We recently completed a project for a client in the West End of London who had a very messy and unreliable installation done by another company a number of years ago.

He asked Couture Digital to update the control system and amplification as well as tidy up the frankly DIY looking installation.

Our complimentary site survey was our first chance to inspect the original system and to get a feel for what the client wanted. In this case, he wanted the system to operate more or less the same way that it always did but with nice new remote controls and updated surround amplifiers enabling him to utilise his recent full HD and 3D TV’s and Blu-Ray players.

We replaced his old Philips Pronto controls with brand new URC MX-5000i remotes and a MRX1 control base station. Rather than using flaky Infra-red signals this control system works over a wireless network, allowing for more reliable, faster and more advanced control.

As I mentioned above, the original install was very poorly done. No equipment rack, no cable management, almost every cable in the system had been cut and extended with a combination of electrical tape, solder, or termination block. There were dozens of different audio and video converters being used many of which seemed completely unnecessary.

[See the BEFORE image gallery below]

Unpainted MDF Shelves, Messy Cables, Overheating stacked equipment

Some of the Audio & Video Converters

The network & telephony patch panel and satellite feeds

We started by pulling everything out completely. Removing all the shelves and grouping the cables together.

Many of the original cables were badly extended. We cleaned up any essential extensions using the correct connectors.

Next we built a professional 19″ metal rack and installed vented shelves and rack mounted power distribution units.

All cables and plugs are labelled for easy maintenance.

As the equipment was installed into the rack we secured each individual cable down to the shelf so that there is never any danger of a cable coming loose.

Cables fixed securely to the rack shelves

Next the equipment itself was secured using clamp bars. The bars are padded with foam to avoid damage to the casing of the devices.

Now even when someone decides to forcefull push a button on the front panel of a device, it wont move and the cables attached at the rear will not be bent or broken.

Eventually once all the kit was in place the main cables which run to the rooms of the flat were connected and routed carefully to the right areas of the rack. With this much cable it was important that we supported its weight by fixing it to the backs of the shelves and also by keeping it bunched tightly we allowed for more airflow to the devices (some of which can get quite hot)

Almost finished. The cables have been routed through the rack to the right devices.

We finished by tidying up that messy network patch panel.

Finished network and telephony patch panel and Satellite feeds.

The finished rack ready to be rolled back into it's cupboard

Overall this was a very successful project and we are happy with the result. The client has a system which is much less likely to fail and supports the latest technology. And best of all it works in the same way he was used to. This rack can be locked away in it’s closet and forgotten about, the client operates the entire system from his wireless touch panel remote controls.

If you have a poorly installed or faulty system and would like someone to come for a complimentary survey and give you a quote for repairing or upgrading it. Please contact our office on 0800 195 4825.