U01
Conference rooms
Displays, cameras and microphones cabled and mounted so the meeting starts on time.
AUDIO / VIDEO · CCB #249201 · MILWAUKIE, OR
The screen turns on when the meeting starts.
Displays, projectors, conference cameras and paging all run on low voltage cable someone has to plan, pull and terminate before the gear ever gets hung. That someone is a licensed crew, not whoever was free that week.
SECTION 01 / WHAT WE HANG AND WIRE
Four rooms, one crew.
Commercial A/V is mostly cable that has to be in the right place before the drywall closes, plus the mounting hardware to hang the gear once it does.
U02
Projectors & displays
Ceiling and wall mounts, signal runs pulled to the source before it matters that the room is finished.
U03
Paging & background audio
Speaker runs through common areas, warehouses and retail floors.
U04
Digital signage
Network and power cabling for displays that run off the same backbone as everything else.
SECTION 02 / BEFORE THE GEAR GOES UP
The cable has to be right before anything gets hung.
By the time a display or a projector goes on the wall, the signal, power and network runs behind it should already be pulled, dressed and tested. That is the part of the job that does not show once the room is finished — and the part that causes the most callbacks when it is rushed.
SECTION 04 / READ THE LABEL
Signal & distance, in plain numbers.
Published A/V and networking figures, so the conversation starts with the same numbers. What a specific room needs depends on distance and device count — that is what the walkthrough is for.
Ask what your room needs →MethodCarriesTypical limit
HDMI, direct runUncompressed video/audio~15 m passive
HDBaseT over Cat6Video/audio/control~100 m
Network video (AVoIP)Signage & streamingWhole backbone
PoE for displays/APs15.4–30 W per portPer device
General industry reference, not a promise about a specific room.
SECTION 05 / WHY IT MATTERS
Nobody remembers a meeting that started on time. Everyone remembers the one that didn't.
A dead conference room costs a room full of billable hours. We would rather the cable behind the glass be boring and reliable than clever and fragile.
SECTION 06 / ROUGH-IN OR RETROFIT
Timing changes the route, not the standard.
Rough-in work goes in before drywall, run exactly where the drawing says. Retrofit work into a finished room means fishing walls or running exposed conduit — a different method, the same terminated, tested result. We tell you which one your project is on the walkthrough.
THE ROOM, FINISHED
The cable is invisible. That's the point.
By the time a room like this is finished, the low-voltage work is the part nobody sees — every run planned, pulled and terminated before the finish work ever went up.
SECTION 07 / DUE DILIGENCE
Before you hire anybody for A/V.
Four questions worth asking any bidder, including us.
- Is the rough-in planned before drywall goes up?Cable paths decided after the walls close cost more and look worse.
- How is the rack cooled and grounded?Ask, don't assume — heat and grounding problems show up as intermittent faults months later.
- Will you get a labeled signal diagram?What feeds what, on paper, at close-out.
- Who configures the control system after install?Mounting and cabling are our scope; ask where that line sits with your A/V or IT vendor.
SECTION 08 / THE RUN
From room design to a picture that turns on.
One cable. Five stations.
- 01
Room walkthrough
Sightlines, mounting points, existing infrastructure.
- 02
Design & quote
Routes, category, mounting plan and a number.
- 03
Rough-in or retrofit
Pulled before drywall, or fished into a finished room.
- 04
Mount & terminate
Displays, projectors and speakers hung, cable tested.
- 05
Hand over
A labeled diagram of what feeds what.
SECTION 09 / THE OTHER TRADES
We're not the ones programming the control system.
General contractors
Rough-in timing coordinated with drywall, framing and the rest of the trade schedule.
Facility & event managers
Conference rooms, ballrooms and common areas that need to work the same way every time.
A/V & IT integrators
We pull, mount and terminate. You program the codec and the control system. Clean handoff, either direction.
SECTION 10 / ONE ROOM AT A TIME
Not every job is a conference room build-out.
Sometimes it's one display, one clean cable path, one room. Same licensed crew, same terminated-and-tested standard, scaled to the job in front of us.
SIGNAL CHAIN
Every signal follows one traceable path.
An audio-video system is a chain: a source (laptop, camera, media player) feeds a switcher or matrix, which feeds a processor, which feeds an amplifier or display. On the audio leg, each transition needs gain staged correctly, or the next device inherits a signal that's too hot or too weak to work with; on the video leg, each transition has to pass the right resolution, format, and handshake, or the next device won't lock a picture at all. When one video signal needs to reach more than one display, a distribution amplifier splits it without degrading the picture — a passive splitter often can't. Every cable at a properly built rack is labeled at both ends, and a laminated diagram tracing the signal path from source to output lives inside the rack door. When something stops working, that diagram is where troubleshooting starts — testing each junction in order, not swapping out whole components and hoping.
- Signal pathSource feeds switcher or matrix, feeds processor, feeds amplifier or display, in that order.
- Audio gain stagingEach audio transition is staged so the next device doesn't inherit a signal that's too hot or too weak.
- Video handshakeEach video transition has to pass the right resolution, format, and handshake, or the next device won't lock a picture.
- Distribution amplifierSplits one video signal to multiple displays without the loss a passive splitter causes.
- Cable labelingEvery rack cable labeled at both ends.
- Rack diagramA laminated signal-flow diagram kept inside the rack door, tracing source to output.
- Troubleshooting orderEach junction tested in order, not fixed by swapping whole components and hoping.
CABLE AND HANDSHAKE
The cable is rarely what fails.
A dead display is rarely a bad cable. Before a picture shows, the source and display perform an EDID handshake that negotiates resolution and format, and a content-protection compliance chain has to match end to end or protected content refuses to display at all — a break anywhere in that chain reads as "no signal" with no other explanation. Baseband HDMI only travels a short distance before quality drops, so longer runs go out over twisted-pair or fiber extension instead of a longer cable. In a return-air ceiling space, the cable itself has to be plenum-rated by code. At the rack end, connectors need strain relief, not just a crimp, because a cable that pulls on its connector eventually fails at the pin, not along its length.
- EDID handshakeSource and display negotiate resolution and format before any picture appears.
- Content protectionThe compliance chain has to match end to end or protected content refuses to display at all.
- Distance limitBaseband HDMI is distance-limited; longer runs go out over twisted-pair or fiber extension instead of a longer cable.
- Plenum ratingCable routed through a return-air ceiling space has to be plenum-rated by code.
- Strain reliefConnectors terminated with strain relief at the rack, not left pulling on the crimp.
VIDEO OVER THE NETWORK
Video on the network still has to arrive in sync.
Once video moves onto a network instead of a dedicated cable run, it still starts and ends as an audio-video signal — every source and display connects through an encoder or decoder that packages the picture and sound for the wire and reconstitutes it at the other end. Those streams travel as multicast, not point-to-point, so the switching gear has to support multicast at line rate with IGMP snooping, or the video floods every port in the building instead of just the ones with a display attached. Video-over-IP traffic sits on its own VLAN, separate from office data, with bandwidth budgeted per stream from the codec and resolution in use, not assumed to fit on top of everything else. Because audio and video now travel as separate encoded streams reassembled at the decoder, lip sync between them is checked at commissioning: a network that passes data cleanly can still hand back video a few frames ahead of its own audio.
- Encode/decodeEvery source and display connects through an encoder or decoder that packages picture and sound for the network and reconstitutes it at the far end.
- Multicast switchingVideo streams are multicast, not point-to-point, so switching needs line-rate multicast support with IGMP snooping.
- VLAN isolationVideo-over-IP traffic runs on its own VLAN, separate from office data.
- Bandwidth per streamBudgeted from the codec and resolution in use, not assumed to fit.
- Lip-sync checkAudio-to-video sync between the reassembled streams is checked at commissioning.
ROOM ACOUSTICS
The room fights the speakers first.
A speaker system fights the room before it ever reaches a listener. Reverberation time (RT60) — how long sound lingers after the source stops — is measured in an existing space, or calculated from room volume and finish materials during design for new construction, before any treatment is specified, and a room's ambient noise floor is rated on the NC (noise criteria) scale, which sets the level a sound system has to be intelligible above. Absorption panels go at the first-reflection points where sound bounces directly into a listener's ear, not spread evenly around the walls, because even coverage can absorb too much overall while leaving the reflections that actually cause problems untouched. Speaker coverage patterns are overlapped at their -6dB points so there's no dead zone between them. Hard surfaces — glass, concrete, exposed ceiling — increase reflections and usually mean more treatment, not more speakers, is the fix.
- RT60Measured in an existing space, or calculated from room volume and finish materials during design for new construction, before treatment is specified.
- NC ratingA room's ambient noise floor rated on the NC (noise criteria) scale, setting the level a system has to be intelligible above.
- First-reflection pointsAbsorption panels placed where sound bounces directly into a listener's ear, not spread evenly around the room.
- Coverage overlapSpeaker coverage patterns overlapped at their -6dB points so there's no dead zone between them.
- Hard surfacesGlass, concrete, and exposed ceiling increase reflection and usually call for treatment over added speakers.
- IntelligibilityDepends on the ratio of direct to reflected sound, not on volume alone.
VIDEO WALLS
A video wall is calibrated, not just mounted.
A video wall isn't finished when the panels are mounted — it's finished when it's calibrated. Bezel compensation shifts the image content at each seam so a shape or line reads correctly across the gap between panels instead of appearing to jump. Panels are matched and calibrated for color temperature and brightness so one section doesn't look warmer or dimmer than its neighbor, and a processor maps every input source to its exact position in the physical grid before content ever plays. The mounting structure behind the wall has to hold tight tolerances — a panel out of alignment by even a few millimeters is visible at a distance. Heat builds up behind a wall of tightly packed panels running for hours, so ventilation is planned in, not added after the fact, and content is run at reduced brightness or with pixel-shift scheduled in to manage long-dwell-time burn-in.
- Bezel compensationOffsets image content so a shape or line reads correctly across the seam between panels.
- Color matchPanels matched and calibrated for color temperature and brightness across the whole wall.
- Input mappingA processor maps every input source to its exact position in the physical grid before content plays.
- Mounting toleranceThe mounting structure holds tight tolerances; a panel out of alignment by a few millimeters is visible at a distance.
- VentilationPlanned in behind the wall to manage heat from tightly packed panels running for hours.
- Burn-in managementReduced brightness or scheduled pixel-shift manages burn-in on long-dwell-time content.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING
Accessible audio is a system, not an add-on.
Code requires an assistive listening system in assembly spaces above a certain occupancy, and which technology fits depends on the room. An induction loop needs no receiver device for a telecoil-equipped hearing aid — the loop couples directly to the telecoil — but the loop's magnetic field can bleed into an adjacent room sharing a wall, which has to be checked, not assumed away. Infrared systems need line-of-sight, and struggle outdoors or near glass because ambient infrared from sunlight, and from low-E coated glass, swamps the signal, not because the glass itself blocks it. FM/RF systems cover a larger area but share spectrum with other building systems and have to be coordinated so they don't interfere with each other. Whichever system goes in, it's tested for signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver, not just checked for the presence of a signal, and receiver units are checked out and back in as part of running an event, not left to go missing or run dead.
- Code triggerAssembly spaces above a code-defined occupancy require an assistive listening system.
- Induction loopNeeds no receiver device for a telecoil-equipped hearing aid; the loop couples directly to the telecoil.
- Loop bleedA loop's magnetic field can bleed into an adjacent room sharing a wall and has to be checked, not assumed away.
- Infrared limitsNeeds line-of-sight and struggles outdoors or near glass because ambient infrared from sunlight and low-E coated glass swamps the signal.
- FM/RF coordinationCovers a larger area but shares spectrum with other building systems and must be coordinated against interference.
- Receiver testingTested for signal-to-noise ratio at the receiver, not just checked for signal presence.
- Event operationsReceiver units checked out and back in as part of running an event.
DIGITAL SIGNAGE
Signage content is scheduled like programming.
A digital sign isn't a poster — it's a small distribution system with its own schedule. Content is broken into zones on the screen — a main panel, a ticker, a live feed — that can each update on its own timeline, and playlists are scheduled by day-part so a lobby screen isn't running the same loop at 7am that it runs at 5pm. Every display's resolution and aspect ratio has to be mapped in the content system so an image doesn't arrive stretched or letterboxed. Content is pushed to the screens over the data network on its own schedule, separate from live AV signal paths running elsewhere in the building, and a fallback image or loop is configured for when that content feed drops, so a screen goes dark to a held frame instead of an error message.
- Content zonesThe screen is divided into independent zones (main content, ticker, live feed) that update on separate timelines.
- Day-part schedulingPlaylists scheduled by day-part rather than looping the same content all day.
- Resolution mappingEach display's resolution and aspect ratio mapped so content isn't stretched or letterboxed.
- Content deliveryPushed over the data network on its own schedule, separate from live AV signal paths running elsewhere.
- Fallback stateA fallback image or loop configured for when the content feed drops.
- Update permissionsSet so routine content changes don't require an on-site technician.
COMMISSIONING
A system isn't done until it's measured.
A system isn't done when it powers on — it's done when it's measured. Sound pressure level is mapped at multiple seats across a room, not just checked once at the mix position, because coverage that's even at the front can fall off badly at the back. Frequency response is measured with a sweep tone and corrected with equalization rather than by ear alone. Audio-to-video sync is checked at the processor and corrected if it's off by even a frame or two — "close enough" isn't a setting. Gain structure is documented from source to output so a technician who's never seen the room can service it later without redesigning it from scratch. Pink noise and sweep tones are used as test signals, never program audio, because a test needs a signal with known, repeatable properties. A written commissioning checklist and punch list gets closed out before anyone calls the job finished.
- SPL mappingMapped at multiple seats across the room, not just at the mix position.
- Frequency responseMeasured with a sweep tone and corrected with equalization rather than by ear alone.
- AV syncChecked and corrected at the processor; a frame or two off isn't left as "close enough."
- Gain documentationDocumented from source to output so a technician who's never seen the room can service it later.
- Test signalsPink noise and sweep tones used as test signals, never program audio.
- Punch listA written commissioning checklist and punch list closed out before the job is called finished.
SECTION 11 / LICENSED, BONDED, INSURED
The numbers you're supposed to ask for.
Verify any of them before you hire anybody, including us.
On file, and checkable
Oregon CCB#249201
VERIFIEDOregon electrical4911LEA
VERIFIEDLiability insurance$2,000,000
VERIFIEDBond$50,000
VERIFIEDccblookup.comCCB checked 8 Sep 2026
SECTION 12 / BEFORE YOU CALL
Straight answers.
Do you install the displays and projectors themselves, or just the cabling?
Both. We mount the hardware and pull, terminate and test the low-voltage runs feeding it. Programming a control system or codec is typically your A/V or IT vendor's side, and we coordinate with them.
Can you add A/V to a room that is already finished?
Yes. Retrofit cable paths are different from a rough-in job, and we plan the route on the walkthrough before quoting anything.
Do you work in venues with events already booked?
Yes. Off-hours and weekend scheduling around an events calendar is normal for us.
Are you licensed and insured for this work?
We hold Oregon CCB #249201, Oregon electrical licence 4911LEA, CLE723 and Washington licence KNEPPJK854KK, with $2,000,000 in liability insurance and a $50,000 bond.
How do I get a quote?
Book a walkthrough. We look at the room, then you get a written scope and price you can compare against anyone else's.
SECTION 13 / NEXT STEP
Book the room. We'll wire it.
Licensed, bonded and insured · 5.0★ on Google, 18 reviews · 24/7 on call from Milwaukie, OR.
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