markthomas said:
Your sig says you have the Slimserver, so you should know that a PC can "convert everything to TCP/IP so it can travel over your existing data network". In the case of the Barix equipment, replace "everything" with "audio." No streaming video, no IR, etc.
Correct I do know that a PC can convert everything into TCP/IP but there still has to be something at the other end of the data stream. Something like the Barionet to turn hard wired inputs into network data communicated back to the Automation PC. Something like an Annuncicom to accept a data stream from the Automation PC and convert it back into audio.
I'm not suggesting that this is the cheapest way to do voice announcements but I thought it was interesting because it uses the existing house network so there would not be the dedicated wiring you would need with a Russound system.
I should note that I am not talking about using the Barix for whole-house audio since I already have that covered with the Slimserver. In fact the two areas I will likely never integrate into my automation system are media distribution and fire/security because I have stand-alone systems for both of those that I am happy with.
On the other hand, I will always need my HA system to handle lots and lots of hard-wired I/O and lots of voice announcements. (and lighting and HVAC)
I just don't see a use for their audio distribution items, for the home at least. Please enlighten me and tell me what you can do with Barix products that you can't do with other Home Automation products that are far cheaper.
For example, putting together an intercom using Barix products would be a LOT more expensive than, for example, installing a Greyfox Cat-5 intercom system, Russound intercom, etc. You would need an Annuncicom at every speaker. And where would you put it?
(One exception is the Barionet... that could be useful... but it costs twice as much as a Global Cache GC-100)
As far as what you can do, I don't know. It looks like you can easily direct HA announcements to any location or group of locations and it looks like it will scale far beyond the limits of what you can do with a greyfox system which I believe is limited to around 20 locations. I'm not saying Barix is a good way to go, I am asking.
It seems like it is hard to scale announcement systems with PC based HA controllers and I thought this might be a way for a PC system to deal with directing HA announcements to a lot of different areas.
I don't really know how to compare Barix to Global Cache. Barix adds hard wired inputs in increments of 12 for at around $23 per input so sure, you will be up around $1400 for 60 inputs. I'm not sure how you even configure Global Cache to accept 60 hard wired inputs so I don't know how to calculate the cost difference.