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Thread: full home AV centralised system - advice please....

  1. #1
    Automated Home Lurker
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    Oct 2006
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    Default full home AV centralised system - advice please....

    Hi

    Having read a few posts here, i guess i am at the bottom end of the tech food chain, so be patient with this one..

    Bottom line is I am refurbishing our home and want a central audio / visual server to distribute around the house. I have had a few so called expert local "retailers" around, and to be honest they resemble double glazing salsmen & used car dealers rather than experts in this field. Price varaitions of almost 25k !!!!!!!!! for the same job.

    They all want to just sell me the equipment such as new 50" plasmas, home cinema speakers etc, but when i ask about the distribution and its capabilities they all say " we will get our subcontract fitters to call you and explain". One retailer even asked for £300 for his fitters to carry out a survey which would be done only after he sold me almost £15k worth of new appliances. All I really need is SOMEONE TO EXPLAIN HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS, so I can deide what i want. Then and only then will i be ready to buy the end use appliances.

    WHAT I WANT IS : A simple easy to use wired or wirless system that will deliver a distributed central audio / visual server to Family Room, Lounge, Kitchen and sub zone to a terrace, study, and 4 bedrooms,( 1 with a sub zone in the en-suite).

    The family room will be the main hub, and will have a new home cinema system. The bedrooms and study all have existing 19" windows Media PC's .

    We are not Hi-Fi experts and as such we do not need the latest "perfection gaurenteed" picture or sound systems. We just want an integrated simple to use system with room controllers or remotes that can access the server, TV and sat systems. plus a good surround system in the lounge.

    Any suggestions !

  2. #2
    Automated Home Guru FrankMcAlinden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Melbourne Australia
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    Default Re: full home AV centralised system - advice please....

    Hi Colin

    I would suggest you go over and sign up at CQC .....These guys are already doing what you want to achieve and are very helpful....Its a U.S. based Forum but there are a few UK and Oz users there as well.....

    http://www.charmedquark.com/

    HTH
    Frank
    Home of FirM - the Multi Zone IR Transport System
    http://www.armaghelectrical.com.au/index.html

  3. #3
    Moderator toscal's Avatar
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    Oct 2005
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    Near Alicante Spain
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    Default Re: full home AV centralised system - advice please....

    Have a look at the Pinnacle Showcenter. www.pinnaclesys . This is a multimedia streamer. You do need a pc running 24/7 and with XP. On the Showcenter forum it has been stated that you can use about 6 Showcenters with one Media server software installation. I would forget using it wirelessly, the video playback can suffer, unless the router is in the same room and no more than 3m away. Always connect via the ethernet cable if you can.
    It has a large array of connection options for sound and video, so should suit most set ups. It also supports HD as well.
    On my set up I have the Showcenter in the lounge connected via my structured wiring system, to my router in the garage This is also where my networked attached storage device (NAS). This has all my films and music on. The software part runs ona mini-itx 1200MII machine, also this has a TV tuner card which I can control via the showcenter for recording.
    There is also some home brew software for the Showcenter called Swisscenter www.swisscenter.co.uk As there is a Linux version of this software as well as windows. Some users have been able to install the software on to their linux based NAS devices and run the Showcenter, in a standalone mode, without the need for a PC running the server software.
    Now the down side it can be an absolute bug%er to install the software. And don´t forget either windows firewall or any other needs to know what its IP address is etc.

  4. #4
    Automated Home Lurker
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    May 2005
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    Shepton Mallet
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    Default Success?

    Have you achieved what you wanted yet? if so are you happy and what systems/installers did you choose?

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