trying to figured out which setup i need

[vortex91]

boy this is gettin more confusing as i learn more.

Here is what i want to do. Have a central closet which has all my goodies (cable boxes, replay tv, dvd) all conected to my pc and some software with routing features to feed any feed to any room with audio and video. (assuming i need central ir) Im in process of remodling so i can run any wires anywhere needed. I would like to use HAL for voice recognition as well. I want to know what i need to buy to get this done, and im not talking about the basics (mic, wall speakers) I mean hardware wise to work with hall to be able to control from any room any device and also lights (prefereable UPB) Here is where im at so far

I have started remodling my home (all drywall is out) so i can wire up anyway i want. Before i start here are my requirment.

1. Hardwireing things is highly prefered over wirless solutions
2. reliability is prefered (upb?)
3. Centraly located audio/video distribution.
4. Would like to use HAL or other voice recognition software.
5. Central closet which hass all my aduio/video stuff (including my PC with audio/video) Which can be controled from any room (2 or more rooms simultaniously) Budet is 10,000 total for all parts wiring and what not. I will be running and installig all of it

any advice is appriciated

 

[bfisher]

I'm not clear on the question - what hardware are you trying to figure out? This is my best guess as an answer to the question I think you are asking.

Central IR - If you have limited equipment, or it's all of different type (so you don't have duplicates which will confuse the IR) - you need an emmitter connecting block (usually 4 or 10 outputs). This takes a IR repeater (sensor) and "spreads" the signal out to multiple emmitters (flashers). You can wire several sensors into one block (if you have multiple rooms). Run 3 or 4 wire cable to anywhere you want an IR receiver.

Video - you shouldn't need to use any routing software - if can use splitters or modulators to get your signals where you want.

Splitters take a SVideo, composite, or component signal and splits it into 4 or 7 balanced signals which can be distributed. Low level signals are tough to distribute unless the distance is pretty short.

Modulators convert audio/video signals into RF cable so you can distribute a longer run using RG6 or RG59 cable.

Lighting - if you use UPB (I highly recommend it), you can install all of it after your remodel is done - it uses existing wiring. You will need a UPB Computer Interface Module to share signals from the switches to the PC.

I hope this gives you a start on what you are looking for. Your best bet if just getting started is to go to some of the store websites and start looking at equipment and "designing" your system. These sites usually have good information about the hardware that helps you determine what you need. Some sites I like to buy from:
Automated Outlet
HomeTech Solutions
SmarthomeUSA

Let us know if you have any specific questions we can help with.

 

[vortex91]

ok ill point out a scenerio.

Lets take a bedroom which has a TV set and no other equipment since the cabel box is in the electric closet. Now i want to tell HAL to turn on the TV. So hall needs to emit a signal to the bedroom to turn on my tv also hall needs to turn on the cable box and rout its signal to my bedroom. Now if lets say it was noisy than i wanted to turn it on myself i would have to use a remote so i would need a ir receiver in the bedroom which will turn on the cable box and also rout that to my bedroom. Also since i want in wall speaker the audio in the bedroom needs to be routed properly as well. So here is a recap

1. i need a Ir reciver and also an IR emitter in my room.
2. in the closet what do i need to properly rout the audio and video from my cable box to my bedroom and not to all the rooms?

also how do wire up the speaker in all the rooms? do i home run them back to my closet? how do i wire it up so that volume control can be done in that zoon as well and i dont just mean manualy with a button on the wall i mean through hall or remote?

thanx Vic

 

[bfisher]

I will try my best, but every situation is different.

As I pointed out above, you don't need to route signals to a particular TV if you use a splitter or a modulator. A mod will allow you to have multiple sources (cable, DVD, satellite, etc), and you just change the channel to the right source. A splitter would be similar results, except you would change inputs on the TV to the right source. The advantage of both of these methods is that you can support multiple TVs with multiple sources at the same time.

IR, speaker wire, etc would all be homerun. I use CAT5 for my IR receiver wiring because then I have extra wires for emitters (to have my controller change TV stations, etc).

Since you seem to be pretty new, I would recommend a book to you. It's very basic, and I don't recommend doing everything the way the author did it - but it will give you a good start and some ideas.

HA: DIY

 

[upstatemike]

While you have the walls open don't forget to wire for smoke detectors, telephones (including FAX, pay per view boxes, and alarm panel locations.), Ethernet (including PCs, network printers, network enabled DVRs and cable boxes, digital music players, IP cameras, and locations for future Wireless Access Points), Extra coax to feed signals from various A/V components, PC's, cameras, etc. TO the modulators in you wiring closet. Also relay lines for controlling garage doors and speaker switches. Extra speaker lines for phone paging, HA announcements, if applicable.

 

[vortex91]

a friend of mine recomented that instead of running rg6 coax i run svhs and av wires to all the rooms. Is this a better idea than coax?

 

[bfisher]

Depends on the length of the runs. SVideo and RCA wires are more susceptible to noise and may/maynot work (not to mention they are considerably more money). It's possible they will give you a better picture - or worse...

If you have the money to do it - I would run them along with the coax... but I would also consider DTV wiring needs too then because this will be the standard in the very near future...

 

[vortex91]

longest run is 50ft. My only other concern is the hardware out there that im giong to purchase to manage routing or the spillters or modulators mentioned earlier, can they work witrh svhs and rca?

 

[bfisher]

Yes, they will.

These are the ones I use...

(Look at 2nd row)

 

[rocco]

a friend of mine recomented that instead of running rg6 coax i run svhs and av wires to all the rooms. Is this a better idea than coax?

It may be a better idea if you intend to only distribute baseband video. S-video and a/v wires will not be able to carry the cable-TV or satellite frequencies. Only RG6 and some more exotic coax can do that. Just so you know . . .

 

[bfisher]

Good point, but if he centralizes his satellite/cable receivers - he could run baseband video throughout from his central location. He'll need coax runs to his central location to feed the receivers, but then could run the other signals from there to his TV.

 

[smee]

I distribute both RF and baseband (composite) in my apartment (non-permanent installation). You will leave most of your options open if you run RG6 (coax). A single RG6 can handle cable (RF), composite video, half of s-video (2 coaxes required for complete signal), OR a single audio channel. All of these work well. If you change your mind later, you may not want to be limited by the type of cable you have run.

In my current installation, most of my video is distributed over coax as composite video and audio is distributed using cat5e.

 

[vortex91]

the idea is to have a central electric room which will have all the cable boxes. I guess i will run rg6 cable just in case i do change my mind later along with svhs. Oh ya and dont worry cat6 is already running all over the place at least 4 going to each room.

 

[bfisher]

remember if you are running SVideo that you need to run audio also... svideo is video only and no sound...