easytimhal
Member
I support this :http://sewelldirect.com/bulk-cat5e-blue.asp
Component or HDMI for new construction
- Thread starter jms5180
- Start date
Mario23
Member
Ranger Digital said:
Getting ready for a big rebuild here at home and this is what I'm looking for...tks
I've seen powered IR hubs and other setups but it seems like alot of these newer 1 wire extenders take care of all needs.
Is that accurate or is it prefered to take care of IR seperately?
I'm looking at putting 7 DTV receivers in my wiring closet as well as the stereo receiver and was curious if there is anything else I would need.
Neurorad
Senior Member
7 DirecTV receivers in the closet? Or Dish?
With DirecTV, there is 1 DVR (Genie) at 1 TV (or in the closet), and each TV gets a small 'client' box that mounts to the rear of a TV (or is in the recessed junction box); I think it's similar with the Dish Hopper/Joey setup. I don't know the limits of the number of shared DVRs.
Unless you're distributing content from a local network (ripped movies), I think using the satellite company's distribution system is a reasonable alternative to an HDMI matrix, though running 3-4 un-terminated category cables would futureproof. You could put the Blu-ray players in each zone, and have a Roku or Airplay also local for streaming online content. Cheaper than a matrix. I think there are 'in-zone' alternatives to streaming movies, as well, from the local network.
With DirecTV, there is 1 DVR (Genie) at 1 TV (or in the closet), and each TV gets a small 'client' box that mounts to the rear of a TV (or is in the recessed junction box); I think it's similar with the Dish Hopper/Joey setup. I don't know the limits of the number of shared DVRs.
Unless you're distributing content from a local network (ripped movies), I think using the satellite company's distribution system is a reasonable alternative to an HDMI matrix, though running 3-4 un-terminated category cables would futureproof. You could put the Blu-ray players in each zone, and have a Roku or Airplay also local for streaming online content. Cheaper than a matrix. I think there are 'in-zone' alternatives to streaming movies, as well, from the local network.
Mario23
Member
I actually have one of the clients and the Genie right now and its ok but I have a couple of issues.
First being that we're limited to how many clients can be run on one system...I think the max is 4.
Also, the client doesn't perform as well as the regular HD recievers. I think it probably just a little buggy still being a relatively new product.
DTV customer service even confirmed that they are working on a couple of issues with the client and the Genie and trying to sort out these bugs.
One other problem is the clients get a bit expensive and it seems DTV won't give me any deals for the swap.
If I remember correctly its 100 each.
So my plan initially was to put the Genie and all recievers in the closet and run extenders to all tv's.
Not good?
Audio and HDMI over one or two fibers:
http://www.rgb.com/products/Opto/?c=n
Get out your credit card.
http://www.rgb.com/products/Opto/?c=n
Get out your credit card.
Ranger Digital
Active Member
I have never used powered IR hubs. All IR routing is done via a URC or similar set up. Have NEVER had an issue with the IR running down a cat5 to an IR emitter on the TV. give cat5 is so cheap, I ALWAYS run it separately. HDMI Baluns have come a LONG way and we have dozens of installs with no issues.Mario23 said:
WHat are you wanting the TV's to have access to?? If only a dtv box there really is no need to have them all in a central location (aside from securing them, power protecting them and ventilating). I can only assume there is more to your set up than just watching DTV?
eidt: I've still yet to hear/understand why more than one coax is ever needed! I would NEVER run 3 or 5 to carry component. What a MAJOR PIA! If component was desired, the baluns are cheap and have never had one fail.
Mario23
Member
My thoughts were to start by putting the receivers in the closet.
The reason was so that in those rooms I could just have the flat screen on the wall with nothing around it.
It would be just DTV at first but I want to be ready for other future media sharing options and smart tv options as well.
The reason was so that in those rooms I could just have the flat screen on the wall with nothing around it.
It would be just DTV at first but I want to be ready for other future media sharing options and smart tv options as well.
wkearney99
Senior Member
Curiously enough I manage to source quite a lot of the cabling through Amazon. Amazon Prime subscription with $7.99 for overnight shipping on a 30lb spool of wire is a bargain that's hard to beat.
easytimhal
Member
Mario23 said:
Take a look at the Boxee Box, great for sharing HD to any room in the house
wkearney99
Senior Member
Which only works if you're dealing with media files or sources that it can play. This won't help you if you're dealing with cable channels, over the air TV or video output from other devices (dvd, bluray,etc). For those you're still going to have to use a video connection of some sort from the source device to the TV.
HDMI can be a poor choice for this due to handshaking issues. Basically the HDMI source devices want to 'handshake' with their connected output device. This to make sure of what the output device can accept. The source device then adjusts it's output to match that. This is all well and good if all your devices have the same cabilities. But if one of them, say a plain old TV, has a lesser feature set then the source will dumb itself down for EVERYTHING. So your higher-end amplifier that can do surround-sound won't get that level of audio because somewhere there's a 2-channel stereo-only TV connected. Some higher end HDMI matrix switches can help get around this but you still have the fundamental problem of source-to-destination mismatch risks. Otherwise you have to put an amp anywhere you're going to use the HDMI signal. If you can do that, then great. Just make sure there's room for it...
Boxee, roku, appletv and the like are fine products and certainly have their place. But as a replacement for a direct video connection they fall well short.
HDMI can be a poor choice for this due to handshaking issues. Basically the HDMI source devices want to 'handshake' with their connected output device. This to make sure of what the output device can accept. The source device then adjusts it's output to match that. This is all well and good if all your devices have the same cabilities. But if one of them, say a plain old TV, has a lesser feature set then the source will dumb itself down for EVERYTHING. So your higher-end amplifier that can do surround-sound won't get that level of audio because somewhere there's a 2-channel stereo-only TV connected. Some higher end HDMI matrix switches can help get around this but you still have the fundamental problem of source-to-destination mismatch risks. Otherwise you have to put an amp anywhere you're going to use the HDMI signal. If you can do that, then great. Just make sure there's room for it...
Boxee, roku, appletv and the like are fine products and certainly have their place. But as a replacement for a direct video connection they fall well short.
pete_c
Guru
I started initially using the modded little Patriot Box Office NMT. A little of this and that change rooting it and I could remote it. It was a bit of a hassle but I did buy a few of these at $50 each and they were tiny. The main OS/Kernel calls though were propietary on these boxes though running some tweaked embedded linux. I tried the use of the per directory per video DB stuff (with cover art and IMDB stuff) but it was a real manual effort and really a PITA. I never did try to stream live TV video on it and abandoned my efforts wtih it. Before these efforts did have MS Media center players here and there in the house. (started with xp, then went to W7 with them).
Doing the baby step thing with HDMI I did install a while ago some interconnectivity between two rooms using Rapid Run cables (mini coax?). These are working fine but its like one run per 1/2" conduit. I have not yet tried to extend HDMI with cat5 cables but have found no need to yet.
Instead I went from the little NMTs mentioned above to little AOpen DE's which today are running XBMC in Linux and Wintel and off a memory stick.
Testing now the new MythTV head end with multiple tuners on it and XBMC live TV channel switching, recording, rewinding live TV stuff and it works well now with XBMC on Linux and Wintel. For the time being and personally its easier for me to have these boxes on the network each talking (and remote controllable) to each LCD TV on its own. This is a bit "Sage" like and the boxes are not propietary nor are they rented.
The aforementioned boxes as sold (Boxee, Roku, Apple TV) are built cheaply, a bit underpowered and DRM stifled.
They do fine streaming local HD and stuff but your bottleneck is still the internet.
Today's technology though does provide descent and local HD at 1080 in a little box that is as good as a bigger box with distribution but the same horsepower (CPU, VIdeo, Memory, et al) at a reasonable price. Personally for me it works because each TV has its own computer that does whatever and is more than capable of providing stuff to the LCD TV. I am a bit antiquated here though distributing audio with the Russound and have sub zones of MM receivers in some XX subzones and always using one or the other.
Side note though: In the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's while audio specs went beyond what most people could actually hear I did have issues hearing above 20,000 Hz but could feel the less than 20 Hz sound. Typically though the human ear can only hear from about 16Hz to around 16000Hz. Vision though is a bit different and I was for a bit able to discern the difference (maybe it was me though) between 120Hz and 240Hz and on and on with LCD TVs. Frame rates and movies and refresh rates and scanning lines and such make it a bit difficult as we move beyond those discernible differences relating to watching broadcast TV or movies these days. (again I still have OK vision but I know that its a bit more degraded today than it was when I was say 20 years old). This side note though is just a bit of reflection when I did want audio stuff that went above and beyond what I could hear.
In a legacy sort of way though I am distributing the live video content using the head end to manage said sources, recorderings et at.
BTW though still wired for everything.
Relating to the OP; wire and add chases for everything; then some more as this is the most cost effective/efficient piece of your endeavor. The materials and specfically labor costs (whether its a DIY and your time or you hire some one) are much less before the walls go up.
A rant now....
I did have an issue with the FIOS HD box in FL not talking HDMI to my LCD TV. I know it was an issue with the Motorola box but the customer service person said it was an issue with my TV. That said I did run a chase which allowed component video from the FIOS box to the LCD TV. I complained and we tried 4 boxes all with the same results. At the time though did read that the HDMI out of the Motorola box was having issues with a variety of different MFG's LCD's HDMI ports. (again really its the DRM crap that probably was the issue).
Ranger Digital
Active Member
If you only want satellite now to each tv, I would plan on future centralization of all equipment in one location with an eventual matrix switch. But for NOW, I would put each box at the tv except for the area with speakers, I assume a living room? run HDMI from amp to TV (if not a long run, balun otherwise). Connect all sources for living tv to amp. Otherwise, you are spending a lot of time and money just to get satellite to all those other rooms. Todays amps can even be set to PASS THROUGH an hdmi source without the amp being on which will allow you to watch satellite without amp/speakers being on.
wkearney99
Senior Member
Don't forget wire for an attic/roof antenna. I'd forgotten that. I had to make quick work last Friday to add two coax and a cat5 line for that. That and I still have a pair of empty 2" conduits should I need something else in the future.
element2050
Member
Just bought a house the upstairs has 3-4 coax cables and 2 cat5e per a room; they are used for component; cat5e isn't used. The basement all has HDMI or HDMI via cat5e ran. Go HDMI so many new devices have no support for component. Haven't had issue with HDMI over Cat5E. I just installed upstairs a VGA over one single Cat5E for my 2nd family room to my media center computer. Went that route due to VGA being cheaper and not needing audio ran to the plasma. Cost me $8 used for the kit.
jms5180 said:
Comnet would be my choice before that monster.
gatchel said:Audio and HDMI over one or two fibers:
http://www.rgb.com/products/Opto/?c=n
Get out your credit card.
