Satellite Receiver locations

[wryork]

I'm in the process of planning my audio/video infrastructure in my new home and have a few questions.

Regarding my video setup, I was considering placing all of the Satellite receivers in the distribution room (structured wiring). I am planning on many receivers in my house (~7) to serve even more (>10) locations around the house.

For example, I would place one of the many receivers in the distribution room to server both the master bedroom and master bathroom from a single receiver.

My rationale for the placement is to consolidate equipment together, share receivers to multiple locations, and avoid placing receivers at locations where I will be wall mounting tvs. (and it gives me reason to continue expanding my growing data center )

Any suggestions, feedback, and/or comments to this plan?

Many thanks!

 

[bfisher]

Personally, I would set up the system so your receivers are distributed and any receiver can play on any TV. That way you only need as many receivers as potential number of unique TVs at the same time.

I know it's not much - but I think DTV charges ~$5 per additional receiver. Doesn't take many months to purchase a good video distribution system.

 

[jrfuda]

I agree with bfisher - less receivers and more distro.

I have a single Dish VIP-622 feeding 6 TV sets. The 622 has dual tuners (3, actually if you count the OTA ATSC tuner) and can distribute the singles in various ways:

Tuner 1/OTA Tuner: via hdmi, component, S-video, composite, and modulated UHF
Tuner 2: via sSvideo, componsite, and modulated UHF

HD video is down-covnerted to NTSC on S-video and below, and all outputs can be used simultaneously. Anything recorded on one tuner can be viewed on any other tuner.

I have the receiver connected to my main set (50" LCD RPTV) via component, and have its modulated output connected to my in-house cable system with a 20db signal amp in line. The cable system then distributes the signal to the 5 remaining TVs, all of which are 32" or less, where SD and HD are barely distinguishable from eachother (downconverted HD content can still be viewed as "letterboxed" on 4:3 sets). While all sets can view any tuner, we primarily view tuner 1 on the living room and kitchen sets, and tuner 2 on the bedroom sets. The bedroom sets use UHF to control the TV channels, and IR for everything else (via a Xantech distro system) and the Living Room & Kitchen are strait IR.

I also have my DVD jukebox and video baby monitor connected to a modulator and distributed throughout the house similarly.

 

[wryork]

jrfuda, Thanks for the details and I browsed your site and found it very interesting. Being new to all of this home a/v networking, etc, I am a little overwhelmed with all of the information.

So I will focus on my wiring infrastrucutre now since I'm in the middle of construction and need to finalize my plans with my electrician soon.

I'm looking for advice on what/how to pre-wire my house to give me the greatest amount of flexibility. I understand a lot of it depends on what I am trying to accomplish but I'm still figuring that out. So I'm looking for a design that will give me the greatest amount of flexibility as I learn more about distributed a/v and as I live in the house to better decide my requirements.

Here is what I'm planning today but would love any advice you could provide:

All wiring is being home run to the strucutred wiring location in the mechanical room in the basement. All coax will be RG6QS solid core, network cable Cat6.
* 6 RG6 from Satellite location to Mechanical room
* 1 RG6 to attic for OTA
* Every TV and future planned TV location will be wired with 2 RG6 and 2 CAT6 (currently I have identified 15 possible locations)
* Every room to have CAT6 drop for phone or network cable
* Home Theater location to have 4 RG6 and 4 CAT6
* 1 CAT6 drop to each room location with planed ceiling speakers for volume control
* RG6 to other locations (1 - front door, 1 - outback, others?) - for video cameras
* CAT6 to several locations for automation, etc (1 - front door, 1 - thermostat, 2 - future location for wall mounted panel house controller, others?)
* 1 CAT6 in celing on back porch for Wireless AP

Am I missing anything or planning too little / too much?

Thanks for anyones help...Bill

 

[bfisher]

Cat6 for volume control will work depending on your Audio system. If you go with a more "tradional" audio system - run your speaker wire to the volume controls - and from there to your speakers.

Verify this - but I don't think you need 6 wires from the Satellite location to the Mech room. I think you can run 2 wires (maybe more if you include HD) - and then use a multiplexer in the mech room to provide signal to the 6 satellite receivers.

 

[ctwilliams]

If you use directv:

It appears that DirecTV's new dish (AT9), the one that will look at their new satellite locations, contains an internal multiswitch which will provide you with four output lines. If you need more than that (for example, I have three tivo's which require two input lines each) then they will provide a multiswitch.

The difference with this new dish is that you can no longer combine an OTA antenn signal on the same lines, so if you have an antenna in the same location it will need its own coax run.

Their are rumors that DirecTV is working to reduce this number of coax runs with future dishes, but that is unclear.

 

[wryork]

bfisher: Personally, I would set up the system so your receivers are distributed and any receiver can play on any TV. That way you only need as many receivers as potential number of unique TVs at the same time.

bfisher, can you give me more technical details as to how to best accomplish this? Thanks!

 

[bfisher]

This can be accomplished a few ways... (best as I know - I'm not an installer, just a DIYer)

- traditional - using coax and a modulator. Each source is assigned a channel. Easy to implement - picture quality is OK.
- Newer - use a signal distribution amp. Offered in composite and component varieties. Picture quality is much better. limitations on run length.
- Newest - matrix switchers (not sure right name), something like AutoPatch.

Hope that helps. I'm currently on the traditional approach, but planning on converting to newer or newest approach soon.