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The problem here is that today’s TVs are so complicated that it makes setting them up an experience in futility for anyone not familar with home audio. Even my brother in law who has a very nice system setup by Magnolia didn’t have it set properly. His sources were using stereo, his resolution was set to 1080i when his TV was 720p native, and his front speakers were wired backwards. Not to mention all sorts of small tweaks that needed attention like setting Pro Logic II on TV stereo sources, adjusting the color, doing the auto setup without holding the mic in your hands etc. Every time I go over and babysit I find something else wrong. Like his harmony remote not adjusting the volume of his receiver, but his TV when on his appleTV setting.
I had an idea for a business plan that would use standard components (same TVs, same Receiver, same BD player) that would have the same setup for each house that bought that package. You had to buy the whole package (there would be different size TVs and stuff but overall it would be only a few manageable packages) and you could have a preprogrammed remote and a process for installation that has been checked by me so it could be installed by a slightly trained employee for less than a full on custom system. It is a step up from a HTiB especially since it comes with the TV and installation and calibration, but it is a step down from full custom solutions that require thousands in labor and trained professionals (that often are not trained and make some of the same mistakes as the Geek Squad). These stores could be setup in high end neighborhoods and could give the upper middle class and lower upper class, the quality of a custom system, the reliability and simpleness of a HTiB, and the full service of a custom installer. The remote and the installation proceedure are the keys here. By sticking to the same components, you have the ability to have an expert setup the system in advance, and detail every minor thing in the remote and proceedure so you get the same results every time. Speakers could be chosen by the buyer and the auto calibrate would be able to handle any (passive) speaker.
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