Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction to 5.1 sound
How do I install a 5.1 surround sound system. Klipsch, Mirage, Denon, Polk, Choosing from a range of products floorstanding speakers vs in wall, bookshelf, satellite. Do I need a subwoofer? How do I install in wall/in ceiling speakers.View PDF here
Better TV reception Mornington
Recently there have been quite a few changes that have occurred to television. The last ten years has seen more changes arguably since the change from black and white to color television. Digital television has beamed into people’s houses perfect television reception where previously it was only possible to get a snowy picture. Read More…
What does DVB-T stand for?
DVB-T is an abreviation of digital video broadcast – terrestrial
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What does 8K stand for?
8K means that the system used in Australia uses 8000 carriers inside the Australian digital television signal.
COFDM?
This means Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing. In short the broadcast is divided up into portions, hence the denotation 8K
Multipath ghosting
This describes reflection in television signals from in front and side of the signal. Multipath ghosting means that the original signal has several delayed versions of the signal that collide with the original signal when recieved at the antenna. Whilst the standard used in Australia for digital terrestrial television has made great inroads in improving the damage that this problem does to picture quality. Ghosting does still cause a reduction in signal quality, hence the stability of the signal deteriorates somewhat. To resolve this requires careful consideration of the location and type of antenna specific to the job.
Splitter
With a quality splitter you needn’t have several antennas working against each other. A splitter provides a good impedence match to 75ohm. It provides a simple solution that works for a small television network (less than 10 tvs). Note an amplifier will be required for some systems.
Drop tap
A drop tap does just what it says: it ‘taps’ off the original signal running off a trunk cable. It takes a portion of the signal depending on the value given to it. i.e. a 16dB drop tap provides a signal 16dB below the signal on the trunk. It also provides a much higher level of isolation, thus aiding in the prevention of noise leaking into the system from each tv outlet and allows for control over the amount of signal so that precisely the correct amount is delivered to each outlet.
Separate VHF band III and UHF antennas?
Using seperate antennas allows the technician greater control over the direction of the antenna and the best location for each frequency range. Generally it allows for the customization of a system for antennas with the best performance rather than an intermediate style of antenna.
Log periodic
Fracarro make a range of log periodic antennas which in our experience trump every other log periodic on the market. These are priced competitively and do not shatter over time, such as other clone aerials. These aerials come in many configurations and work well for the great majority of customers.
Yagi antennas
Generally speaking a yagi antenna offers the best return loss of any antenna on the market. As such they offer a lot of performance for the money. If you are in an area where UHF is difficult to obtain a yagi is not always the way forward, a log periodic or phased array offer a larger capture area.
Phased array
This is the aerial of choice for people suffering from signals diffused by trees. The larger capture area helps stablise the signal.
Single channel headend
These allow for individual adjustment of signal levels of each channel. These also allow for filtering of out of band interference. If you are looking at mixing in lots of additional services a single channel headend is vital.
COFDM regeneration
If you are running a large MATV system COFDM regeneration is worth some thought. Whilst this may be one of the dearer parts of your MATV system, correcting the signal before shipping it around your system will aid in the stablility of your digital television system.
AV reciever
This is the term used for an audio amplifier that combines audio and video switching as well as the decoding and amplification of digital audio sources. These are an integral part of any system. These should be matched to the type of speakers being used to ensure listenablity. Each reciever colors the sound differently and this cannot be emphasized enough. Always check with your adviser to see that both speakers and amplifiers marry together well.
Horn loaded speakers
Horn driven speakers generally play louder from the same amplifier power. This makes them suitable for much larger rooms. Horn loaded speakers have a unique sound that makes them ideal for movies. Klipsch reference and paladium are the speaker of choice for fans of horn driven speakers.
Subwoofers
A quality subwoofer offers numerous benefits:
They take much load off the amplifier. This in turn helps to reduce harmonics at the amplifier stage
They create a cabinet dedicated to providing bass. This in turn provides clearer bass (rather than a muddy sound).
They allow the listener to use smaller loudspeakers for the same amount of sound.
By taking the bass work from other speakers, you in turn reduce resonances from other speakers. This in turn provides sharper dialogue during movies, particularly during scenes with lots of sharp and loud background noises.
HDMI
HDMI has become the new standard for the custom audio visual installer. That said it does have some limitations. HDMI is generally locked using a standard called HDCP. Thus it only allows for one television to work with each source.
Toslink
Safety warning: A plastic conduit for LASER light! This is considered to be the standard for digital audio only sources. It is also recommended that you don’t look into the laser beam feeding through the toslink lead!