I'd use the Ocelot with a SECU-16IR to send IR commands to each of the 7 Insignia NS-R2000 receivers. I have to have separate IR zones due to all of the receivers being the same. Are you saying that you're able to control a receiver with IR from an X10 keychain remote or am I missing something?
For my setup, I interface the Keychain remotes (
KR-22a). I use Homeseer. Each Zone consists of a soundcard, Cat5e, PC speakers / Receiver for that Room (in my setup, the receiver is IN the room). The server controls Winamp and the Appliance modules for the PC speakers, or sends an IR signal through the extra Cat5 pairs to control the Receiver in the room. Winamp then plays out to whatever Zone it was attached to. I don't send the "power" audio signals from the HA room, just line level. Do I get some loss is quality..probably, but no one has ever mentioned it, and I can't tell the difference.
As for your setup, I would probably still do the same. I would hook up a bunch of serial to IR converters (I rolled my own). Then "record" all the IR signals that I wanted (volume up / down / power). Then, when I hit those buttons on the remote, HS would fire off the proper event to control the local receiver, or the Winamp that is associated with that Zone.
From top Right to bottom left:
Play/Pause | Stop
Previous Song | Next Song
Volume Up ONE "tick" | Volume Down ONE "tick" <-- (I designated something like 12% as a tick...)
Power On/Off | Option button (Shuffle On/Off or turns on the local Touchscreen or local lights On/Off)
Bright | Dim (after you press Either Volume button, these are activated and act as "smooth-volume" Up or Down, thus eliminates having to re-press the volume button over and over)
Then I dedicated 2 X10 House Codes to the remotes, and set them to be 4 addresses off from each other. Zone 1 is N1-4, Zone 2 is N5-8, etc. Eventually I wrap to M1-4, etc.
--Dan
P.S. My setup might not be for everyone. I just wanted to see HOW well I could make a system with just the crap laying around my house. Also, provided to be a REALLY cheap system (Had I purchased everything, probably would have only been $400...but did actually cost my $300). The best part is, I can keep expanding the system for the cost of a $5-10 USB sound card, some cat5e, and PC speakers (usually really cheap at a garage sale). This setup also works for HOW we use them (background noise). As such, we don't care that it's not DTS level...as long as it sounds pretty clear, has some decent (in OUR opinion) bass (i.e. not tinny), we are happy. I think the only room where we don't care that it's tinny is in the bathrooms (I have splash proof speakers in there...so they don't sound that great...btw got them at Rat Shack on a close out deal for $5 a pair). It's also neat to have the RF in to control the Zone in the bathroom, since it's RF, you can put the remote in a Ziploc or some other completely enclosed plastic bag type of thing and not worry about being able to press the buttons, or having the "point" the remote at an IR receiver, or if the steam from one's shower were to block that IR eye.