Business brings the theater experience home

Richard Red's background in electrical engineering, information technology and network design made for an easy transition into a career designing home theaters and media rooms.

"That's how my brain works," Red said. "I love doing the design for larger projects and putting a system together that's highly technical but very easy to use for the consumer."

Red opened Sky Vision A/V Design & Integration in its current location on Williams Drive in July 2009 after about three years of installing residential satellite service, first out of his garage and then from a warehouse space.

"People said I was crazy opening up a store in 2009," he said. "I had a 30 percent increase [in business] the very first year."

The business works with residential and commercial customers and offers a variety of audio/visual services, including home theater and media room design and setup, audio systems, home automation and control, and system design and integration as well as DirecTV and Dish Network satellite services.

Red said the majority of his business, about 70 percent, involves designing and setting up multipurpose media rooms. His busy season typically begins in the summer and runs through January, he said.

Throughout the years, the business has evolved, and Red has added services as customer demand has changed, he said.

"As I was progressing and people saw the quality of work that I did, I started getting requests for custom A/V work—hanging TVs on the wall, installing speakers—simple jobs like that," he said. "As soon as I opened the doors here I turned into a custom A/V shop almost overnight."

People interested in custom A/V setups and home theaters can work with Red to design a system that works to best fill their needs, he said.

Red said he enjoys the custom design aspect of the business. The right screen and audio system provide the best viewing and listening experience, he said.

"I try to explain to my customers how important the audio is," he said. "That gives you the immersion experience along with the big screen. [Audio] brings the emotion out in the movie."

Sky Vision offers several packages at various price points to meet customers' needs as well as estimates for home automation, and each job comes with Sky Vision's six-month warranty.

Red said he tries to be competitive with everyone in the home theater market.

"The difference is we're here local, and we stand behind our work," he said.

Home theater experience

Sky Vision A/V Design & Integration offers customers a chance to preview the home theater experience for movie nights and sporting events at the store's home theater showroom. Owner Richard Red said he wants to give people the home theater experience.

The room features leather couches that fit six adults as well as beanbag seating. Movie nights are $50, and sporting events are $80.

Defining the product

Red offers a variety of packages and options for customers, ranging from TV installation to complex home theater rooms.

• Multipurpose media room — Common living areas with a home entertainment system, including television, a high-definition Digital Video Recorder, a Blu-ray player and surround sound audio system
• Dedicated home theater — Combines high-tech electronic equipment, including a large screen and projection system and a surround sound audio system for theater-quality image and sound
• Home automation — Allows a person to control many aspects of home including lighting, air conditioning and heating, and security systems while in or away from home

4106 Williams Drive, Ste. 103, 512-686-0757, 512-879-1055, www.skyvisionav.com

• Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sat. by appointment