If you are bewildered about the consumer electronics age, Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) offers 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips for your home environment.

The 10 Smart Consumer Electronic Tips provide you with a concise and informative list of helpful hints to assist you in making smart decisions when purchasing home consumer electronics.

The 10 Smart Consumer Electronics Tips is a collaborative effort developed by members of CEDIA. Members of CEDIA are knowledgeable and talented professionals representing all facets of the industry from designers/installers to manufacturers and sales representatives.

CEDIA developed this list of recommendations after many hours of collaboration between our members. Our goal for developing this list was to take an active role in providing assistance to the consumer. These tips cover four areas: innovation, investments, integration and ease of use.

Although this advice is geared toward the homeowner, it is also beneficial to the builder, architect, interior designer and custom electronics professional. When building or remodeling, the designer or builder may use this list as a reference for making recommendations on home integration to their customer.

Here is the list:

1. Wire for everything now – If you are building or remodeling your home, wire it with a plan for future needs. While no one can guarantee what the future will look like, CEDIA Professionals make it their business to stay current to offer good advice about technologies that are on the horizon. Best of all they can help you sort out the hype from the reality.
2. Plan for HDTV now – High Definition TV is the new digital standard for enhanced picture quality for TV broadcasting. If you're buying a new TV or video projector, make sure you'll be able to enjoy the incredible sound and pictures that are part of HDTV.
3. Insist on integrated systems – As you buy new electronic components, make sure you shop for equipment that can be hooked up together and operated with one, easy to use control system.
4. Don’t buy yesterday’s products (often what is in stock) – Many stores purchase large orders of all equipment and sell it at discounted rates. Shop with a dealer that only provides you with new equipment and technologies.
5. Consider integrating lighting control with your home electronics system — Lighting sets the mood for home theater, entertaining, or just a quiet night at home. You can control your home lighting from the same remote that you use to control your theater or music system.
6. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.
7. Buy an experience, not a box – Find a dealer that allows you to test drive the entire system or at least experience the thrill of a high performance system. Few people have the time to research and evaluate all the hardware choices. It's smarter to focus on the end result and make your choices based upon overall performance and value.
8. Don't think you have to put up with hard to use, multiple remote controls – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. You can even have them custom programmed so they make perfect sense to you.
9. Consult a professional – Designing and installing reliable, easy to use systems that add real quality to your lifestyle is the goal of CEDIA professionals. Check to see if the company you're considering has CEDIA Certified Professional Designers and Installers on staff.
10. Increase your service expectations – Your home electronics system is a big investment. CEDIA professionals will provide you with extensive options, comprehensive designs, complete installation and especially, in-home service for your systems.

Please utilize only Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association – CEDIA — professionals ensuring your dollars are invested well while focusing on the design, integration and installation.