Audio Video Equipment Racks - All you need to know

There is no doubt that you can place your audio and video system components almost anywhere, yet it is recommended that these systems are installed in a fixed dedicated enclosure, or component rack.

Keeping system components in an appropriate equipment rack will help you ensure the safety of your expensive equipment, while making the system easy to access for service and future growth.

It is true that in its simplest form, inexpensive rack systems are merely a cabinet with shelves to take your AV equipment.

Yet today's rack mounting solutions have evolved far beyond the simple enclosure designed to stack your gear. Rather, the more elaborate and expensive rack solutions found in advanced home theater installations form a system in itself; these include accessories for power distribution, thermal protection, and cable management.

Furthermore, while the traditional standard 19-inch rack would often take a more industrial look, yet many manufactures have started to offer rack options that complement any decor.

There is a never-ending list of rack designs of all shapes and sizes, for use in media-closets, in the home theater on their own, or embedded within some piece of furniture, cabinet, or built-in wall enclosure.

And there is more... You can find AV rack systems that come with support shelves on rails that can be pulled out for ease of equipment handling and maintenance.

Others would even allow you to pull out the whole shelving assembly complete with the installed gear and rotate it a full 180 degrees for ease of access to the back panel of your system components.

AV Equipment Racks - All You Need to Know
Section Index:

This Guide to AV Equipment Racks is divided into a series of short articles, starting with the basics of standard 19-inch equipment racks.

In the process, we present a list of tips on how best to select and install equipment racks. We also discuss thermal management in rack enclosures. Finally, we look at some of the most interesting audio video rack options available for home theater use.

	Standard 19-inch Rack Enclosures - The Basics In this first part of our rack guide, we discuss the basics of rack enclosures for a better understanding of standard rack solutions.
	Selecting and Mounting Audio Video Rack Enclosures Selecting a suitable rack enclosure may turn out to be a tedious and time-consuming process. However, this does not have to be so! In this second part of our guide, we cover the subject of rack selection and equipment mounting in rack enclosures. We also discuss the important issue of thermal management and see how to keep your equipment cool.
	Available Rack Solutions for the Home Theater AV racks range from industrial style EIA 310-D compliant 19-inch rack enclosures to the more decor friendly rack solutions available specifically for home theater use. More in this info guide.
	AVRAK - The Rotating AV Rack System Avrak extensive range of rotation AV racks is based on the simple concept of reaching the back of your gear from the front - simply by giving your gear a spin! These AV racks are relatively expensive but in return you get a stylish yet heavy-duty rack of exceptional standard and high degree of adaptability.
	Home Media Cabinets for that Unique Finishing Touch Maria Yee Line of EcoLuxury™ Home Theater Furniture represents an exclusive three-piece collection of AV cabinets that offers more than just style and functionality. Read here to discover more.