Help with home setup

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • marleyuk
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Jan 2012
    • 5

    Help with home setup

    Hi,

    I've been working in IT for a few years and I'm about to completely renovate an old house I've just bought.

    I've never used any home automation before so I'm looking for some help from the experts...

    I'd like to have control of the lights, ability to turn heating on / off and access to my media (films, music etc) from every TV in the house.

    I already have a pretty powerfully HTPC with I presume would be the hub of it all.

    I'd like to be able to use an android / ipad to be able to control the features remotely.

    My question is, what hardware and software should I be using? Would I be able to view my film library from the android / ipod? Is it a big job to implement the infostructure?

    Any help and advice ismuch appriciated.

    Thanks,

    Ian.
  • marleyuk
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Jan 2012
    • 5

    #2
    Also while I remember, although I'm not planning on installing it at the moment, is CCTV difficult to link in?

    Thanks
    Ian.

    Comment

    • westernm
      Automated Home Jr Member
      • Apr 2008
      • 22

      #3
      Hi Ian,
      Welcome to the forums. I would just like to mention from the start that I am not an expert in any of this but lots of others on this forum are.
      As I am in the same position as you at the moment I can let you know what I am planning.

      From the Automation stance there are so many routes you can follow, especially as you are renovating the house and presumably have free reign to flood wire the place. I have decide to go with Idratek to provide the automation functionality for our renovation project. There is a forum on this site if you want anymore information, but I will be using it to control lighting, hvac, cctv/alarm etc.

      From an Av stance I am currently using Mediaportal for my HTPC(this may change in the future) it plays and manages all my Dvds, Music, Photos etc. It also has the capability to work in a client server configuration so that with a number of jail-braked apple tvs (or equivalent) you can distribute your media collection around the house.

      I am also planning on using a video matrix switch which will be used to distribute sky tv, htpc etc to other locations around the house.

      From a control point of view, the mediaportal application can be controlled using an Android app called ampdroid, and the idratek system (with Xap enabled) can also be controlled in a similar way. Having a software background myself I plan on integrating these apps to provide a one stop controller for the house.

      Anyway I hope this helps in some small way, if you have any questions feel free to fire away.

      Regards

      Mark

      Comment

      • toscal
        Moderator
        • Oct 2005
        • 2061

        #4
        For the multimedia side of things you could use XBMC I use it with the films stored on a seperate file server, so in theory I could have more than one XBMC box connected to the same file server.
        With the advent of the Rasberry PI computer being almost ready in theory it could be possible to have cheap multimedia PCs all over the house.
        I use my Android tablet to control my XBMC. It is possible to watch films etc on it but you need to use different software.
        IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
        Renovation Spain Blog

        Comment

        • marleyuk
          Automated Home Lurker
          • Jan 2012
          • 5

          #5
          Thank you for the replies.

          I'll have alook into Idratek and XMBC.

          Whats the best source for cheap hardware?

          Ian.

          Comment

          • JonS
            Automated Home Guru
            • Dec 2007
            • 202

            #6
            Idratek is an integrated hardware and software solution for home automation. The hardware covers sensors, switches (relays & dimmers), infrared etc. If running your home on it reliability is crucial - Idratek scores well there too. If you have a HTPC then you'd use XBMC on that, you'd probably want a separate PC running Win7 for your Idratek Cortex controller.
            I've got some stuff on initial planning and design on my blog having been in your position a few years ago and went down the Idratek route. On the cable front think not just about data and AV but of all the sensors you need for the automation to work - sure you can use remote control, but its actually much more cool to let the house think for itself.
            Enjoy!
            JonS

            Comment

            • marleyuk
              Automated Home Lurker
              • Jan 2012
              • 5

              #7
              Thanks, I've been reading through the idratek website and I'm a bit lost.

              Can someone tell the process of how it works? is it simply a case of installing a few lightswitch modules, laying some cat 5 behind them and installing the sortware and it works? or is there something else involved??

              The modules ive just been looking at arent the best looking, they also seem quite expensive.

              Comment

              • chris_j_hunter
                Automated Home Legend
                • Dec 2007
                • 1713

                #8
                very capable & really not expensive - have a look at the competition ...

                eg: Knx & C-Bus & Niko & Dupline & Savant & say Velleman ...

                variously capable ...

                variously affordable ...
                Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 14 January 2012, 11:25 AM.
                Our self-build - going further with HA...

                Comment

                • JonS
                  Automated Home Guru
                  • Dec 2007
                  • 202

                  #9
                  It is a little more involved, but not a lot :-)
                  The cat 5 doesn't carry ethernet its a proprietary protocol (there is no standard protocol in HA or Building Management Systems) that carries low rate data on a common bus, power and audio - Idranet. So its a separate physical infrastructure from your data network. Sensors can be in panels but also ordinary security type sensors, these third party sensors run as yet another infrastructure.
                  So the sensors connect to modules and modules all connect onto Idranet, Idranet spurs all come back to a power supply module and an interface module - this gets plugged into the computer running cortex via RS232 or USB. The computer may also be plugged into a data network / internet for updates and integration with e.g. Skype, other HA networks or your own custom code via the API.
                  The IT world is very used to abstracting to a logical view of the world. Think physical (PS2 <> USB <> eSATA <> Ethernet; in a data centre, fibre channel <> Ethernet) and it should make a bit more sense. CAT5 is commonly used just because its cheap, not because its the same protocol to data networks.
                  HTH
                  Last edited by JonS; 14 January 2012, 09:19 AM.
                  JonS

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X