Amber Taverns is one of the UK’s largest independent pub operators, with a portfolio of over 175 venues spanning the North West, North East, Scotland and Wales. Known for creating vibrant social spaces, the group consistently invests in modern refurbishments, delivering high-quality audio-visual systems and comprehensive live sport coverage, including BT Sport and Sky Sports.
The Comet Helensburgh is one of the latest Amber Taverns venues to be refurbished, located on James Street in the heart of Helensburgh.
With a proven history of delivering high-impact hospitality AV solutions at King Street Social Tap in Huddersfield, the Iron Ram in Derby, and Mousetrap Social in Nottingham Amber Taverns required a full end-to-end AV solution for The Comet Helensburgh that would elevate the venue’s entertainment offering while remaining intuitive and easy for employees to operate.
The system needed to deliver impactful visuals across all trading areas, clear and powerful audio with zoned control, seamless AV distribution and dynamic lighting to support evening trade and events.
TVC was appointed to design and deliver a complete AV installation for The Comet Helensburgh, that included premium Samsung 4K hospitality TVs, Optimal Audio zone control and more, creating a flexible and future-proof system that enhances atmosphere, maximises customer engagement and supports long-term operational efficiency.
TVC worked closely with the Amber Taverns project team to design a tailored solution that aligned with the venue layout, seating zones and brand standards, ensuring the technology enhanced both the customer journey and day-to-day operations.
Samsung Hospitality Screens
To provide consistent, high-quality visuals throughout the venue, TVC installed a range of Samsung 4K hospitality displays across all key areas of The Comet Helensburgh, including the main bar, games areas and front seating zones.
A mix of screen sizes, ranging from 55” to 75”, was carefully selected to suit viewing distances and sightlines, ensuring guests can enjoy clear, vibrant visuals regardless of where they are positioned. These commercial-grade displays are designed specifically for hospitality environments, offering extended run times, stable brightness levels and reduced risk of image retention.
For The Comet Helensburgh, this ensures live sport, branded content and promotions can be displayed with maximum impact during peak trading periods, while maintaining reliability throughout the day. Each display also benefits from a three-year hospitality warranty, providing long-term peace of mind for operators and reducing ongoing maintenance costs.
Audac Loudspeakers
Across the main bar, rear seating area and mezzanine, a suite of Samsung 4K hospitality displays in 55”, 75” and 98” sizes ensures clear, consistent picture quality throughout the venue.
These displays are specifically engineered for commercial environments, meaning they’re designed to operate for extended hours with stable brightness, reduced image retention and reinforced build quality.
For Mousetrap Social, this brings a host of advantages. Guests can enjoy crystal-sharp viewing of live sport, and digital content no matter where they are seated, helping the venue to cater to sports fans and social groups simultaneously.
The screens’ compatibility with the HD matrix system also means content can be changed instantly and independently on any display, allowing the venue to tailor programming for different audiences or events without complexity.
The commercial 3-year warranty on each hospitality screen provides additional peace of mind, reducing long-term costs and ensuring reliable performance during the venue’s busiest trading periods. Together, these displays create a cohesive, premium visual experience that aligns with Mousetrap Social’s modern brand identity.
Audac Loudspeakers
Audio plays a central role in the atmosphere of The Comet Helensburgh, so TVC specified a professional Audac loudspeaker system designed to deliver powerful, detailed sound across all areas of the venue.
A combination of Audac V-series and X-series loudspeakers, supported by subwoofers and DSP amplification, ensures balanced audio coverage throughout.
The system delivers clarity at lower volumes during daytime trading and retains impact and control during busy evenings, live sport and events, creating an engaging but comfortable environment for customers.
Zoned Audio Control
To give The Comet Helensburgh complete control over its multi-zone audio system, TVC installed an Optimal Audio zone controller as the backbone of the venue’s sound management.
This intuitive control system allows employees to independently manage audio levels and sources across different areas of the venue, ensuring each zone always maintains the right ambience. Background music can run at a relaxed level during daytime trading, while the main bar and games areas can be elevated during peak periods or major sporting events.
The simplicity of the Optimal Audio zone controller ensures employees can make adjustments quickly and confidently without technical knowledge, improving operational efficiency while maintaining consistent sound quality throughout The Comet Helensburgh.
WyreStorm AV Distribution
To support flexible content delivery across multiple screens, TVC implemented a WyreStorm AV distribution system throughout The Comet Helensburgh.
This professional AV-over-IP solution allows multiple video sources to be routed seamlessly to any display across the venue, giving employees complete freedom to control what content is shown in each area. Live sport, promotional content and entertainment feeds can be displayed independently or synchronised across multiple screens as required.
For The Comet Helensburgh, the WyreStorm system provides a scalable, future-proof distribution platform that ensures reliable performance, fast switching and high-quality visuals, even during peak trading and major sporting events.
Peerless Flat Wall Brackets
To support the Samsung hospitality displays, Peerless flat wall brackets were installed throughout The Comet Helensburgh to provide a secure and professional mounting solution.
Designed for high-traffic commercial environments, these brackets offer long-term stability and safety while maintaining a slim, low-profile appearance. This ensures screens sit neatly against walls, improving viewing angles and complementing the venue’s modern interior design.
Integrated cable management keeps installations clean and discreet, while the robust construction allows easy access for maintenance, minimising disruption during trading hours.
Lighting and Effects
To enhance the venue’s evening atmosphere and support events, TVC installed dynamic lighting effects throughout The Comet Helensburgh, including the Chauvet DJ Swarm 5 FX.
The Chauvet Swarm 5 FX combines multiple lighting effects into a single fixture, delivering vibrant beams, movement and colour that help transform the venue during busy periods. Integrated into the overall system design, the lighting adds energy to late-night trading, live sport celebrations and event nights without overwhelming the space.
This dynamic lighting solution allows The Comet Helensburgh to transition seamlessly from daytime social venue to high-energy evening destination, reinforcing its appeal across different trading periods.
The Result
The completed AV installation has transformed The Comet Helensburgh into a vibrant and immersive social venue, fully equipped to meet the demands of modern hospitality.
With impactful visuals, powerful zoned audio, flexible AV distribution and dynamic lighting, the venue now delivers an engaging customer experience throughout the day and into the evening.
By combining Samsung hospitality screens, Audac loudspeakers, Optimal Audio control, WyreStorm distribution, Peerless flat wall brackets and Chauvet lighting effects, TVC has delivered a fully integrated, future-proof solution that supports the long-term success of The Comet Helensburgh.
