Home cinema receiver setup in Exeter
Professional home cinema receiver setup services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£85-£160
Typical Duration
1.5-3 hrs
Location
Exeter, Devon
Home cinema receiver fully set up. All speakers connected, HDMI devices working, sound calibrated for your room. Explained so you actually know how to use it.
£800 Worth of Equipment Gathering Dust
Bought a proper AV receiver and surround sound speakers? Excellent choice. Except it's all still in boxes because the manual is 60 pages of technical gibberish and you've got seven HDMI cables and no idea where they go.
Home cinema equipment sounds incredible when it's set up properly. But "properly" means speaker placement, HDMI signal routing, audio calibration, network streaming, and about eight different remote controls that need programming. It's genuinely complicated.
💡 Pro tip: ARC and eARC (Audio Return Channel) on HDMI means sound can go FROM your TV back TO the receiver. This matters for watching Netflix through TV apps. Get it wrong and you have no sound.
Why It's Complicated
| ✅ Set Up Properly | ❌ Common Problems |
|---|---|
| All HDMI devices work with one remote | Each device needs different remote |
| Surround sound from all sources | Only stereo, or no sound from some sources |
| Calibrated for your room size | Sounds muddy or bass is overwhelming |
| Network streaming working | Can't play Spotify/internet radio |
| You know which input for what | Press random buttons hoping for picture |
What I sort out:
- Speaker connections (positive/negative, correct channels)
- HDMI connections (device → receiver → TV, ARC setup)
- Audio calibration (mic measures room, adjusts levels)
- Input naming and source selection
- Remote control programming (universal or Harmony)
- Network connection for streaming
- Subwoofer positioning and level
What's Included
🔊 Complete AV Receiver Setup
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Speakers | Connect all channels correctly, position for best sound |
| HDMI | All devices through receiver, ARC/eARC configured |
| Calibration | Run auto-calibration, adjust manually for your room |
| Streaming | Connect to WiFi, set up Spotify/internet radio |
| Remotes | Program universal remote or show you source switching |
| Testing | Check every source works with proper surround sound |
📦 You're Left With
- Surround sound that actually works
- All devices accessible through receiver
- Calibrated for your room acoustics
- Confidence to switch sources and adjust volume
Pricing
| System Complexity | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 system, simple devices | 1.5 hrs | £85 |
| 5.1 or 7.1, multiple HDMI sources | 2-2.5 hrs | £110-£135 |
| Complex setup (Atmos, network, automation) | 3 hrs | £160 |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Time varies with system complexity and number of devices.
Perfect For...
✅ New equipment - Just bought receiver and speakers, no idea where to start
✅ House move - Had it working before, now can't replicate setup
✅ Electrician installed speakers - Ceiling/wall speakers wired but not connected
✅ Upgrade - Adding Atmos or more speakers to existing system
Why Choose Us for Home cinema receiver setup in Exeter?
All speakers connected and positioned properly
HDMI devices working through receiver
Sound calibrated for your room
Remote controls programmed and explained
What to Expect
Step 1: Speaker Connections
I connect all speakers to correct receiver channels (front L/R, center, surrounds, subwoofer). Check polarity (positive/negative) and test each speaker individually.
Step 2: HDMI & Sources
Connect all devices (Sky box, Blu-ray, games console, etc) to receiver, then receiver to TV. Configure ARC/eARC for TV apps. Name inputs sensibly ("Sky" not "HDMI 3").
Step 3: Calibration & Training
Run auto-calibration using setup mic, adjust manually based on your room. Connect streaming services. Show you how to switch sources, adjust volume, and use everything. Test with actual content to prove it works.
🔧 DIY Tips
Brave enough to try yourself? Here's the process:
🔊 Speaker connections
- Each speaker has + and - terminals (red and black usually)
- Receiver has matching terminals for each channel: FL, FR, C, SL, SR, (SBL, SBR for 7.1), SUB
- Match speaker cable stripe/text to positive terminal
- Don't cross positive and negative (causes phase issues)
- Subwoofer usually uses RCA cable (single cable with red/white plugs)
📺 HDMI routing
- All source devices (Sky, Blu-ray, console) plug into receiver HDMI inputs
- ONE cable from receiver "HDMI OUT" to TV "HDMI IN (ARC)"
- Check TV HDMI port says "ARC" or "eARC" - this matters
- In receiver settings, enable HDMI control and ARC
- In TV settings, enable HDMI-CEC and ARC
🎚️ Calibration process
- Plug setup mic into receiver (supplied with most receivers)
- Place mic at head height in main listening position
- Run auto-calibration from receiver menu (usually called "Auto Setup" or "YPAO" or "Audyssey")
- Receiver plays test tones, measures distances and levels
- Review results, adjust if bass too loud or surrounds too quiet
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Mixing up positive and negative speaker connections
- Connecting devices to TV instead of receiver (bypasses surround sound)
- Using wrong HDMI port on TV (needs to be ARC port)
- Subwoofer phase switch wrong (try both positions, one sounds better)
- Not running calibration at all (sounds terrible)
- Receiver set to stereo mode instead of surround
💡 Pro trick: After calibration, test with something you know well - favorite film scene, concert Blu-ray. Should hear clear dialogue from center speaker, effects from surrounds, bass from sub. If something sounds wrong, it probably is.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🎬 Dolby Atmos? Needs ceiling speakers or upward-firing speakers, plus Atmos-capable receiver. Setup is more complex because you're adding height channels. Mention Atmos when booking so I know it's not standard 5.1/7.1.
Speaker positioning matters: Front L/R at ear level either side of TV. Center below/above TV pointing at you. Surrounds to the sides or slightly behind, ear level or above. Subwoofer usually corner or along front wall (experiment for best bass).
Older house? Running new speaker cables might mean lifting carpets or external trunking. If electrician's already done in-wall wiring, brilliant - I just connect the ends.
Streaming services: Most modern receivers do Spotify Connect, internet radio, AirPlay. I'll set these up if your receiver supports them. Needs WiFi connection.
Universal remotes: Logitech Harmony or similar can control everything with one remote. Worth it for complex setups. I can program them but you need to buy the remote first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's involved in setting up an AV receiver?
Connecting all your speakers (5.1 or 7.1 surround), running HDMI from TV and devices (Sky box, Blu-ray, games console), configuring audio settings, calibrating surround sound for your room size, and programming remote controls. It's properly fiddly if you've never done it.
Can you set it up if I've already got the speakers installed?
Yes - often people have had ceiling speakers or surround speakers wired in by electricians, but nobody's connected or configured the receiver. I do the whole signal path: devices → receiver → TV, plus speaker setup and calibration.
I've got a soundbar - is that the same thing?
No, soundbars are much simpler (that's a different service). AV receivers are for proper surround sound systems with multiple speakers around the room. Much more complicated setup but way better sound quality.
Will you hide all the cables?
Where possible, yes. HDMI cables get routed neatly, speaker cables concealed along skirting or through walls if already installed. Can't always make them invisible but I can make them tidy.
Do I need to supply the cables or do you provide them?
You supply them - there's loads of choice on length, quality, price. I can advise what you need (how many HDMI, what length speaker cable, etc) and you order from Amazon or Richer Sounds. Then I come and connect it all properly.
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