Home entertainment
Home theatre and TV installation in Remuera
A home theatre is only as good as what sits behind the walls. Our electricians mount TVs and projector screens, install aerials, and put in the power points, data cabling and lighting control that let a media room or lounge work without a tangle of leads.
Planning a media room
Remuera once went out to the pictures: the Tudor Theatre opened in 1928 as a cinema and dance hall, closed in 1973, and its site became the Tudor Mall. These days the big screen is more often in the lounge or a dedicated media room at home.
The best time to plan a home theatre is before the screen arrives. Decide where the screen or projector goes, where you will sit, and where the equipment will live, and the wiring follows from that: power points behind the screen and at the equipment cabinet, a supply in the ceiling for a projector, speaker cable to each corner, and data cabling so streaming does not depend on the wireless signal reaching the far end of a big house.
Lighting belongs in the same plan. Downlights on a dimmer, a soft light behind the screen, and lights that dim by themselves when a film starts all come from wiring that is put in at the start, and our LED lighting service covers the fittings and controls.
How a TV or theatre installation comes together
Agree the layout
Screen, seats, speakers and the equipment cabinet, measured in the room so viewing heights and cable runs are right.
Power and data first
New sockets, the projector supply and data points go in while walls and ceilings can still be reached easily.
Mount and conceal
The TV or screen is fixed to the structure behind the lining, and cables run inside the wall rather than down the face of it.
Connect and test
Aerial, streaming and speakers connected and tested, and new fixed wiring certified.
Power boards are not wiring
A TV, a sound bar, a receiver, a games console, a streaming box and a router add up to a lot of plugs, and in many lounges they all end up on one or two multi-boards behind the cabinet. Fire and Emergency New Zealand's advice on electronics is not to overload multi-boards, never to plug one board into another, and to remember that extension cords are not a permanent replacement for a home's wiring. It also warns against putting televisions and other equipment where there is no good airflow, because they can overheat.
For a home theatre that means enough real sockets where the equipment sits, and a cabinet with space and ventilation around the electronics. If the house is short of power points everywhere, it may be a sign of older wiring, which our rewiring page covers.
TVs over fireplaces and on character walls
Above the fireplace is a popular place for a TV, and it can work well with some care. The screen should sit low enough to watch without craning, and away from heat rising off the fire, so the manufacturer's clearances for both the fire and the TV matter. Power and the signal cables can usually be fed inside the chimney breast or the wall beside it, so nothing hangs below the screen.
Older Remuera houses have walls of many kinds: timber framing with plasterboard, old lath and plaster, and solid brick. Each takes a different fixing, and a heavy screen has to be fixed to the framing or masonry rather than the lining. Hiding cable in a brick wall takes more work than in a timber wall, and sometimes a neat surface channel painted to match is the better answer.
TV and home theatre questions
Can the cables be hidden inside the wall?
In most timber-framed walls, yes. Brick, concrete and some old plaster walls take more work, and a slim channel can be a better option there.
Do you install TV aerials?
Yes. We install and replace TV aerials and run the aerial cable to the rooms where you watch.
Should the TV be connected to the internet by cable?
Where possible, yes. A data cable from the router gives steadier streaming than wireless, especially in a large house or a room at the far end of it.
Can the lights dim automatically when a film starts?
Yes. With lighting on smart switches or a home automation system, a single button or scene can dim the room and turn on the screen.
Can a large TV go on an old plaster or brick wall?
Yes, with the right fixings into the framing or the masonry behind the surface. The wall is checked before the bracket goes up.
Talk to an electrician about your Remuera home
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour, or send us the details of the job and we will get back to you.
Other services
Rewiring Older Homes
New wiring for Remuera's villas, bungalows and Edwardian houses, planned around the ceilings, floors and joinery you want to keep.Switchboard Replacement
Old fuse boards replaced with a modern switchboard that has room for today's circuits, with the inspection arranged.LED & Interior Lighting
LED downlights, dimmers, joinery and wardrobe strips, and feature lights for kitchens, lounges and hallways.Garden & Outdoor Lighting
Lighting for gardens, paths, driveways, decks and outdoor rooms, so a big section can be used and found after dark.Heat Pump Installation
Heat pumps for a single room or a whole house, with the dedicated circuit and switchboard work they need.Security Cameras & Alarms
Alarm systems and CCTV cameras for homes and premises, placed to watch your property rather than your neighbours'.24/7 Emergency Electrician
Electricians available for call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for lost power, tripping circuits and anything burning or sparking.Enquiries
Contact us
Call 021 156 4005, day or night, or tell us about the job below and one of our electricians will get back to you.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs around the clock, every day of the week