Building a house and need suggestions on technology to stuff in it.

[ShowdOWN]

if its a really nice house then i would suggest a cctv surveillance camera system run by your computer. you can keep an eye on out on your home when you are away.

a lot of companies sell pci video capture cards and software that can support up to 4 cameras. all you need to do is install the correct cabling. ie.. power and video from the mounting location to you basement.

 

[wetcat007]

Get Cat5 cables/jacks for ethernet, and get another cat5 cable for phone lines, that's how i got my house setup right now, works great.

 

[thorin]

Originally posted by: ShowdOWN
if its a really nice house then i would suggest a cctv surveillance camera system run by your computer. you can keep an eye on out on your home when you are away.

a lot of companies sell pci video capture cards and software that can support up to 4 cameras. all you need to do is install the correct cabling. ie.. power and video from the mounting location to you basement.

Ya run it to your comp or use it as your picture in picture input for you TV. I plan on doing this and putting a camera watching our front entrance so I can tell who's there when the door bell rings.

Thorin

 

[Shagga]

Originally posted by: thorin

Originally posted by: ShowdOWN
if its a really nice house then i would suggest a cctv surveillance camera system run by your computer. you can keep an eye on out on your home when you are away.

a lot of companies sell pci video capture cards and software that can support up to 4 cameras. all you need to do is install the correct cabling. ie.. power and video from the mounting location to you basement.

Ya run it to your comp or use it as your picture in picture input for you TV. I plan on doing this and putting a camera watching our front entrance so I can tell who's there when the door bell rings.

Rick

Put a camera in the kitchen so you can see if the wife/GF is in there then you can shout her to bring you a beer while she's in there!!

 

[azkiwi]

Originally posted by: PabloMartinez
I know this would be tough to do in 2 days, but run some pvc conduit for each room. Its alot easier to replace wiring when you don't have to fish it out from between the studs. I'd run two boxes to each room, as many have stated. But in my opinion, conduit is the way to go.

Its called smurf tube - flexible pastic conduit and gives some measure of being technology proof in that you can pull out the old tech and pull in the new. That said I've seen lots of house with many 100's of $ buried in the wall that never get used.

Put speakers in the ceiling instead of the wall - its more resistant to furniture re-arrangement even though it gives a slightly less prefect audio image. Mostly when you've got these spkrs on though you just want multi-media drama, not audiophile sound. A ceiling speaker in the dining room beats the doo-doo out of hearing your super speakers from the next room.

Definitely have a pro install the central vacuum piping. It costs only $200-300 for the house (you can choose to add the vacuum itself later on).

Phone jacks are over-rated - a good example of how cordless technology has rendered much wiring obsolete, and no reason to expect this won't continue.

 

[jmagg]

A few things i missed when i built a few years ago.
A surge protector at the circut box.
A switch at the circut box for use with an outside generator.
Downlights (lots of them) on dimmers.
Switched outlets.
Radient heat (with shutoff valve) under your steps and sidewalk.
I could go on...

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Shagga

Originally posted by: thorin

Originally posted by: ShowdOWN
if its a really nice house then i would suggest a cctv surveillance camera system run by your computer. you can keep an eye on out on your home when you are away.

a lot of companies sell pci video capture cards and software that can support up to 4 cameras. all you need to do is install the correct cabling. ie.. power and video from the mounting location to you basement.

Ya run it to your comp or use it as your picture in picture input for you TV. I plan on doing this and putting a camera watching our front entrance so I can tell who's there when the door bell rings.

Rick

Put a camera in the kitchen so you can see if the wife/GF is in there then you can shout her to bring you a beer while she's in there!!

Better have a replacement camera on hand too, for when she finds and destroys it.