Cooling audio video components is becoming more and more important but fortunately, it is not difficult to provide protection against overheating. The even better part is that it can usually be accomplished with minimal cost and effort. The key is to follow some basic principles related to heat accumulation, dissipation, and circulation.
First, it is important to understand the most basic goal and consideration which is to simply increase airflow around heat producing components. We recommend focusing on the individual heat-producing components first. 'Heat-producing' components typically include: amplifiers, receivers with built-in amplifiers (if it makes noise it has an amplifier), cable and satellite receivers (especially high-definition units), game players, video scalers, media servers, some DVD players, and other components that are computer controlled can generate significant amounts of heat.
Cooling vs. Venting Products. We generally classify our products as 'cooling' and 'venting' products. None of our products actually 'cool', they instead protect equipment by circulating air. The 'cooling' products are intended to protect and circulate air around individual components. The 'venting' products are then for circulating air in a cabinet, enclosure, closet, or even an entire room. This is considered protecting the system as a whole.
Now the best approach is to combine cooling and venting products but in different applications, one or the other approach may be used effectively. It is up to the installer however to determine the best approach based on the application. We can provide as much assistance as possible but with following the general guidelines, providing effective protection is relatively easy.