New Construction - Home Automation Wiring (for dummies)

I'm building a new home and for the life of me I can't find a decent article that describes some basic wiring guidelines.  Yes, I read the Wiring your house 101 manual from this site.  In a nutshell I don't understand the exact cable I should be running between my centrally located panel (mechanical room) to each device (e.g. audio speaker, TV, light switch, etc.)
 
For instance:

1. Whole-Home Video:  I plan to use DirectTV.  I assume I need to run multiple RG6 from the dish to my central panel but what wires do I run between the panel and the TV's (so that I don't have to have a DirectTV receiver/client near my TV)?  Do I run CAT6?  RG6?  Both?  
2. Whole-Home Audio:  What type of cable(s) do I need to pull from the central panel to each speaker?
3. Security Cameras:  What type of cable do I need to pull from the central panel to each camera?  CAT6?
4. Lighting:  What type of cable(s) do I need to pull from the central panel to each light (or light switch)?
5. etc.

Thanks a million!

1. DirecTV is no longer using multiple coax stands from the dish. So, technically you could get away with doing (1) RG6 from the dish to your central panel. However, are you certain that you will always have dish? Personally, I'd run 4-6 coax from the demarc location to your central panel, which would allow you to be covered for most anything.
 
Their latest system uses pretty small boxes that can easily fit behind a TV - utilizing RG6 for signal to the local box. If you want to centrally locate all boxes, you will need to consider A/V distribution. You could do this via HDMI cables or baluns. Do you want to centrally distribute certain sources to multiple locations (e.g. matrix).
 
2. What type of system do you plan to install? How many zones, keypads, etc?
 
3. Have you picked a system? Are you going to use an analog or digital (IP) system? Do you want to distribute the DVR/NVR output?
 
4. Have you picked a lighting system? Many systems can utilize standard household wiring, some systems need the loads to be centrally located.

We built a new house.  I ran 2 coax and 3 Ethernet (2 CAT5 & 1 CAT6) to all locations that might be able to make use of them.  That's been enough wire for most things.  If you need more Ethernet it's simple to add a 5 or 8 port switch at a location.  Make sure power is likewise nearby.  I managed to get all five of those wires terminated into a single-gang keystone (with one blank).  It's tight getting all the wires situated, especially on an exterior wall that's been spray-foamed. 
 
Take furniture placement into account, along with window treatments and such.  I've got one location that I didn't move when I moved a window, so now I've got the guest room TV plugged in under it.  But overall that's a pretty trivial issue.
 
I believe there was another thread here that covered wiring?

Regarding AV wiring for TV's, I really like these for new construction:
 
http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/home-theater-audio-video/recessed-tv-box-for-power-and-low-voltage/TVB613
 
Sufficient for plenty of wiring as mentioned above, and also provides some additional space for additional wiring to be added as needed in the future.

There is no single way to wire for whole-home video, whole-home audio, video surveillance, or lighting control because there are multiple ways to implement each of these.  Take security cameras, for example.  The most common types use either RG-6 or Cat 5e/6 wiring.  There are pros and cons to each type of system.  You need to either decide now which one fits your circumstances better or pull both types of wire now and decide later.  Whole-home video has even more varieties.  Again you either need to decide on your overall strategy or maybe lay in conduit so you can pull the appropriate wire later.
 
Craig

drvnbysound said:

Regarding AV wiring for TV's, I really like these for new construction:http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/home-theater-audio-video/recessed-tv-box-for-power-and-low-voltage/TVB613
.

Click to expand...

Sure for a TV location that sort of thing is a great approach. But for all the rest of the places you might need connections, something like that would be a bit much.

pvrfan said:

...you either need to decide on your overall strategy or maybe lay in conduit so you can pull the appropriate wire later.

Click to expand...

For cameras I did just that, I ran the bundled power/coax line my existing analog cameras need. I also ran two CAT5 cables for future use. Wire is cheap while walls are open. Sure, a lot may never get used but better that than having to rip open and repaint walls later.

I only ran the blue smurf tube NMT conduit to places that would be very difficult to rewire later, like the exterior spray-foamed walls and then only back to reasonably accessible pulling locations, not all the way back to the main wiring location. Note, the conduits are empty, this to allow for future changes without disrupting the existing wiring. It's very hard to pull additional wire later, as it tends to risk damaging what's already in there.

Most importantly, TAKE PICTURES of everything while the walls are open. It is VERY helpful to know what's where when making changes later.

Likewise, make sure things inside the wall aren't going to conflict with what will eventually get put ON the wall. Like don't run things inside the wall where you'd need to hang pictures or attach cabinets. And use nailer plates to prevent future mishaps.

drvnbysound said:

1. DirecTV is no longer using multiple coax stands from the dish. So, technically you could get away with doing (1) RG6 from the dish to your central panel. However, are you certain that you will always have dish? Personally, I'd run 4-6 coax from the demarc location to your central panel, which would allow you to be covered for most anything.
 
Their latest system uses pretty small boxes that can easily fit behind a TV - utilizing RG6 for signal to the local box. If you want to centrally locate all boxes, you will need to consider A/V distribution. You could do this via HDMI cables or baluns. Do you want to centrally distribute certain sources to multiple locations (e.g. matrix).
 
2. What type of system do you plan to install? How many zones, keypads, etc?
 
3. Have you picked a system? Are you going to use an analog or digital (IP) system? Do you want to distribute the DVR/NVR output?
 
4. Have you picked a lighting system? Many systems can utilize standard household wiring, some systems need the loads to be centrally located.

Click to expand...

 
1) I haven't yet decided on what system(s) I want to use (e.g. homeseer).  My goal is to mount the various TV's to the wall with no client/receiver and be able to watch DVR recorded shows and/or live TV on any TV.  I can only imagine a system (or possibly placing all DirectTv received in the A/V room) and then running CAT6 to each TV - assume there's a CAT6 -> HDMI connector?
2) I'd like to be able to control the whole house using my iphone or ipad.  I don't see me installing audio controls throughout the house - rather use an app for that or have a dedicated ipad.
3) No idea yet on system.  
4) Again - no idea.  Should I have the electrician just wire everything as normal?  Should I run a CAT6 to each switch.  Do I have the electrician run all light fixture wire back to closet?
 
Thx

pvrfan said:

There is no single way to wire for whole-home video, whole-home audio, video surveillance, or lighting control because there are multiple ways to implement each of these.  Take security cameras, for example.  The most common types use either RG-6 or Cat 5e/6 wiring.  There are pros and cons to each type of system.  You need to either decide now which one fits your circumstances better or pull both types of wire now and decide later.  Whole-home video has even more varieties.  Again you either need to decide on your overall strategy or maybe lay in conduit so you can pull the appropriate wire later.
 
Craig

Click to expand...

 
Thx Craig - I was hoping that I could just run CAT6 to every endpoint (TV, security camera, light switch, motion detector, window, door) and then find a system that can leverage CAT6 cable but that might be a pipe dream.  For TV's, I'd consider running a conduit so that I could later switch out the wiring to something else.  I'm planning to stay in the home while I'm still vertical (hopefully 50 more years) so I'd like to future-proof it as much as possible.  
 
There's no way the wife is going to be happy if I have lots of controls on the wall and/or TV receivers hanging off the TV so planning to use iphone/ipad apps with some ipads around the house (if needed) to run most everything (except lighting controls I suppose).

ccmichaelson said:

4) Again - no idea.  Should I have the electrician just wire everything as normal?  Should I run a CAT6 to each switch.  Do I have the electrician run all light fixture wire back to closet?
 
Thx

Click to expand...

 
Same as with the other components, there are multiple wiring methods depending on the system used. The most common is the standard electrical wiring, but you may plan it with the automated switches in mind (e.g. no multi-way switch wiring is needed, extra space for keypads, extra-deep non-metal electric boxes). There are several lighting technologies that will use standard wiring: z-wave, zigbee and upb are the most common, there are also proprietary systems like insteon, radioRA2 and clearconnect.
Another way is to home-run high-voltage wire from each fixture to be controlled to a central location, and also to home-run or daisy-chain low voltage wire to the control keypads. This type of wiring is used with hard-wired systems such as Centralite Elegance or Lutron Homeworks. While these systems offer much higher reliability and ease of use, they are not DIY systems and should be installed by a qualified professional.

ccmichaelson said:

1) I haven't yet decided on what system(s) I want to use (e.g. homeseer).  My goal is to mount the various TV's to the wall with no client/receiver and be able to watch DVR recorded shows and/or live TV on any TV.  I can only imagine a system (or possibly placing all DirectTv received in the A/V room) and then running CAT6 to each TV - assume there's a CAT6 -> HDMI connector?
2) I'd like to be able to control the whole house using my iphone or ipad.  I don't see me installing audio controls throughout the house - rather use an app for that or have a dedicated ipad.
3) No idea yet on system.  
4) Again - no idea.  Should I have the electrician just wire everything as normal?  Should I run a CAT6 to each switch.  Do I have the electrician run all light fixture wire back to closet?
 
Thx

Click to expand...

 
1) Yes, there are Cat6 to HDMI baluns. Check into them and consider the price, and additional pieces of equipment needed. I recently installed a centrailized system and ran HDMI cables direct from the closet to (2) TVs and a projector. These were 50', 75', and 100' HDMI cables; Monoprice has them for about $1/ft (or slightly less).
 
2) Definitely possible. I'd suggest checking into the Russound C-Series systems (e.g. MCA-C3). They do offer an Apple/Android app to control the system. I'll soon be installing (2) of the MCA-C3s and a DMS3.1 (3-source digital media streamer).
 
3) If you don't know what system and/or cameras you're going to use, you may want to pull both siamese (coax + 18/2) and Cat5E to each location. I'd suggest IP cameras for the additional resolution they offer, but they also cost more and NVR's are generally also more expensive. Also consider if you want to distribute the video from the CCTV system as well - where do you want to be able to view it? My MBR TV is currently configured such that when the TV is on, and the doorbell is rung, the TV will automatically switch the TV input to the CCTV input. I'll be adding this to our great room TV as soon as I get the chance.
 
4) picta covered this pretty well above already.

Personally I would initially consider the infrastructure first of what it is you want to do. 
 
You have mentioned the "end state" of where you want to be and sort of glossed over the base of the infrastructure.
 
You are putting the cart before the horse relating to your DIY automation endeavor.  This methodology typically will cost you more issues in the long run.  That said you can do whatever you choose to do.
 
 
 
 

 

Yes, I read the Wiring your house 101 manual from this site.  In a nutshell I don't understand the exact cable I should be running between my centrally located panel (mechanical room) to each device (e.g. audio speaker, TV, light switch, etc.)

Click to expand...

 
This part is most important as it provides you with the means to be able to automate a few different ways as the science of automation today is not perfect.
 
DirectTV/Dish are still around.  I still use Direct TV after 20 years (and Comcast cable and Verizon FIOS and DISH and now AT&T).  I like to watch whatever on whatever LCD TV is in the house; but I do not base my automation / multimedia experience on any one technology today.   Lately like the streaming from web means of multimedia (that is me though).
 
 
Baby steps; go back to the wiring 101 stuff as that will be your best help in your endeavor relating to your wants of security, CCTV, lighting, TV, audio et al.....

Distributed HDMI sucks.  The problem is HDMI requires handshaking between the devices.  And unless ALL of your output devices are EXACTLY the same it ends up defaulted down to the lowest common denominator (which is often just 2-channel stereo).  There are a ton of hacks to try and work around it, but those bring along their own cluster-f*ck of complications.
 
Then there's dealing with remote controlling the sources from remote locations.  Again, you wander off into the weeds of all kinds of hacks.  Meanwhile your wife/family hates the complexity.
 
In short, plan on having at least some sort of set top box locally at each TV.   We like Tivo units & Chromecast gizmos.  Others like Roku, AppleTV, etc.  I've got the other gizmos and they never get used, at least not compared to the ease, convenience and completeness of coverage provided by the Tivo & Chromecast combos.
 
Here's another thought to consider, by the time you cobble together the various pieces to try to make older equipment work you'd probably be better off just replacing it with something new & current.  As in, TV's without current HDMI support (features like CEC, pass-through, etc).  Or receivers without the same.  The headaches of trying to just DISCOVER what's broken about them are a hassle, let alone trying to deal with the in-between gizmos that "might" let them continue to be useful.  Words from experience here...

ccmichaelson said:

Thx Craig - I was hoping that I could just run CAT6 to every endpoint (TV, security camera, light switch, motion detector, window, door) and then find a system that can leverage CAT6 cable but that might be a pipe dream.  For TV's, I'd consider running a conduit so that I could later switch out the wiring to something else.  I'm planning to stay in the home while I'm still vertical (hopefully 50 more years) so I'd like to future-proof it as much as possible.  
 
There's no way the wife is going to be happy if I have lots of controls on the wall and/or TV receivers hanging off the TV so planning to use iphone/ipad apps with some ipads around the house (if needed) to run most everything (except lighting controls I suppose).

Click to expand...

 
You *can* use Cat6 for (just about) everything but you probably don't want to.  For example, you probably want door/window closure contacts for the security system.  These can be wired with Cat6 but it is cheaper and way more common to use the appropriate cable.  
 
I think you might be better to review the existing threads for each of the major functions you want (whole-home video, whole-home audio) and then create a new thread for any specific questions.  Otherwise, I think this thread is going to become pretty jumbled.
 
One other point.  You've mentioned iPads/iPhones a couple of times.  Apple's home automation push is going to launch this fall with the release of iOS 8...maybe early in September if the iPhone 6 rumours are right.  It looks like it is going to be very much focused on WiFi but virtually no details have been released.  If you're invested in the iOS ecosystem, you may want to watch for this.
 
Craig

As for audio distribution, it's common to run a CAT5 control wire to a wall keypad location (I ran two, just in case).  And to also run the speaker wires through that same location.  The idea being there are some audio systems that distribute it from a central location, while others amplify it in the keypad.  Or stream it directly from the keypad.  Recommendations are you run 16/4 for <100' runs and 14/4 for longer, and then the same thing for /2 conductor up to the speakers.  Splice them in the wall box.  You could, of course, run 16/2 directly to each speaker location, but the cable bundles start to get pretty big.   I used a combined 16/4 & CAT5E cable for all of the sub-100' lengths
 
Do no underestimate the size of the cabling bundles.  If you have a lot of cable runs you need to consider just where & how all of them are going to converge and get to your wiring panel.  Especially with regard to how things are going to be put on the walls later.  As in, you don't want picture/cabinet/shelf hanging fasteners to wreck cabling...  
 
I ran speaker wires into all rooms but will most likely not use all that many of them.  Sound carries well enough to not be necessary 'everywhere'.  But, again, wire is cheap and running while walls are open is a LOT less trouble/expense.  I used a Bosch right-angle laser lever and measurements from corners to track where the wires are up behind the ceiling drywall.   So if/when I want to install the speakers I just put the level down at the same X,Y coordinates and cut the hole above.  Note, the wire is tacked up out of the way to avoid a hole saw wrecking it...