Over time, we’ve received many questions from our clients. The ones on this page are some of the most commonly asked questions. So even if you didn’t ask it, you’re probably thinking it!

1. Who or what is Inspired Electronics, Inc.?
As a client of Inspired Electronics, Inc., you get the best home entertainment and control options to improve your time at home. We offer home theater, lighting control, and other systems that will make your home more fun, more functional, and more efficient. And if your a commercial client, you get the best commercial entertainment, control, and wiring options to improve your business. We offer digital signage, customer entertainment, voice and data wiring, lighting control, closed-circuit camera monitoring, and other systems that will make your business more fun, more functional, and more efficient.

2. What’s the difference between residential and commercial electronics? Isn’t a TV a TV?
Consumer electronics that are designed for use in a residential application are expected to be used for 2-4 hours per day. But in commercial applications, those components may be on for 12 to 24 hours per day, every day. That’s over 61,000 hours per year, compared to around 1,500 hours that would be expected in a residential setting. On top of that, the equipment may be touched by any number of employees, or even customers, who rarely treat the equipment with the same level of care they’d treat their own home theater system. Because of this, most residential-use electronics have a very short warranty when the unit is used in a commercial setting – usually just 30 days. Electronics designed for commercial use, on the other hand, have basic warranty coverage for up to 3 or 4 years, even in commercial use. They are designed to handle the additional demands and rough treatment they are likely to get in the commercial setting.

3. What makes Inspired Electronics, Inc. different than a big-box retailer?
When you go into a big-box retailer, you’re confronted with a huge array of products that all seem to do the same thing, but with subtle differences that seem to cause the prices to be all over the map. How do you know which one will work best in your home? At Inspired Electronics, Inc., we come to your home to see how you will be using the products. Because of our deep product knowledge, we can then recommend what will work best for you in your home. We never recommend products because we’re getting a “spif”, or because someone else tells us to push them. We only recommend what’s best for you and your unique situation.

4. What makes Inspired Electronics, Inc. different than another small custom installer?
We are one of only a handful of companies in Illinois that takes your electronics needs so seriously that we are trained and certified by CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association), ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) and HAA (Home Acoustic Alliance). These certifications demonstrate our commitment to providing the best electronic solutions for you.

5. Do you sell installation only, or do you also sell products?
Inspired Electronics, Inc. carries a wide variety of products and the best brands in consumer electronics. We’re always researching current and new products to ensure that our product offerings will work for you, and will work together.

6. Are your products covered by the manufacturer’s warranty?
We get all of the products we sell either direct from the manufacturer or through recognized (and legitimate) distribution channels. Therefore, all the products we sell are covered by manufacturer’s warranties. In addition, we have our own warranty on our installation and service.

7. Why don’t you have a storefront or a showroom?
We’ve found that when consumers walk into a showroom with a huge array of products that do the same thing, it’s very difficult for them to understand what’s right for them. And, products perform very differently in a store than in your home. Take, for example, a TV. When you’re in a big-box retailer, confronted with a wall of TVs, how do you choose? Most people choose based on the color saturation and brightness. Because of this, TV manufacturers turn up the brightness and color saturation in the factory to maximum levels. Not only does this use more power and decrease the life of the TV, it also produces images that just look wrong when you get the TV home. Our philosophy is to come into your home to see how you will be using your electronics. Then, we recommend what will work best for your unique circumstances. We also recommend calibrating your audio and video to ensure the best possible sound and picture.

8. What if I really want to see and feel the products you’re recommending?
Although we don’t have a showroom, many of the products we sell are on display at one of our distributors. If you’d really like to see the equipment, just ask us, and we’ll set up a private appointment for you!

9. I have my own ideas as to what I want in my home theater system. Can you work with me?
It may sound trite, but our goal really is complete customer satisfaction. Often, that means you want to keep some of your existing equipment. After all, it still works, and it works well, and you’d like to save some money! Other times you want to lay the room out in a certain way, or you want a specific function to be available. We understand this, and will definitely work with you to incorporate those requirements into your new system. We’ll also warn you of any potential incompatibilities or problems we may encounter, so you can make an informed decision on what’s best for your new system.

10. I have a home theater system, but it just doesn’t feel right. What can you do about it?
You’ve hit on one of the things that makes us truly unique. We are one of the few companies in Illinois that can calibrate your system to get the best performance within your room, and make design or programming changes that will make your system work better for you. We may also suggest equipment changes, but we always leave the final decision up to you. After all, you know best what price/performance tradeoffs you’re willing to make.

11. What certifications and accreditations do you have?
We are one of just a handful of companies in Illinois with certifications in ISF video calibration, HAA audio calibration, and CEDIA installation certification. We take your electronic systems very seriously, so we spend lots of time and resources in ensuring we can offer the best equipment and the best installation and service possible for you.

12.  Can’t my electrician or IT guy install this type of equipment?
Well, it depends. In some cases, your IT team or electrician knows how to physically connect the equipment and pull wiring to where it needs to go. But there are some specific knowledge points that these trades are not necessarily trained in. For example, neither electricians nor IT staff are typically trained in how to make sure a video display doesn’t fall off the wall (and hurt someone). And IT folks don’t often understand the specifics of how to effectively pull low-voltage wiring within an office. Finally, neither of these groups are typically trained on how to deliver the best video and audio experience to your clients. We’ve often been called in to finish a job started by another trade, only to find out speakers are in the wrong locations for a good, even sound, and video displays don’t have clear lines of sight. Your customers judge your company and make buying decisions based on what they see. When you rely on professional installation, you will reduce your risk.

13. What’s Plenum, and why do I need it?
Wire and cable has different ratings for general-use, in-wall, between-floor, and other uses. The difference is primarily in the casings, and how it reacts to fire and heat. Plenum-rated is designed for use in air-handling spaces, and gives off much lower levels of noxious fumes when heated or burned. In-wall rated is designed for concealed use in walls or ceilings, and the casing won’t act like a fuse (which could rapidly spread fire from one area of your building to another). Local building codes specify what’s required in each situation, and we follow those codes to protect your business, customers, and employees.

14. Can I play the radio or my library of CDs in my business?
In most cases, playing pre-recorded or broadcast music in a business setting is considered rebroadcasting. In order to rebroadcast, you need to pay royalties to the artists who wrote and performed the music, over and above any royalties already paid by the radio station or the cost of the CD.  ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) aggressively monitors the public use of music in businesses, restaurants and bars, cell phone ringtones, and other public or semi-public venues, so you want to be sure you protect your business. You can, of course, license the music directly with the licensors, but you would need to track every song played, each time it’s played. We offer a less expensive alternative in XM Radio for Business.