Browse Forums Home Theatre & Automation 1 Apr 07, 2009 10:03 am Hi Everyone, I am currently awaiting to commence build on my first home. I have been occassionally reading here n there about setting up my HT... I have plenty of time till the house is completed (sometime around Dec2009). Currently just awaiting for contract to be done up. But sticking to the area of interest in this part of the forum, my HT is set to be 3.8m x 5.0m. The entrace door is on the 3.8m wall on one side, and on the opposite 3.8m wall, there is, what I call, a "jailbird" window on top (the short but wide ones that makes the room look like a "jail" ). On the 5m walls, one side shares the same wall to the Master ENS & WIR, while the other is stuck to the Living Room wall. Hope my description gives a good visual image of how the HT position is. Here are my questions: 1. HT System vs HTPC. I have read recently that HTPC is as good as the 'standard' HT set up with individual equipments (LCD/Plasma/Projector, PVR, DVD player, amp, receiver and 7.1 speakers). I can get around navigating a normal desktop PC, but to build one, I have no clue. But HTPC enthusiasts claim that besides the booting up of the HTPC, the flexiblity and versatility of playing all types of files, be it dvd format or avi/mpg formats can be easily done while using it to access internet etc. I like the relatively easy set up of the 'standard' HT system - "set & forget". Which ones would you go for???? 2. Projector Screen position. In the future I might want to upgrade into a projector. If so, where would you recommend me putting the projector. I know that different projectors have optimal "throw distance" for the screen for best resolution. Do you think I should put the screen on the 5m wall although the distance between the two 5m walls are only 3.8m???? I heard that some projectors can go shorter "throw distance" but they are more expensive. Also another consideration is the L-shaped couch location I will be putting in. Putting the couch against the 5m wall will a lot more practical I would think - allowing more room to walk around. 3. Heavy Drapes. Where can I get good quality drapes that are competitive in prices? Does anyone know? 4. Sound Deadening. What other sound deadening materials would you put in? Either in the wall or on the wall/door. I would love to see any beautiful pictures on your Home Theatre too!!! I love pics...!! like everyone else in H1!! :P THANKS GUYS!!! Haywire Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 2Apr 07, 2009 10:31 am HTPC FTW .... just on versatility alone..... even a low end AMD (cpu) based system with on board HMDI out will do 1080P, the only real costly part of a HTPC are the "specific" componant style cases even the low end ones start around the $180 mark. tho if your not fussed about that then a low end HTPC can be put together for as little as say $600ish, even tho the popcorn hour and such are "cheaper" the fact a HTPC can be so very easliy added onto ..ie TV tuner cards for recording TV, Hard drives can always be added for more storeage.. (as long as you have room in the case) if you are planning on a networked home a HTPC is a good choice esp if you already have alot of your own movies backed up on your pc.. also using a program like VLC media player/ media center add on a decent receiver with a few HMDIand Optical audio inputs/ HMDI pass though and it is a winner is if you want to add things later... Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 3Apr 07, 2009 10:49 am IMO HTPC's are great for those who like to fiddle, otherwise they can be a right pain in the rear end. A good idea to have a gallery of HT rooms. Although again IMO viewing the images should be restricted to forum members. Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 4Apr 07, 2009 11:53 am Pugs> Thanks for your insight. Yes I do like the versatility aspect of HTPC. And you said the picture quality is 1080p too? wow... I always thought, maybe coz it's a HTPC "only", it's not as powerful in terms of picture quality compared to dedicated systems. Do you know of anyone who can build a HTPC?? I also heard an good HTPC cost a fraction of dedicated systems combined? Yes, I was also thinking of networking the home. I plan to have ceiling speakers out in the alfresco decking while able to remotely control the music from one system. Does that work with HTPC? VLC Media Player / Media Centre is the interface to control all the different features? Kiwi056> yes, a gallery of HT rooms will be magnificent. Although I do agree with you that it shd be restricted to members, by adding this gallery though, it might attract newer members who might have things or questions to ask! It was the massive exchange of information together with pictures and members' blogs that initially attracted me here 3-4mths ago! Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 5Apr 07, 2009 1:38 pm generally multi room audio can get audio feeds from a HTPC .. but you are better off with local "amp" and control for any speakers, Rodda and other know more then me about multi room audio set ups. as for building a HTPC most PC stores should be able to help you heck as you have no location listed if where in SA and you had me wire up your house I'd also be happy to build the htpc... vlc isa neat program that has all the codecs in it so it plays 100% of all media file types, while WMC generally needs codec packs to play some stuff but then can't play others Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 6Apr 07, 2009 1:42 pm I would personally go a HTPC but it's not for everyone. As Kiwi said, it's for those who like to fiddle but really it's not hard to understand. This software makes it so easy, www.xbmc.org. Yes HTPC will play 1080 content, problem is a 1080 movie file can range from 4gb to 32gb. What would you use the HTPC for? Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 7Apr 07, 2009 2:56 pm Pugs> I'm currently in VIC. Building in Tarneit. Are there any threads that I can read on MultiRoom Audio networking? Basically... I'm looking to have a HT, probably a sound system in the living and a set of ceiling speakers in the Alfresco for entertaining. These are better controlled using HTPC? Ed.> Well, I want to be able to play movies, listen to music (not just in the HT room, but in the living areas as well) and possibly play games (Xbox/PS3), without sacrifcing picture and sound quality. Can a HTPC do all these??? Are there any basic sites that compares HTPC's against stand alone units? Thanks Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 8Apr 07, 2009 3:06 pm just wait for rodda to come online and he and or Matt can help you alot.. they are both in Vic so could actually help with that side of things "locally" also if you wanted a very good Data cabler..I do travel.... Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 9Apr 08, 2009 1:49 am My $0.02 A HTPC is fine if you are using it as a 'player' in your main room. Yes it is flexible and great for playing all the different formats.... however there are a few 'BUTS' because at the end of the day it is just a computer and it can get very complex very quickly... it is designed to replace your source components, not your A/V receiver or amp. * Running a set of small stereo speakers off your computer is fine, but if you want to use a proper set of home theatre speakers (the big 5.1 or 7.1 ones), you will still need a 7 channel amp or A/V receiver to power those speakers. * The ideal situation is to have a separate storage server (or hard drive) that holds all your music and movies, and use the HTPC to stream off that storage server as the 'player', however this is not a must - you can get away with storing everything on your HTPC. You can also get proper sound cards that bitstream and/or decode the new Dolby/DTS lossless codecs, and the latest video cards easily output 1080p. * As far as multi-room audio goes, for the second zone, you still need a set of speakers, something to power those speakers, somewhere to get the audio from, and some way to control the second zone. * the bottom line is you need a way to play separate songs in each of the zones, and also a way to have the same song playing in each zone at the same time (sometimes called 'party' mode). Your HTPC can only play one song at a time, so if you are to play a separate song at the same time, you need another HTPC or media streamer to take the song off the hard drive of the HTPC or storage server (usually via a network) and play it * using only media streamers or HTPC's it is actually very hard to get the same song playing in two zones at exactly the same time. There are specialised HTPC manufacturers that have this technology (e.g. Vidabox), but these are very expensive. The cheaper way to do it is to use an A/V receiver with a second zone built in, or an A/V matrix switcher - either way you are still going to need more equipment than just one HTPC. * If it's just audio you want, have a good look at the Sonos system * if you want multi-room video that is a whole new ballgame With the right planning and the right equipment you can have a multi-room audio system that is easy to use and that you have built yourself, but it's not going to be easy. The thing to remember is that a HTPC is not designed to replace your A/V receiver or amps, it is meant to replace your source components. After 2 false starts, a year living overseas, two more world trips and 3 years of uncertainty we are now starting the build process again - hopefully for real this time! Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 10Apr 08, 2009 9:00 am I am an audiophile from a while back, which amongst other traits means I like dedicated components. I still use my Marantz DV-6400 for playing DVDs as well as CDs and hi-res audio discs, and I would ALWAYS use an AV Receiver for the decoding of all audio and driving all speakers (some people suggest doing some or even all of this with a PC... ). However, I am also an avid HTPC or MC(Media Centre)PC user, and LOVE Vista Media Centre (now, since Saturday, using Vista Black Edition 2 ). I use it for all TV recording (2 digital tuners) and watching all sorts of downloaded films and TV shows. Even though this PC has a DVD burner in it I don't watch DVDs with it (see above), as I do prefer the 'factory calibrated' dedicated component option when available to me. I have many HD (720P and 1080P) movies stored locally on the HTPC, and also have many other movies and TV shows stored on the PC in my study which I watch streamed to the HTPC via Cat5E (hard-wired house). It is an excellent solution. I say consider both - ie a combination, or in other words get the best bit of kit for each job (I would personally rather have a dedicated Blu-Ray player for watching them instead of doing it on a PC, but again that's the audiophile in me...). Something else to consider here - the Playstation 3! Blu-Ray player (still considered one of the best performers), media player (locally stored and streamed from network), PVR (Play TV - almost here in Aus), and don't forget games console. It is going to have a huge impact in this arena... As far as projector position goes, I say go long - if you can aim to have the projector/screen direction down the length of the room if you can. Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 11Apr 08, 2009 10:52 am Thanks Rodda and Muzzman. As you can tell, I'm quite a novice in this area of HT entertaining. Muzzman, when you mentioned that HTPC is meant to replace the SOURCE COMPONENTS n not the A/V receiver or Amp, it's like a revelation!!! I finally understand the place of a HTPC. Rodda, your tips on using the best components for the best use is highly regarded. I may not be an audiophile per se, but I do want quality in the sound and picture. And I believe dedicated components built for specific task might be better in that sense (at least in my head!). I wish there is some sort of ... schematic diagram that maps out an illustration of how things are linked together - be it 1. HTPC format, 2. "Dedicated components" format, or 3. combination of both. I'm quite a visual person. Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 12Apr 08, 2009 4:16 pm Like this one perhaps? (Sorry can't show the picture here because of the new forum setup) http://www.hometheaternetwork.com/pics/Home_Theater_Network_Connection_block_diagram_2.jpg After 2 false starts, a year living overseas, two more world trips and 3 years of uncertainty we are now starting the build process again - hopefully for real this time! Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 13Apr 09, 2009 9:26 am Muzzman> THANK YOU!!!!!! This is exactly what I need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It totally puts everything in perspective as to what a HTPC is capable of doing!!! I never knew that things like washing machine, dryer, fridge, microwave, coffee makers, etc can all be networked too!!! When it states "networked", does that it mean it can be controlled when to be turned off and when to be turned off?? Wow.... a fully home automated system like that would cost a bomb wouldn't it??? Based on the diagram... does that mean that HTPCs are not capable of playing BluRay DVDs as good as dedicated BluRay players? HTPCs are more like a one-stop control system? Basically, this is what I want to get/have: HT Room 1. Projector - to get..................................} 2. Screen - to get.....................................} 3. AV Receiver/Amp - to get........................} Over here... Should I get HTPC or BluRay Player/CDPlayer/PVR/etc??? 4. 7.1 Speakers (for BluRay dvds) - to get........} 5. Xbox360 - already have..........................} 6. Play music?........................................} Living Room 1. 42inch LCD TV - already have 2. 5.1 Speakers - to get (something cheap but not bad sound quality) 3. Play music? from HTPC in HT room or get separate CD player?? 4. To be able to record favourite TV shows (eg PVR) - to get Alfresco 1. To be able to play music through ceiling speakers or outdoor speakers - to get Master 1. LCD TV - to get(not 100%) 2. 5.1 speakers - to get (not 100%) Study Room 1. Desktop PC - to get 2. Monitors x 2 - to get 3. VOIP Phone - already have 4. VOIP Phone Router - already have 5. Wireless Modem - already have 6. Printer - already have 7. Laptops x 2 - already have Based on the equipments that I have, what do you think I should do with the HT, Living and Alfresco? Do you think I should link them up via HTPC? Does this mean I cannot turn off the main power off on the wall when I'm not using it - I am hoping to save money on electricity bills! How do I control music playing in the Alfresco when the system is in the HT room (for example)? I'd be too irritated to walk in and out of the house to change CD or change tracks when I'm sitting in the Alfresco! I'm pretty ok with the rest of the rooms leaving them untouched or independent from each other. My main concerns are, in order of priority, 1. HT room, 2. Alfresco, 3. Living. (#2 & #3 are pretty close in terms of priority). I would prefer a central control system in the HT room where all the equipments are, but I just don't know how to go about linking the Alfresco music to the HT room. What would you guys out there do with the stuff or goals that I have? Any suggestions at all will be tremendously appreciated. Thanks!!!! Haywire Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 14Apr 09, 2009 10:15 am I would get a Blu-Ray player for the HT - one that can play CDs as well (not all can!). I would also get a HT/MCPC running Vista Media Centre (or Windows 7 Media Centre when it comes out). You can use the Media Centre as a PVR, as well as a media player (of downloaded etc. content). You can also store your entire CD collection on HDD in a lossless format (I did - gotta do it all again though as I had to format the damn HDD...). Then you can use a Media Extender in the Living Room to watch anything from the Media Centre PC in there too. There are quite a few different types of Media Extenders out there, the XBox 360 being amongst the better ones (maybe put the HT/MCPC in the Living Room and use the XBox 360 in the HT to watch stuff from it...)... As far as having the sort of control over all of the other electrical devices you are talking about, I personally wouldn't bother (but that's just my opinion) - it could be very complicated and who knows at what cost to set up (and trouble-shoot), and for what advantage?. Getting the sound from these central sources into the other rooms is still going to require some basics - ie. speakers and amps for those speakers (whether it's 1 amp with many zones or many amps...). You also need to think about if you want to control those sources from the other rooms and how (IR, bluetooth, 2.4GHz etc. wireless?). Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 15Apr 09, 2009 4:49 pm Thanks Rodda! That's a good idea using the Xbox360 for it... hmmm..... keep it simple is the way huh... i like that thot too. Thanks!!! Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 16Apr 10, 2009 1:18 am You're getting into questions that are better left to the professionals. Are you in Melbourne? If so I would go and meet Rodda somewhere and discuss all your options - and he can explain to you face-to-face what everything means. For a media extender, also have a look at Netgear EVA8000 (or similar devices). Or like I said, some A/V receivers can play music off the network as if it were a media extender, so maybe you only Have a good look at Sonos - they make it very easy to do multi-room audio http://www.sonos.com Or as I've just seen from Matt (who thinks it is better than Sonos), the Logitech Squeezebox http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/wireless_music_systems/devices/3817&cl=au,en While you can get blu-ray players for your HTPC I agree with Rodda - get a dedicated blu-ray player (or perhaps a PS3). There are ways of ripping blu-ray movies to your hard-disc like Rodda is doing with his CD's but the legality is a very gray area because it involves removing the piracy restrictions that are in place. Having 5.1 in the bedroom in my opinion would be overkill. After 2 false starts, a year living overseas, two more world trips and 3 years of uncertainty we are now starting the build process again - hopefully for real this time! Re: HT System (amp/dvdplayer/PVR/etc) vs HTPC & General Qns 17Apr 21, 2009 3:54 pm I have a full HTPC system (Vista Ultimate, 3xHD tuners, 3Tb of storage space), and plan to use Xbox 360's as media extenders in the other rooms (allowing live TV viewing, recording, playback of media etc). The only thing I don't do is multi-room audio.... But in my case, the Xbox 360 will be streaming mp3's from the HTPC anyway. That said.... They *are* a lot of effort to first set up and configure! But now that I have it, I wouldn't go back to separate components. You should check your detail drawings, it may show downpipe within brick pier. 14 14021 Once you know the basics, the rest is easy. Read my post in the thread linked below. viewtopic.php?p=1919271#p1919271 2 19473 It's all about wireless, self install now. The cost/benefit of wired setups for the house are no longer what they used to be. Lots of wireless options. Eufy, Arlo and… 2 9767 |