Hi all,
I think this is my first post, but it's been a while if it isn't.
I have several HT projects coming up, but the first will be upgrading my DirecTV equipment to HD-capable and sending that HD feed out to a fairly distant 52" plasma screen. I say distant because I don't think I can practically do the run with a HDMI cable AND I also want to use this project as the kernel for a whole house media distribution network.
Let me provide a little more detail:
I have a media room with an equipment closet at the back of the room, screen at the front. All cabling for the house runs into the media closet. Each room I wanted video/audio in has two drop locations with two coax and two CAT5e each, as well as dedicated speaker level wiring, all running back to the equipment closet in the media room. My long-term intent is to have a whole house media distribution network.
EXCEPT - the location that has the plasma (Family Room) does not have any cable run to it, only a conduit run from the equipment closet to the screen location (approx 15'). But I can run whatever wiring I need.
Currently I also have all of my source equipment situated against the front wall of the media room because I haven't done anything with the integrated wiring in the room (surround sound, IR repeater, etc). Effectively, the equipment closet is functioning only as a wiring hub right now.
What I'm looking for is advice on how to get the feed from the equipment located at the front of the media room to the plasma in the family room.
I used to have the integrated TiVO/DirecTV equipment, but of course that went away with the DirecTV licensing deal. I'd like to have TiVO back, or something better if it's available. I suppose that means I'm open to implementing a media server and then having a media extender at the plasma and using CAT5 as the transfer media.
That's about the only solution my little brain has come up with, but I'd like to have more seasoned advice.
Advice?
Thanks,
Chris
I think this is my first post, but it's been a while if it isn't.
I have several HT projects coming up, but the first will be upgrading my DirecTV equipment to HD-capable and sending that HD feed out to a fairly distant 52" plasma screen. I say distant because I don't think I can practically do the run with a HDMI cable AND I also want to use this project as the kernel for a whole house media distribution network.
Let me provide a little more detail:
I have a media room with an equipment closet at the back of the room, screen at the front. All cabling for the house runs into the media closet. Each room I wanted video/audio in has two drop locations with two coax and two CAT5e each, as well as dedicated speaker level wiring, all running back to the equipment closet in the media room. My long-term intent is to have a whole house media distribution network.
EXCEPT - the location that has the plasma (Family Room) does not have any cable run to it, only a conduit run from the equipment closet to the screen location (approx 15'). But I can run whatever wiring I need.
Currently I also have all of my source equipment situated against the front wall of the media room because I haven't done anything with the integrated wiring in the room (surround sound, IR repeater, etc). Effectively, the equipment closet is functioning only as a wiring hub right now.
What I'm looking for is advice on how to get the feed from the equipment located at the front of the media room to the plasma in the family room.
I used to have the integrated TiVO/DirecTV equipment, but of course that went away with the DirecTV licensing deal. I'd like to have TiVO back, or something better if it's available. I suppose that means I'm open to implementing a media server and then having a media extender at the plasma and using CAT5 as the transfer media.
That's about the only solution my little brain has come up with, but I'd like to have more seasoned advice.
Advice?
Thanks,
Chris
