Home Automation - Audio/Video

[RobG]

This seems to be a gray area, lot of information on Home Theaters, but not so much info on integrated home audio and video systems.

I'm currently building a new house and would like to have audio and video in a few rooms. I've got speakers wired into the ceiling wired to the basement and Cat5 from the volume controls to the basement.

I'm looking for a source to play audio content from, something like popcorn hour/apple TV or equivalent. Then be able to listen to internet audio streams or some of my own music selection in the bedroom or ensuite. What is available for volume controls that will allow for different audio selection and control of said popcorn box without a TV?

anyone here have experience with this stuff?

[Stonewall]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

IR blasters and some custom software/display would work. A good friend of mine has his all setup with custom software he wrote. He even controls his movies via a weblink on his iphone.

[RobG]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

I'm good with with installing it all, but writing code isn't my strong point.

[RONDAL]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

if you are going full home i'd skip using IR receiver and go RF. it's a little more expensive, but it means you can control things from ANYWHERE.

if you are still at rough-in i would pull the Cat5 in favor of Cat6a, its the new standard and will allow 1080p transfer over distance.

you could build a fairly cheap and reasonable HTPC which you program to run different programs and such, and use a standard audio receiver to do the amp work for your speakers.

I'm gonna PM you a buddies #, he helped me immensely with my stuff and is a fellow dubber.

[RobG]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

Thanks!

[Tuna]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

I don't have time to go in to much detail but I've been looking to put some of HAI's products in to my house for a loooooooong time, I even have a distributor link but price is an issue. They have some nice products.

http://www.homeauto.com/main.asp

Also, a cheaper way to go is to control everything via iPhone/Touch or I suspect soon enough the iPad. I have the website at home I could PM you. The good thing about them is the customer support is free. HAI are very distributor focused which could be an issue for the lone wolf. There is a setup that can cantrol quite a number of things and you can actually install the S/W right on to your primary PC.

[Vulcan]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

Anybody look at Sonos? RF room to room music system. You can also get a free app from them to control the system from your iPhone/Touch.
www.sonos.com

[bonfire]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

Friend of mine's roommate is pretty big into this stuff. His house is a testing grounds for the stuff he installs in peoples houses. Going to his house is so much fun, unlocking doors in the house via his Iphone. We can be in his basement watching the game and the doorbell will ring. He goes to his Iphone looks at the live feed from the camera outside his door and unlock the front door and tell them to enter. So sick. I can see if I can get his number if you want.

[aliencurv]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

Friend of mine's roommate is pretty big into this stuff. His house is a testing grounds for the stuff he installs in peoples houses. Going to his house is so much fun, unlocking doors in the house via his Iphone. We can be in his basement watching the game and the doorbell will ring. He goes to his Iphone looks at the live feed from the camera outside his door and unlock the front door and tell them to enter. So sick. I can see if I can get his number if you want.

sounds like my place

3 webcams. web access to everything. remote wireless speakers. central media server in the basement. even motion detection on the cameras and they save on the media server.

[RobG]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

I have seen the HAI Products, Their setup looks the most simple and easy to understand from what I have seen.

My wife and I both have iPhones, so controlling from the phone or a touch wouldn't be a problem. And thats where the apple tv has an advantage. Maybe just install a 10" LCD Touch screen for the interface in a common area and control the Media Center that way.

aliencury, Do you have a amp and pc in the basement as the central controller? And I'm assuming you wrote your own code for this?

[bonfire]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

Aliencurv, sounds exactly the same, he has the central media server as well. Super kick ass.

[aliencurv]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

I have seen the HAI Products, Their setup looks the most simple and easy to understand from what I have seen.

My wife and I both have iPhones, so controlling from the phone or a touch wouldn't be a problem. And thats where the apple tv has an advantage. Maybe just install a 10" LCD Touch screen for the interface in a common area and control the Media Center that way.

aliencury, Do you have a amp and pc in the basement as the central controller? And I'm assuming you wrote your own code for this?

i have a pc in the basement that has massive storage for both work related material and media, it is also my webserver and hosts a dozen websites.

i have a share called \\server\media and within there are these folders: \music, \music-videos, \movies, \camera

there are 2 amps and 1 wireless portable speaker. the 1 amp is on the main floor and has 2 sets of outputs. the other amp is on the second floor and has one set of outputs. the remote speaker gets moved from outside, kitchen, bathroom, etc.

each of the two amps have one of those mini ultra cheap pc's hooked up to them with DVI output. the pc's run just windows with my custom media center software: http://atomic.speculation.org/Blog/2...edia+Center+V4

(i didn't have any speakers in my basement because that's where i built my studio. so it's wired for it's own thing)

i don't have any controls on the walls or anywhere. for controlling media i use my custom software via an RF remote control OR my phone OR my laptop. to access the media software is pretty easy.

here, i created a user account called "eurodriver" on my media server. to try it, visit http://atomic.speculation.org:808

when you log in, it'll give u a main menu. from there, any media you select will be playing in my house .. i'm not home until tomorrow morning so i'll delete the account on thurs morning. you can try it now.

i disabled the webcams in my config so u can't see inside my house for obvious reasons

the only thing that i'd like to add to my software is X10 control. i have a few older x10 modules lieing around somewhere from a previous setup i had when i lived in my old house in michigan. maybe someday i'll get around to writing X10 support into it.

unfortenatly, i don't have the most recent version up for download yet. maybe i'll get around to packaging it up this weekend. i had written in most of my WCapture camera code into the latest version to support 254 cameras: http://atomic.speculation.org/Projec...ds-Wcapture-V2

i had sooooooooo many plans, but time constraints suck. i was going to wire in one of my roomba's into it via a IR remote transmitter. so i could remotely trigger or schedule my roombas to start cleaning my house.

i also built my own alarm with keyfob and i have a door keypad entry mechanism. i was going to link all those into the media center too. but for now the alarm is a seperate peice of hardware.

someday! noooooooooo time

[aliencurv]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

HAHA i was just walking out my door and someone threw on a bbc documentary for me, scared me!

[RobG]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

That's a quick responding interface, easy to navigate.

I think I'm on the right path, thanks for all the advice, It's still going to be at least a year before I'm in and installing anything, as long as the wiring will support any future wants/needs.

[aliencurv]

Re: Home Automation - Audio/Video

That's a quick responding interface, easy to navigate.

I think I'm on the right path, thanks for all the advice, It's still going to be at least a year before I'm in and installing anything, as long as the wiring will support any future wants/needs.

thanx dude

for automation of lights, garage door, security, etc.. i'd suggest you go the X10 route. X10 is the cheapest and that makes it the most flexable because you can just keep purchasing modules to expirement with

then in a year, there will be plenty of media software to choose from. and i'm certain most of that media software will be X10 compatible (by way of an IR Blaster method). i know i'll most surely have X10 support in my media software by then. i will never support TV Recording though. i don't have Cable TV or any Broadcast receivers because i'm allergic to TV.

Commercials make die :(