http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/ Engadget HD Comments for Geek Squad home theater setup horror story http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 3:12PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 3:27PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 3:57PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 3:51PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 8th 2009 2:34PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 3:42PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
I feel for Diane, but if her receiver had all HDMI inputs then setup would have been simple. I don't know of too many people that have a 4.0 or 4.2 system. I understand 2.0, 2.1,5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0,7.1, and 7.2. It's to my understanding if Best Buy really wanted to make money the would have advised Diane to get the best cables to make money that be HDMI.

Its sad, but Diane got herself an bad installer. One bad experience does not ruin the whole Geek Squad. The Geek Squad did an excellent job on my HT setup and I have pretty High End equipment.

If you need to learn a lesson from this, If you need Geek Squad services never be afraid to ask for the best tech they have to install anything and if that doesn't work get your money back!]]>Mar 6th 2009 6:32PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
Someone like her could well have asked for the best installer, but she would have no clue if she actually got him/her to come out

Also, how can you tell if they did a good job if you are not tech savvy to begin with to do it yourself, what is a relatively simple job.

So while you may be correct in saying that not all GS installers are bad, from a consumer perspective, there is no way to know or verify that you got someone who knows that they are doing.

]]>Mar 8th 2009 2:36PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 4:27PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
I'm not saying that all stores are like that, but the 3 stores i've been on, and the numerous "ride-a-longs" i took to do HT installs were all on-site trained... Lucky for me, the guy i rode with did beautiful jobs for his customers...

But after that, i noticed the real bumble heads that took positions as HT installers that knew absolutely nothing... But, thats what BBY got for trying to cut corners and save money by hiring Level I installers, and butt-heads that worked in the HT dept for a couple weeks selling TVs...]]>Mar 6th 2009 4:43PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 4:45PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 5:00PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 5:01PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
Freaking S-Video ]]>Mar 6th 2009 5:01PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
The Installers at my store, on the Waterfront in Pittsburgh, PA, were incredibly knowledgeable people, as were the installers who helped my parents from the State College, PA store. While I'm sure there are plenty of duds out there who give the installers bad names, but in my experience they offer a quality service at a fair price.

That being said, I would rather have a certified ISF calibrator work on my TV then the Best Buy "ISF" techs... they were just out of their league.]]>Mar 6th 2009 5:48PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 5:18PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/I admit selling $70+ cables is kinda a crock but if you want it done right buy everything the BB employee tells you and have GS set it up, or better yet find the local techie neighbor kid and hand him $100 for cables and setup. The market will adjust itself.]]>Mar 6th 2009 5:42PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/B.) The only cable she was lacking was a component video cable for the DVD player which she got for $20 at Radio Shack. As for "digital audio cables being expensive" - I used a plain old RCA-tipped video cable for the coax digital connection between DVD player and receiver (less than $5) - worked like a charm because it's the exact same thing.
C.) Actually I don't know what the Geek Squad home theater guys wear because I wasn't there when this guy did the "work" - I *assumed* they wear the same outfits as the regular Geek Squad guys but what he was wearing has no bearing on the quality of their service (piss poor). ]]>Mar 6th 2009 5:45PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
Find me ANY company with 150,000+ employees were everyone is really good. I won't be holding my breath, yet I also don't see it as an excuse to hide behind.]]>Mar 6th 2009 8:14PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 11:04PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 11:38PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
Assigning and configuring inputs (HDMI audio options, for example) are what most people have issues with. Oh, how about the whole placing, configuring, and calibration of speakers?]]>Mar 7th 2009 12:17AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 6th 2009 11:39PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
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And then:

"If you don't like the results of your local Geek, or any other home theater or HDTV installer for that matter, then escalate the situation immediately or take it up with your credit card company and refuse to pay until everything looks and sounds the way it should."

So much for generalizations...]]>Mar 9th 2009 11:19AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/

I worked fro Firedog as a District Lead installer. Yes, some techs were bad and I did alot of cleanup for them. But, for the most part I know that what people were paying they were getting a decent job that mostly everyone was happy with.

Since I trained the new techs coming in, I was able to teach them the right way to get things done. The funny part is, I'm doing this work for myself now starting my own company, instead of making $20/hr. $330+ is absurd for what he did. This is great news for people like myself, just confirms what I've been saying about the boys in blue for long time.

To be fair, not all of their installers are garbage. For the most part, I can't tell you how many problems I've fixed that they have created. I'm sure some of their techs can say that about Firedog's as well. Get it done professionally if you don't know how to do it, but do some research on the company who is doing the work.]]>Mar 7th 2009 9:24AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 7th 2009 10:54PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 9th 2009 11:18AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 7th 2009 8:41PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 9th 2009 2:17AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
Good luck with that American Express charge back. ]]>Mar 9th 2009 1:05PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
HT Setup includes tv/video setup...]]>Mar 10th 2009 1:51AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
-CB ]]>Mar 10th 2009 3:08PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 10th 2009 5:33PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/Mar 11th 2009 4:54PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
I can definitely understand why someone might setup a receiver incorrectly when trying to learn the receiver configurations for the first time.

Secondly, the ladies speaker selection is unusual at best. If she really doesn’t have a clue about how to setup a surround sound system why does she have a 4.2 setup? Sure you might be able to get a 4.2 system to sound good. However, I guarantee that it would be easier to setup a 5.1 system.

I think the real issue is who was the IDIOT who recommended that she buy this particular system and this particular configuration? A simple 5.1 or even 7.1 setup from HTD, ERA, or Aperion with a standard Pioneer 1018 or Yamaha RX-V663 receiver would have been a much better, cheaper, and easier to setup system.

To me it sounds like someone recommended some complicated system to a poor unsuspecting lady just so that person could write an article bashing the geek squad.

And no I don’t work for Best Buy or the Geek Squad. Personally I hate the Geek Squad with a passion. However, I don’t hate them for the reasons listed in that article. I know that if I was presented with setting up a convoluted 4.2 system on a receiver I had never used before I might make mistakes. And unlike the geek squad reps I do know what I am doing.
]]>Mar 10th 2009 4:01PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/http://hd.engadget.com/2009/03/06/geek-squad-home-theater-setup-horror-story/
I never said her receiver was Integra (which is pretty high-end gear). I used the Integra's set-up menu screen shot as a graphical depiction of what a set-up menu looks like. Her DVD player is a Sony. Her receiver is a Sony. Nothing obscure about that. PRetty vanilla stuff. Her subwoofer/satellite speakers are Cambridge Audio, hand-me-downs from an audiophile friend (not me, I have Martin-Logans and I'm not handing those down to anyone... not just yet anyway). No "IDIOT" recommended she buy this system. It's what she's built up over time, and actually, when set up correctly, it doesn't sound half bad.

Have a nice day. ]]>Mar 10th 2009 8:51PM