Home theaters open against the Internet, smaller houses

For Mark Doubet, bigger can be better.

“The fact is that the LED panels keep getting larger and the prices keep coming down,” said Doubet, president of DB Acoustics. “Customers no longer are having to put in projection systems if they choose not to because the screens are large enough - they've introduced 90-inch panels now.

“The manufacturers even have a 102-inch panel in the works, so things are coming along.”

But as options such as screens get bigger, they become more complex, too.

“Everything today has become network or IT-based,” he explained. “When I began working in this industry, nothing was computer-driven or IT-based - everything was analog.

“Today everything is digital, and everything is done via a network or a backbone in a system and everything is IT-based.”

Doubet noted that the residential side of the business has been slower the past couple years, with the trend away from the large luxury homes.

“There are still some nice homes being built, but not nearly like they were four to five years ago,” he noted. “We are still developing and designing some very nice dedicated home theater systems for a few folks, but right now the commercial business side is just much stronger.”

THE CHALLENGE OF THE INTERNET

“The Internet can be a bit of a double-sided sword for local residential dealers because it gives the consumer the ability to shop online,” Doubet acknowledged, adding that “while people are savvy in trying to obtain the best value for their dollars expended, it can lead to trouble for them when it comes to understanding what they bought and how to get it installed.

“People sometimes buy products they don't understand, and they don't realize what it takes to put that new equipment into use.”

DB Acoustics has 13 employees and has been in business since 1986, said Doubet, the owner.

“We want to help our customers by assisting them in making the right choices. We want to get things set up correctly for them, and show them how to use the equipment properly as well,” he said.

“We do Sharp television systems as well as Samsung,” he said. “Sharp LCD panels have been doing very, very well, as have the LED screens.”

Speaking of screens, at Zuber's Sound Around, a residential electronics/home entertainment installer, flat screens are the hottest selling item.

“Right now our business is mainly residential,” Tom Zuber said.

“All along our customer has been the medium-priced customer. People are replacing their older TVs, like the old back projection flat screens, and hooking it up to their existing equipment.”

He noted his clientele is moving away from the dedicated theater rooms to an all-inclusive room.

“They go with the screen and projector typically in the family room or the great room, so it is more of a family setting these days. People are going with the bigger screens and not going with the projector screen any longer,” he said, noting they prefer the 65- to 70-inch flat panels.

Zuber sells Sharp, Toshiba and Panasonic TVs, with the Sharps and Toshibas being the lead sellers for them, and runs the 38-year-old business out of his home, assisted by two installers.

DON'T KNOW IT WHEN THEY HEAR IT

Zuber added he's witnessed a decline in quality in some of the equipment on the market.

“We are noticing quite dramatically that the sound systems that go with these equipments that people are wanting today are really bottom of the line anymore,” he said. “It's kind of sad.

“High-quality sound systems are just not even considered by the majority of the people,” he said. “People seem to think the iPod is the living end.”

Zuber built a showroom addition on to his house so that he can demonstrate the various sound systems to his prospective customers.

“I have people sit in here and I switch between the speakers for them. The difference between a little cracker box speaker and a full-quality speaker is like day and night, and some of the people will claim that they cannot hear the difference,” he said.

He likes the Onkyo brand for electronics, and Polk Audio for speakers - “Those are our two main brands.”

He doesn't believe people should go for the cheapest solution.

“The price shoppers are out buying on the Internet and can get themselves into trouble - and then they have to call us to fix things for them. Our rates then are higher for that because we do have to clean up their mess,” Zuber said.

“It will get you in the end.”