TV Specialists, Inc is a specialty audio/video store located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Started in 1953 by Ken Bollinger, TV Specialists, Inc began as a video equipment repair shop that eventually became a dealer for many large brand-name manufacturers, such as Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Sharp, and others. It is currently owned by Ken Bollinger's three sons.
History
editKen Bollinger began by running service calls out of his home. His wife would act as secretary taking phone calls and filling out paperwork. About three months later Ken rented a building near 300 East and 2100 South. At this time his wife retired and he hired his sister-in-law to work as secretary. As business grew more technicians were hired on to assist. After several years at this location he obtained property and financial backing to build a store at 170 East 2100 South[1]. TV Specialists later expanded upon this building and it currently extends to 2nd East.
In the mid-1960's Panasonic approached TV Specialists, Inc and requested that they begin selling Panasonic equipment. Other manufacturers followed suit and TV Specialists, Inc became a fully-functional sale/repair shop of audio and video equipment.
In the 1970's TV Specialists, Inc began offering rentals. The rental department has grown in recent years and now offers rentals of not only projectors but camcorders, light kits, cranes, tripods, monitors, batteries, and more [2].
TV Specialists was the first in Utah[3]: to become an authorized Video Tape Recorder service/repair center (1966); to become an authorized seller of Panasonic Video products (1968); to show a home video projector in the 1970s. (Kloss Novabeam); created the first home video recording system to record two hours instead of one (based on a modified 3/4' u-matic VCR); to display home video recorders (VCRs); Created "The Wizard": The first single product digital effects system that provided two channel A-B roll effects with its own built-in mixing switcher and time base correlator (1985); Created "Lumachrome": The 1st modified professional video recorder to record Y/C signal without changing formats while maintaining VHS compatibility (1987); only Authorized Sony Alta 24p Digital Cinema dealer in Utah; only Sony XDCAM EX Authorized XL Reseller[4] in Utah; Constructed one of the country's 1st High-Definition television showrooms (1989); Largest TV projection dealer in Utah, and one of the largest in the United States; to receive and record an over-the-air transmission test of high-definition TV (February 1999); to show a 24 frames-per-second camcorder (Salt Lake City Film Festival, 2002).
Criticisms
editAccording to the Better Business Bureau, TV Specialists had one complaint filed against them, but it was resolved. They currently have an A+ rating[5] .
References
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