Home Entertainment Systems for new build

amallon · January 07, 2009, 08:48:29 PM

Some great advice there as usual lads. I think it would be nice to be able to control whats being streamed at the tv so it would require a mini pc at each TV.

5Sams- The reason I'm asking these question on here is to try and install DIY SmartHomes type system I.E. Cheaper!

Donagh – If you have your playstation, media centre, satellite etc connected to an AV receiver which is then connected to your TV how do you then select which device appears when you hit your AV button on the TV. What sort of AV receiver do you have? That MediaPortal software looks very useful especially as its open source. If I had a Windows media centre with a TV tuner in it I could do away with my hard drive recorder. Can a media centre be controlled by remote control?

Gnevin – Are you saying that an Xbox could stream video from a media centre server? And you can browse the web on an Xbox. I'm no gamer so would an Xbox not be over kill?

Point taken about not putting speakers into the walls lads.

P.S. What type of cable would you advise me to run for surround sound?

Main Street · January 08, 2009, 01:57:56 PM

Quote from: amallon on January 07, 2009, 08:48:29 PM
P.S. What type of cable would you advise me to run for surround sound?

speaker cables? depends on the quality output of the amp and the quality of your speakers.

Mostly, up to a certain price, surround systems have plastic box with cheap speaker material and components.
There is a limit to the cable quality needed to carry the sound adequatly from the basic amp to the speaker.
2 x 1.5mm is good enough for surround sound speakers and will service even very good quality speakers.
Generally a coax cable to a self powered sub woofer.

Mostly, surround systems just have to deal with a low audio bit rate from tv/satellite transmissions and have a cheap plastic bass woofer thing which thumps out a rumble effect.
So it's passable for movies. Improves on the tv audio.

QuoteIf you have your playstation, media centre, satellite etc connected to an AV receiver which is then connected to your TV how do you then select which device appears when you hit your AV button on the TV. What sort of AV receiver do you have?

For vision
My TV has inputs 2 x hdmi 2 x scart.
hdmi 1 = computer hdmi 2 = dvd player Scart one = sky plus Scart 2 = another sat box.
Each of the 4 visual devices I have, are connected separatly to the tv.
By pressing a button on the TV remote I can select which input I want to watch.

For sound
I have a Harman Kardon avr 5550. This amp has a load of digital/analogue sound inputs (plus it heats up the room).
Each device I have, (2 sats cd player, dvd player, computer, is connected to digital and analogue inputs on the amp.
The sound output and settings (analogue stereo for music/digital surround for movies) is all set up on the amp (very easily, by following set up instructions on the manual) and all adjustable and controlled by a button on the remote.
The amp has leds and a front screen which tells you which device is being amplified.

The amp is a also capable of directing a separate sound from any of my inputs to any place in the house that has speakers connected to a manual speaker switch box.

My system is not automatic, if I turn on the sky plus after listening to some music then I have to select the relevant sky plus digital output on the amp.

amallon · January 08, 2009, 03:24:34 PM

Thats an awesome setup Mac Eoghan mine will be much simpler but that guy seems to have all the bases cover and I can get some ideas from him. Cheers

heganboy · January 08, 2009, 05:25:13 PM

Main Street,
I think I have about 5 of you working here in my office. One of the managers thought he would join in the audiophile conversation when he got his Bose noise reduction headphones demonstrating his commitment to high quality audio. He lasted about the first 2 minutes of laughter...

Bud Wiser · January 08, 2009, 06:11:27 PM

One of the easiest ways to plan this is to go onto the Keane Electronics website and ask them to send you out their current catalogue. Its free, but, dont say your name, say

Electrical Ltd. Then, all the cabling specs, all the wiring diagrams and all the patch panel configs are in the drawings near the back of the catalogue. As for the streaming to TV, if you go to our friends on the banner add of our board, www.elara.ie and look up Sony Bravia 42" telly (as an example) you will see that the more expensive one has a PC card built in. Hope this helps. Don't forget to throw in a few Cat5e cables for IP Cams, helps to keep the wheels on the motor and would be thieves at bay, particularly if you are going to be away in Croker two or three times a year. Best of luck.

http://www.keene.co.uk/pages/printcat/free.html

Main Street · January 08, 2009, 06:50:43 PM

Quote from: heganboy on January 08, 2009, 05:25:13 PM
Main Street,
I think I have about 5 of you working here in my office. One of the managers thought he would join in the audiophile conversation when he got his Bose noise reduction headphones demonstrating his commitment to high quality audio. He lasted about the first 2 minutes of laughter...

You can't buy the stuff that goes between the ears.

amallon · January 21, 2009, 02:02:57 PM

Can anyone recommend a good TV Tuner for the media centre? Preferably a PCI card

Gnevin · January 21, 2009, 02:42:26 PM

Quote from: amallon on January 07, 2009, 08:48:29 PM
Some great advice there as usual lads. I think it would be nice to be able to control whats being streamed at the tv so it would require a mini pc at each TV.

5Sams- The reason I'm asking these question on here is to try and install DIY SmartHomes type system I.E. Cheaper!

Donagh – If you have your playstation, media centre, satellite etc connected to an AV receiver which is then connected to your TV how do you then select which device appears when you hit your AV button on the TV. What sort of AV receiver do you have? That MediaPortal software looks very useful especially as its open source. If I had a Windows media centre with a TV tuner in it I could do away with my hard drive recorder. Can a media centre be controlled by remote control?

Gnevin – Are you saying that an Xbox could stream video from a media centre server? And you can browse the web on an Xbox. I'm no gamer so would an Xbox not be over kill?

Point taken about not putting speakers into the walls lads.

P.S. What type of cable would you advise me to run for surround sound?

Only seen this now. The xbox will stream from am pc you have . The xbox is cheaper than most boxes which offer the same funcionality

T O Hare · January 21, 2009, 04:11:55 PM

The most important question/ when is the house-warming

amallon · January 21, 2009, 05:15:30 PM

Don't worry you'll hear about it!