What Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers Do

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers set up and fix household audio and video equipment, such as televisions, stereo components, and home theater systems.

Duties

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers typically do the following:

• Install electronic equipment and devices, such as televisions and speaker systems
• Inspect malfunctioning equipment and devices
• Read and interpret electronic circuit diagrams, specifications, and service manuals
• Take apart equipment and repair or replace loose, worn, or defective parts and wiring
• Calibrate, tune, or adjust equipment and instruments to specified performance levels
• Test equipment and parts after installing or repairing them
• Make service calls to customers’ homes or bring equipment or parts to shops for major repairs
• Teach customers the safe and proper use of audio and video equipment

Home entertainment equipment installers and repairers, also called service technicians install, troubleshoot, and fine-tune sound and picture quality, ensuring that a client’s home entertainment system works at its peak capability.

They work on many types of equipment, including customer’s televisions, stereos, satellite dishes, and surround-sound systems. They may specialize in one or many kinds of products.

When working on small portable equipment, such as DVD players and video cameras, technicians generally work in central repair shops. When repairing less mobile equipment, such as big-screen televisions, however, they must travel to the customer’s location. If the job is overly complex, technicians may take the equipment back to the shop for further work.

Service technicians’ work involves many different tools. For example, they may use basic handtools, such as screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches, to disassemble and reassemble components.

They may also use more sophisticated diagnostic tools, including multimeters, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, and digital storage scopes, to identify electronic malfunctions, such as short circuits and failed capacitors. Because of the growing complexity of home entertainment systems, service technicians frequently consult schematics and manufacturers' specifications for instructions on how to repair certain problems.

Most service technicians keep records of bills, payments, parts used, and hours worked. Technicians also show customers how to use new equipment or explain the repairs they made.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition