Whether you are into playing video games, building home entertainment centers, or running a professional surveillance or security business, chances are that you own an AV enclosure, also called an AV rack or AV cabinet. AV racks are a great way to keep your audio-video devices secure.

In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of hobbyists using AV enclosures to build out home theaters. But of course, these cabinets are used for other applications as well. They are great solutions for keeping all your devices − such as receivers, video game controllers, external hard drives, and cable boxes − organized and in one place.

With the many options available in the market, picking the right AV cabinet can be confusing. To save you time, we gathered the essential features you should look for next time you are in the market for a new one.

Look for these six features in an AV rack:

• 1.Versatility

Always look for a rack that provides versatility. As technology evolves, you want to use the same AV cabinet to hold new equipment sizes without having to replace it with a new one. A useful feature in a rack is adjustable internal rails, which allow you to change the internal depth to fit devices of various depth ranges.

• 2.Shelves

Consider a rack enclosure that includes shelves because a lot of audio/video gear is not rack-mountable − including many amplifiers, video game controllers, and AV receivers, to name a few. Sometimes the rack shelves are included and sometimes they are not, so be sure to find out to save yourself the time of having to buy them separately.

• 3.Ventilation

Keeping your devices well ventilated is important for their performance and longevity. Look for enclosures that either come with vents or allow you to install fans on the top of the cabinet. Top-mount fans will keep a stream of air constantly flowing through the cabinet to keep your devices cool and safe.

• 4.Controlled Access

A secure AV cabinet is necessary to protect your valuable sound and video devices. Assess the environment where you are keeping it. If you need to secure it from access, consider an audio-video enclosure that comes with locks on the front door and all entry points such as the removable side and back panels.

• 5.Cable Management

The bigger the media cabinet and the more devices it holds, the more cables you will have to keep track of. AV enclosures with cable management features allow you to route cables through top and bottom slots and holes, keeping all the cables organized. Consider useful cable management accessories for at-a-glance cable identification.

• 6.Visibility

AV enclosures with tempered glass doors are aesthetically appealing and provide a modern look and feel. These cabinets also make it easy to monitor your device indicators and signals through the tempered glass door.

NavePoint offers audio-video racks with shelves that fit standard 19-inch-wide devices and are available in four sizes: 18U, 27U, 37U, and 42U.

NavePoint AV racks and other products are in stock and come with FREE standard same-day shipping. If you have any questions or need recommendations for an AV rack, contact our U.S.-based team at +1 (866) 312-5401 or email us at sales@navepoint.com.