On 8/2/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Matt Dittbenner</b> <<a href="mailto:mbditt@plauditdesign.com">mbditt@plauditdesign.com</a>> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote"></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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After reading the replies from everyone else, I'm still somewhat lost
on some of the details of your project. So I'll start by asking some
questions to try to clarify some of the scope of this project.<br>
<ol>
<li>How many rooms are involved?</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>At least 6 rooms. </div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>What kind of budget were you thinking for the total system (minus
the laptops you already have, of course).</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>A few $k.<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>Are you looking to include actual PVR capabilities or just play
already existing media from the server?</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>PVR, too. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>Why don't you want a "computer" in every room?</li>
<ol>
<li>size?</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Yes. Also the space required for keyboard/monitor/mouse. I don't want to need a desk or shelf or whatever in every room.<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>cost?</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Eh... <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>noise?</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Yes. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>Will you be using an audio receiver / amplifier?</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Yes. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>If yes, are you going to try to support digital surround sound?</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Only in one room, the actual home theater room. <br></div>
<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>If yes, where did you plan on putting it/them?
</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>As above. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<ol><li>How do you plan on getting audio from one room to another?</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Speaker wire. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>How do you plan on getting video from one room to another?</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Co-ax cable. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>What do you plan running the video to in each room?</li>
<ol>
<li>Standard Analog TV</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>One room. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>HD TV</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Theater room. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>computer monitor/software program</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>No. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>What do you plan running the audio to in each room?</li>
<ol>
<li>computer speakers</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>No. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>shelf/audio component speakers</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Yes. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>headphones</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>No. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>receiver</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>No. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
Sorry, I know I've got some repetition in there.<br>
<br>
Running analog wires, in my opinion, would be a last resort. The
degradation of video and audio quality would probably be significant
enough that it would almost outweigh the benefit of doing this at all. Especially as you increase the number of rooms. </div></div></blockquote><div><br>I'm not an A/V wiring expert, but how does the cable company maintain quality with co-ax cable? I was just going to do the same thing, assuming it is possible.
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REALISTICALLY... using some sort of thin client that you can hide
somewhere is BY FAR the most flexible way to go. Your "wall jacks" to
"simply plug in" to would be much better suited as networking ports or
even wireless, with some sort of device in between to convert the
stream back to something you can use on a TV or stereo. A computer can
be such a flexible device that you don't have to have an entire desktop
case to dedicate to such a specific task. </div></div></blockquote><div><br>The server sitting in a dedicated server closet is supposed to be the flexible device. All output would go from it, to various rooms.<br></div><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
You can go get a used Xbox and mod it (if you don't know people that
can do it, someone you know might, and I definitely know some people if
you want help). It will support analog and digital audio, and standard
definition video, etc... basically anything you'd want to throw at a TV
or set of speakers. Xbox Media Center is a great, FREE app that will do
everything you want and more. Stream audio/video from any existing PC
share on the network, and controllable with a remote for the Xbox, the
xbox controller (not what you want) or via the built-in web server. The
number of rooms would be essentially limited only by your network and
server power.<br>
<br>
You alternatively could try to hook up a myth front end right on the
xbox, but Xbox linux is (as far as I understand) not to be trusted.
Maybe it's fixed now, but XBMC is more likely the best bet.<br>
<br>
Trying to go the all analog route means:<br>
<ol>
<li>purchasing one audio card for each room with audio</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>This was my assumption. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>purchasing one video card for each room with video</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>This was my assumption. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>filling up your pci/agp/pci-e/usb (I'm fairly certain they make
usb soundcards) ports</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Good point, I hadn't thought of the fact that my motherboard would have a limited number of ports & slots.<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><ol><li>you can't move to a PVR solution since you've already filled up
your slots</li>
<li>since you are running analog, the cables are EXPENSIVE for long
ones and more expensive for high enough gauge ones to control the
interference/degradation.</li></ol></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>News to me. I was going to run standard speaker wire for audio, and co-ax for video. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"><ol><li>Not scalable (limited number of rooms) means if you move or
expand your installation in any way, your investment is gone.</li></ol></div></div></blockquote><div><br>Could be an issue in the future, not sure.<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
Probably more issues, but really I don't see it being worth it. Myth on
your server can save it's streams to some sort of shared folder and you
can just read them right off the server and not even bother with the
myth front-end. I'm pretty sure it's standard mpeg format video (for
recorded programs) and if not, you can have a script convert them.<br>
<br>
I know I probably sound like a MS / XBox fanboy here, but to put this
into perspective, I don't even have an XBox. I plan on purchasing one
in the next month and doing exactly this. 5 of my friends however DO
have modded xboxes (you can do it with software these days, no opening
of the box is required if you don't want to....this also allows you to
put it back to it's original state easily) and I can tell you it's
great. It put the itch in me to pick at least one up if not more and
for like $99 used, its a steal.<br>
<br>
Let me know what you think about this since I have other ideas, but I
just think this is the most convenient, clean and highest quality
solution for this type of installation. </div></div></blockquote><div><br>Thanks for the input. Since this is still the exploratory phase, I obviously had not thought of everything yet. I just wanted to know if MythTV could handle multiple channels of audio and video output.
<br><br>I've seen some of the small form factor PC cases, and they would look OK scattered and hidden around the house. But unless I can run them all as headless myth clients with their own web front-end, I really don't see the benefit of putting a computer in every room just so I can centralize the storage and streaming of my A/V media. I might as well just put a small boom box in every room and be done with it.
<br><br>If I CAN do the SFF headless myth client with web-based front-end, then it becomes something worth looking into.<br><br>Dave<br></div><br></div>