A few things we knew for sure about setting up a media room: this was going to be an investment, we needed someone who was to help us navigate the technology maze, and we didn't want to deal with someone who would make more money if they recommended a product more elaborate that we need. We were incredibly lucky that we found Mike Panepento, and his company Alabama Audio and Music Supervision, to serve as our partner on this project. We knew that Mike had been the COO at WorkPlay, and a quick check of his Linkedin profile let us know that he knew his stuff. The first thing Mike did was to ask a lot of questions: What did we want to accomplish? How do we use our media now? Were there any pieces of equipment we wanted to keep? How did we feel about rearranging and repainting? After getting a clear understanding of what we wanted to accomplish, he explained how he did business. He is a consultant and an installer. He will make recommendations about how to layout the room, what type of equipment to purchase (including recommendations buying certain items at a discount), and even how to paint the room. He charges a flat fee for the consultation and an hourly fee for the installation. He doesn't make a penny more if we choose one type of television over another or if we get our blu-ray player on sale at Costco. This was the perfect arrangement for us, so he began the consultation immediately. His opinions were both broad and detailed, and always delivered with enthusiasm. He seemed excited about our new home theater, and immediately he was more like a friend than a contractor. He followed up the consultation with a written list of items to purchase, including the specific website that had great speakers for a very reasonable price. He came back later to do some pre-wiring, and then a second time for the installation. He told us to leave the entire system on for 24 hours, and when one of the pieces failed he hurried back the next Saturday morning to get the replacement item installed before the 2:30 football party. In the end, we got a fantastic media room for much less than we would have if we had hired another company, or even tried to do it ourselves. Equally as important, we got to work with someone who has the expertise and integrity to make this one of the most enjoyable purchases we have ever made. Please feel free to message us if you want to know more about Mike's work. Chris' email address is chrisretan@gmail.com.