Finding someone in Chicago to do a relatively easy technical A/V thing?

March 31, 2018 4:21 PM

I don't think this is a job for a "handyman," but I don't know of another kind of person who would be the right person to call for this kind of thing. I have a TV, and I have a sound-bar-and-bass-thing, and I want them to go. I hooked them up with a digital audio cable and then rage-quit. Where can I get someone to do this one thing, in Chicago, without it costing me a lot of money? I searched TaskRabbit with some keywords, but nothing comes up.

I have an LG LED TV that has a digital optical audio out port, and I have a Vizio S3821 w-C0 thing (it's a long thin speaker bar and a short squat speaker). The long thin speaker bar has a digital optical audio in port. I have the manuals for both of them.

Hilariously, I'm the techie among my group of friends, and I have hooked up more computers and A/V stuff down the past 25 years than all the rest of my friends combined, but I am just TIRED and I want someone else to do it.

Honestly I just want someone to come to my house and make it go, and I don't want to spend $120 in "labor"--I'm hoping for something more like $20 and a beer. Is this too cheap a payout? Am I kidding myself? Where do I find someone who I can trust to do this?

posted by tzikeh to Technology (10 answers total)

I'm the techie in my group of friends/family, so I've no idea who else to ask for something like this either. Since I'd be the one people ask…just in case you haven't, have you double checked that the sound bar is set to the correct input, and the TV digital out is enabled?
posted by daisy55 at 5:19 PM on March 31, 2018

Response by poster: daisy55: I can't make the sound bar work, and I don't know how to get to its settings. My brain will not engage with the instruction manuals. I don't want to think. I just want someone else to make it go.
posted by tzikeh at 5:35 PM on March 31, 2018

There may be a setting on the tv that redirects the sound from the tv speakers to external speakers.
posted by tman99 at 5:39 PM on March 31, 2018

Mod note: Heya, asker is specifically looking for an external hireable tech-support type resource rather than guidance on DIYing it, so let's aim to focus on that going forward.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:42 PM on March 31, 2018

What about making a post over on Jobs?
posted by Diskeater at 6:45 PM on March 31, 2018

You want a stranger to set this up. That’s someone you’re going to pay. Post it on TaskRabbit.
posted by zippy at 10:09 PM on March 31, 2018

Someone from Geek Squad at Best Buy?
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:53 PM on March 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Quite honestly, unless it's somebody you already know or a MeFite you find through Jobs, $20 and a beer probably won't cut it.

I noticed in the quickstart manual that Vizio offers free lifetime tech support for the product. Understanding this is not in-person, maybe they're knowledgeable enough to at least help you get over the first hurdle. Either that or maybe they can direct you to somebody local.
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:22 AM on April 1, 2018

Best answer: I also have a Visio soundbar; hit me up via MetaTalk and I'd be happy to swing over to set it up for you.
posted by eamondaly at 6:44 AM on April 1, 2018 [9 favorites]

Response by poster: DUDE!!
posted by tzikeh at 8:42 AM on April 1, 2018 [1 favorite]