Audio/visual systems, when installed correctly and conscientiously, can last quite a long time. This is especially true if you keep up with maintenance and regular servicing. Just like your car or your favorite pair of boots, if you take care of your tech, it will more than return the favor!
Hardiness aside, technology is also advancing at a far more rapid pace than ever before. According to a mid-2010s article from the Atlantic, “In the first decade of the patent office, the U.S. granted 229 patents—the same amount today’s America grants every 7.2 hours.”
While patents aren’t the be-all-end-all indicator of technological advancement, they do speak to how significantly human invention and innovation can change markets—including the audio/visual sphere.
Is your A/V system behind the times? Below, we’ll discuss a few signs that this rapid advancement has left it in the dust.
1. You’re Experiencing Frequent Service Interruptions
Technology can certainly have its off days. But if you often worry about whether your sports bar TV will cooperate for the big game or if you’re constantly throwing money at your hotel television systems to keep them in working order, it’s time for an upgrade.
Face it: repairs cost money. And while it’s great to get your money’s worth out of your audio/visual system while you can, there comes the point when paying for repairs becomes more costly than actually upgrading the system itself—and when worrying about those repairs simply becomes too much to bear.
2. Parts Are Hard to Find
Replacing cables once they wear out, for instance, comes part-and-parcel with maintaining a flourishing audio/visual system. But if that system’s components are falling out of fashion, finding the bits and bobs you’ll need for maintenance will become more difficult, not to mention costly.
More pertinently, it speaks to the timeliness of the system as a whole. Parts could be scarce because your system isn’t as popular as it used to be, or because there are new, better systems out there that are getting the spotlight—both signs that you need an upgrade.
3. You Lack the A/V Tech to Enhance Your Guests’ Experience
Modern customers expect bigger and better things, as far as tech is concerned. If you find that other businesses of your caliber have audio/visual tech that you don’t, it’s smart business to catch up—or, if you work with Aufderworld, to outshine them.
4. Your AV Components Are Due for Manufacturer-Recommended Upgrades
Just about every piece of AV equipment has a projected lifespan, just like every other type of technology your business likely uses. And while your AV equipment can, and probably will, continue working even after its lifespan expires, that doesn’t mean it’ll work well. Chances are it’ll function with some degree of clunkiness, and that’s how you’ll know it’s time to start thinking about an AV system refresh.
Not sure what the projected life cycle of your equipment is? You’ll need to do some research to find out (you can find this information pretty easily on the internet), so you can outline a plan and budget for making the upgrades your business will inevitably need.
5. Your Business Is Getting Ready to Expand
Chances are if your business is growing, its audio-visual needs are expanding, too. It doesn’t make much sense to invest in equipment that’ll soon be outdated, so it’s likely in your best interest to upgrade your AV equipment while you complete your expansion.
Implementing up-to-date AV components will allow your business to move with the times and keep up with its own growth. And that’s true whether you’re simply adding more meeting rooms, modernizing your advertising and communications, or accommodating a growing remote workforce.
However, that’s only true if you partner with a knowledgeable audio-video planning and installation company that can help you find the scalable solutions that’ll help carry your business into a more successful future.
6. You Want New Features Your Existing Equipment Doesn’t Have
Do you want to standardize your AV equipment across your business’s meeting rooms? Maybe you're looking to create a uniform setup across your entire hospitality establishment? Or are you interested in implementing new digital features that your existing AV equipment simply doesn’t have? Then it’s time to start planning and budgeting for an AV system upgrade.
If your clients, customers, or guests could seriously benefit from certain technological features your existing system doesn’t have, that need can also dictate when you should refresh your setup.
Ultimately, technology is a quickly advancing beast, and chances are your customers expect your business’s tech to move with the times. If you’re finding it tough to give your patrons the ease-filled, immersive digital experience they crave, it’s time to think about finding the kinks in your system and ironing them out with upgrades.
Own an eatery? Check out our picks for the best AV tech for restaurants.
Aufderworld: Top-Quality Audio/Visual Consultants
No matter your budget or style, our audio/visual company has just the upgrade for you. Reach our Minneapolis office today at 763-233-7700.