Home network

[DannyJ]

Was wondering if anyone could give me some advice.

I plan to wire the majority of my flat in Ethernet cable, the reason for doing so is to enable me to utilise things like 'hdmi over cat5e /cat6' 'audio over Ethernet' as well as general networking between computers/games consoles and access to the internet.

I have a cupboard in my hallway which is bang in the middle of my flat, my router is housed here at the moment and is feeding my computer, games consoles etc. as well as providing WiFi.

I plan to run 4 cables to the living room, 4 to the bedroom, 2 to another bedroom, and 2 to the kitchen.

Essentially I want to be able to send the audio and video output of my computer (which is in bedroom 1) into any room I like using HDMI/RGB/Audio over cat 5e (or 6 - need advice here on which to choose) converters at either end.

The problem I have is that I want to be able to choose which room I want to transmit the data to without having to plug into different sockets here there and everywhere. Is there a way I can control this process using a patch panel/switch of some sort that will allow me to use my computer to control which signal goes where?

I hope I make sense and thanks in advance!

Dan.

 

[DannyJ]

Now wondering if it would be easier to get a video card with 4 outputs and a sound card with 4 outputs for the computer in bedroom 1.

That way I can use Windows to control which displays see what, and which room receives audio from certain applications. I can watch and hear a film in the bedroom whilst another is playing in the living room, whilst I play music in the kitchen. Etc. You get the picture...

Then lay 8 runs (one for each output of audio and video) and another two for internet/network connectivity. So a total of 10 runs from the bedroom to the cupboard in the hallway where I will have a patchbay and switch, then feed the other rooms from there... Or I could forget the patchbay and just run direct to relevant rooms...

Would just need 4 Audio and 4 Video over Ethernet senders/receivers at either ends.

Hmm.. Think I may have it sussed.

But please do let me know if you have a better idea?

 

[JackMDS]

Solving it via computers' network, means more computer.

Solving it by moving Raw Video or Audio (if possible) is Not a networking issue.

 

[imagoon]

They do makes those HDMI / Ethernet units with distro units but they tend to be big bucks. Someone in the AV forum might have more info about that stuff though.

 

[JackMDS]

Yeah they do have gadgets to move the A/V Data over Ethernet Cables but it is Not networking per-se.

The price of these gadgets makes it close to add few low power computers and use real networking to achieve these goal.

In any case Monoprice.com sell these gadgets.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?se...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CPSM69b_4boCFc9QOgodzA0Avg

 

[seepy83]

All I can add to this conversation is to recommend that you're careful with the inexpensive "hdmi over cat5e" devices. I got some cheap (<$40) wall-plates from Monoprice when I remodeled my basement, and found that they work fine if you are connecting a source directly (i.e. Cablebox or DVD Player --> HDMI Cable --> wall plate --> Cat5e/6 --> wall plate --> HDMI Cable --> TV). However, if you want to use an A/V Receiver (i.e. Cablebox, DVD, Roku, etc --> A/V Receiver --> HDMI Output --> Wall plate....etc), then you need to purchase some of the more expensive HDMI over CatX devices. Not sure about the one Jack posted, but it seems like it's at the right starting price-point.

I ended up getting HDBaseT wall-plates from Belkin (for about $450...ouch) because I needed the components enclosed in a wall-plate for my installation.

If I had known all of that ahead of time, I would have probably run HDMI from my receiver location to my TV, and I would have run it in a 2-inch conduit so that I could easily pull new cables if I needed to in the future. I thought I was doing myself a favor and future-proofing by running Cat6a because there are a lot of signals that can be sent over twisted pair, but sometimes you're better with a simpler/low-tech solution.