lakhs going up to a crore or more for the mini theater. A few may add a pop corm machine and a refrigerator setting the ambience.
Brands? Classe Audio, B&K, Carver, Denon, Sunfire......

With so much of problem with power failure what necessary steps does one take to protect their gadgets.

We don't see that as a problem at all. We have learnt to live with UPSs, power stabiliser, RFI/EMI filters and other power conditioning equipment.
 
welcome Archana,
Quality AV Consumer scene in INDIA has a long way to go .....


leaving the the few audiophile people generally ..
general people ..even big percentage urban people are unaware of quality audio equipments here .

But th e trend is catching up .... as elaborated by other members ..:)
kaushik
 
Hi,

Thanks soundsgreat and venkatcr for ur replies...wonder why Bangalore doesnt have good MNC's for AV...with more and more people looking for such
ammenities right now... or do the companies charge exorbitantly for such AV drawings.
Hi,

Ohh IC ! Glad to know that ! Wow even better, So which company do you work for ?? whats the primary activity of it ??

There aren't much MNC's into this ! if Am not wrong there are only a couple of them !! all are Indian companies who are into AV integration and stuff ! Onkyo is one MNC that comes to my mind,They've tied-up with lot of AV automation firms (one from US,maybe you know that ) !

Bangalore is one of the biggest market India in this field besides Mumbai and Delhi !


I work for Audio People in ohio a small scale firm,where we do a lot of AV works for residences ,offices,auditoriums,churches etc....they also do lighting for all these projects....

I just had a big doubt:
Say if i was interested to get a AV done for my house in India whom should i approach and what kind of work can i expect from them...in other words will they do the cad drawings for AV and then select the kind of products like TV's,Speakers,Keypads ....and also give me a decent estimate and execute the work. just like how Architects or Civil Engineers would work on projects.

Thanks for all ur replies

Hey Archana

Sorry for late response...

First of all Welcome to the HiFi Forum...
Its nice to have people from Audio Industry...

Yes we do have people who you can term as the Home Theatre specialists, or integrators, or whatever you wanna name them, and they do work like civil engg., and architects.. with CAD drawings, selections, estimate, budget and all...
but, yes there are finger countable...
Venkat, yes i am sure..in general public as we see regularly there are many people dealing with integration job, and they call themselves as specialists.. but, being in the industry, i have finally found couple of people in Bangalore and couple of them in Delhi who you can trust as in for Home Theatres... with the proper CAD drawings, estimation, selection and all the process...
They are really dynamic, and there work is really impressive...
I know them, as i have supplied material to them..
but yes Archana.. its true... tht.. the AV condition in India is really pity...

Same, as the Nuvo product in US, sells , like for free, where in india, people grab it as its the cheapest available...

Hats off to ya.. Venkat..
although we are decorating the ultra slow improvement of our country...
But, still your answers are really nice.. to read..and are perfect for Indian AV growth...

But, yes, if sector keeps on booming, with sixth pay commission, getting a green signal, the market will take a new way...
 
Thanks a lot Venkatcr for the detailed email..a real good info for the doubts i had.
At the outset, I would like to APOLOGISE UNCONDITIONALLY for my comments on audio consultants. Though I have had some personal experiences, I have subsequently learned that there are a large number of consultants who are very professional, and who employ modern computerised system, measuring instruments, and use the best of materials to set up top-notch room acoustics

I do understand because of a few not everyone should be looked upon the same way...

Thanks once again..
 
Hi Mridul Goel,

Venkat, yes i am sure..in general public as we see regularly there are many people dealing with integration job, and they call themselves as specialists.. but, being in the industry, i have finally found couple of people in Bangalore and couple of them in Delhi who you can trust as in for Home Theatres... with the proper CAD drawings, estimation, selection and all the process...

I know them, as i have supplied material to them
I am happy to be a part of this forum also trying to learn more abt the way Indian AV works...
Since you said you are a dealer I am sure you would have a better idea if there are any good MNC's in Bangalore dealing with AV and Lighting work for residences and commercial projects.. Would be really great if i could get some info .

Thanks.
 
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