When planning a new office, event space, or educational facility, audio visual (AV) technology is often a core component. From interactive displays and video conferencing systems to room automation and sound management, AV solutions can transform the way people communicate, learn, and collaborate.

A common question arises: “Do AV consultants handle installation, or is their role limited to planning?” Understanding the scope of an AV consultant’s responsibilities is crucial for a successful project, saving time, reducing costs, and ensuring a seamless experience. In this article, we break down what AV consultants do, the difference between planning and installation, and how NoiseBox delivers end-to-end solutions for clients across Australia.

What AV Consultants Do: Planning vs Installation

Planning: The Core of AV Consultancy

Audio Visual consultants specialise in understanding client needs, designing systems that meet objectives, and ensuring technology aligns with a space’s requirements. Their responsibilities in the planning phase typically include:

• Assessing the space: Analysing acoustics, lighting, room layout, and infrastructure to determine optimal AV configurations.
• System design: Specifying equipment, layouts, cabling, and integration points to meet client objectives.
• Technology selection: Recommending the best hardware and software based on budget, scalability, and functionality.
• Budgeting and proposals: Preparing cost estimates and project timelines for approval.
• Workflow and user experience design: Ensuring the system is intuitive, efficient, and suitable for staff or end-users.

In short, planning is where the AV consultant ensures that the system will work effectively before any hardware is installed.

Installation: How Consultants Contribute

The installation phase involves physically placing and connecting AV equipment, testing, and commissioning the system. While some clients assume consultants only plan, many, including NoiseBox, offer end-to-end solutions where installation is either:

1. Managed directly by the consultant’s team: The consultant oversees or carries out the installation, ensuring the system matches the original design.
2. Coordinated with third-party installers: Consultants provide detailed specifications, oversee the installation process, and conduct quality checks.

Consultants’ involvement in installation is crucial. It ensures that the system functions exactly as intended and prevents costly errors that can occur when designs are handed off without supervision.

Why Consultant Involvement in Installation Matters

Ensuring System Accuracy

Even small deviations during installation can affect performance. For example, improper placement of speakers in a conference room can lead to poor sound coverage, and incorrect display positioning can result in glare or visibility issues. Having a consultant present during installation guarantees fidelity to the design.

Streamlining Communication

Consultants act as a bridge between clients, contractors, and installers. They ensure that technical specifications are followed, adjustments are communicated in real time, and the system meets both functional and aesthetic requirements.

Optimising User Experience

Consultants often fine-tune the system during installation. This might involve calibrating audio levels, adjusting lighting settings, or programming interactive features so that staff and users can operate the system efficiently from day one.

Example: At a corporate boardroom fit-out in Melbourne, NoiseBox consultants oversaw both the planning and installation of a hybrid video conferencing system. By supervising the installation, they ensured all displays were perfectly aligned, audio levels were consistent, and the room automation worked seamlessly—avoiding any disruptions on launch day.

When Consultants Only Plan

In some cases, AV consultants provide detailed designs and specifications but do not handle installation. This approach may be appropriate for:

• Organisations with in-house technical teams capable of installation
• Projects that require multiple contractors across different trades
• Smaller-scale installations where professional installation is straightforward

Even when not installing, a consultant’s role is vital. Their plans act as a blueprint, and they often provide ongoing support, including troubleshooting, commissioning guidance, and staff training.

How NoiseBox Handles End-to-End AV Projects

NoiseBox specialises in providing full-service AV consultancy. This means we can manage projects from the first consultation to final installation and commissioning, ensuring clients receive:

1. Tailored system design: Solutions customised to the client’s space, workflow, and technology needs.
2. Expert installation oversight: On-site supervision by certified consultants to guarantee alignment with the original plan.
3. Quality testing and optimisation: Ensuring all systems function perfectly before handover.
4. Staff training and documentation: Providing users with the knowledge to operate the system efficiently.
5. Ongoing support and maintenance: Offering technical assistance and upgrades as technology evolves.

This integrated approach reduces risks, saves time, and provides peace of mind, knowing that every detail is accounted for.

Choosing the Right AV Consultant

When selecting an AV consultant, consider the following:

1. Experience and Track Record

Look for consultants with a proven history in projects similar to yours. Case studies and client testimonials are invaluable indicators of capability.

2. Technical Expertise

Ensure the consultant has a deep understanding of audio, video, and networking technologies, as well as certifications such as CTS (Certified Technology Specialist).

3. Project Management

A good consultant manages timelines, budgets, and installation logistics efficiently, minimising surprises and delays.

4. End-to-End Service

If installation is part of your requirement, confirm whether the consultant oversees or performs installation, and whether ongoing support is included.

5. Customisation and Flexibility

The best AV consultants provide solutions tailored to your space and goals, rather than offering standard “off-the-shelf” systems.

Common Questions About AV Consultants and Installation

Do all AV consultants provide installation services?

Not all. Some focus solely on design and planning. However, many, like NoiseBox, offer end-to-end solutions, including installation oversight.

Can installation be handled by third-party contractors?

Yes. Consultants often coordinate with trusted installers, ensuring the system is installed according to specifications.

Why is consultant involvement important during installation?

Consultant involvement ensures accuracy, quality, and user experience. It prevents errors, reduces downtime, and ensures the system performs as intended.

Is post-installation support included?

Reputable consultants provide ongoing support, including troubleshooting, system optimisation, and staff training.

Conclusion

Audio Visual consultants do far more than plan systems—they ensure your technology investment meets your objectives, whether through design, installation oversight, or full end-to-end service. Choosing a consultant who can guide the project from conception to completion reduces risks, guarantees performance, and delivers a seamless user experience.

At NoiseBox, we combine technical expertise, customised design, and installation management to deliver AV solutions across Australia that work perfectly from day one. Whether it’s a corporate boardroom, an event venue, or an educational facility, our consultants ensure every project is executed with precision, professionalism, and attention to detail.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do AV consultants handle installation?

Many do. Some focus only on planning, while full-service consultants, like NoiseBox, manage installation oversight to ensure systems match the design.

Can third-party installers follow an AV consultant’s plan?

Yes. Consultants often coordinate with installers to guarantee correct implementation and system performance.

What’s the benefit of consultant involvement in installation?

Consultants ensure accuracy, optimise performance, streamline communication, and deliver a superior user experience.

Is post-installation support provided?

Yes. NoiseBox and similar consultants provide staff training, troubleshooting, and ongoing technical support.

How do I choose the right AV consultant for my project?

Consider experience, technical expertise, project management, ability to customise solutions, and whether they offer installation and support services.

New Blueprint For Commissioning A.V. is Born !

A trend is something that starts at a point in time – generally at a time when dissatisfaction is occurring and a change from the ‘norm’, affecting a better outcome, is required.

Some trends endure to become a ‘standard’, but most are tried and abandoned for various reasons, as change requires ‘REVOLUTION’.

Noisebox is at the centre of such a revolution, by rethinking how Audio Visual equipment is commissioned into corporate environments.

Deloitte is a case in point because of a long history of wide spread dissatisfaction with their standard procedures.

To paraphrase a senior property and facilities management executive, “Every project involving AV to date has be a spectacular failure”.

Traditionally managing the process of design, specifications, tendering, implementation and commissioning of equipment, has been handled exclusively at an ‘academic’ level, which has proven, too often, to focus on outcomes that are mainly premised by, the ‘lowest price wins’ ideology: –
– (The tender is handled by several building companies, through a tendering process, which is scuttled by the AV tenderers in a race to the very bottom.
Implementation follows the winner’s motto of cheapest price wins and variations are now the ‘main game’).

Result being, that the academics get to earn their keep, and the client gets what they get. This is an all too familiar scenario and one that requires change, as, in this highly technical age, expertise lies with the experts in their fields and not with the academics.

So what are the options?

To get off this ‘merry-go-round’ of ineffectiveness that has ensued, Noisebox has implemented a system, which has more accountability and provides direct access to hands-on expertise.

This is how it has worked for our ‘Happy Customer’ Deloitte., firstly, the services of a specialised AV company who provide a concierge audio visual service is engaged and whereby technical support staff are embedding into the Deloitte offices in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Next they married the concierge staff with the corporate services staff, allowing for relevant, planning and preparation dialogue before meetings and corporate events, facilitating an environment whereby, the people who are responsible for delivering the outcomes are all together in a cooperative and interdependent environment.

RESULTS: Happy presenters, Satisfied event attendees, Less anxiety and ultimately, SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES! ✔✔✔✔✔

While this system was working well the installed equipment was just not keeping up. The question that needed answering was:-

What if the operator of the systems could have direct dialogue with the actual people who installed the technology?, would Deloitte get better outcomes? Would it change the trend of spiraling equipment failures?

What ensued was, Corporate Technology Services became the client and Noisebox Integrated Technologies, became the solutions designers and installers, being completely and unequivocally responsible for all outcomes.

Problem solved, new ‘blueprint’ for the smooth installation of audiovisual and video conferencing integrated technologies, is born.

Master Antennae TV – a communal aerial system that uses a master aerial to receive the signal before it is distributed.

Many venue operators are looking for an edge – if you have invested heavily in offering a Sports bar or any sort of large screen viewing facility you will want to create a “just like being there environment” so your patrons keep coming back. Destination venues create customer loyalty and to achieve this the technology must deliver the experience.

The biggest misconception about digital TV is that all programs are transmitted in high definition (HD) when in fact TV programs are mainly still standard definition (SD) but are viewed through the digital tuner that “makes” the picture look better.  The jargonistic terms also don’t help with demystifying the technology, descriptions like “1080P” and “true high definition” don’t mean that much to the average person. In reality there are several high definition resolutions (picture quality) including true HD at 1080P, 720P and barely HD but more SD 576P. Obviously the best resolution is 1080P, but 720P & 576P can look ok.

For venue operators the problem has been how to get PAY TV (PTV) channels to appear through the digital tuner on the TV. Most venues have used analogue modulation where the AV signal from the PTV box is turned into an analogue RF channel and subsequently appears via the analogue tuner on your expensive flat panel  screen. So Digital TV (DTV) came along and you could get all the free to air (FTA) channels on the digital tuner and all the PTV channels on the analogue tuner. Not very practical for venue management, usually they opted to just show all the channels through the analogue tuner… bye bye HD TV… until now.

Like most technology it gets cheaper the more they make, what was $3000 per SD PTV channel is now currently at around $800.00 per PTV channel. Added to this Sky Channel now provides a digital signal at the set top box so Sky 1 & Sky 2 are available as a 576P SD signal viewable through the digital tuner on your TV. Foxtel is the only provider that has kept to the AV format but offers true 1080P HD programs through the IQ2 box.  Venues could then have either a 4 channel SD modulation for all the Fox sports channels OR maybe an additional one HD modulator for programs transmitted in true HD.

Implementing these facilities at a venue is reasonably straight forward so long as the basic infrastructure (antenna & cabling) are not too old. Assuming that the venue has a good base the job of upgrading to digital requires the removal of equipment at the RF hub and installation of the digital modulators. A retune of all the televisions to pick up the new digital signals completes the upgrade.

Contact Noisebox via the website or call on 02 9638 3300 for a quote on how you can leverage your current TV investment to achieve a better, high performance, high definition outcome.