3 zones (1 Viewer)

I've got a bit of a problem. My parents asked me to install a multizone audio video system (I did installed their home theatre - a Denon AVR-1507 with 5.1 Polk speakers)

They want to be able to watch Dish on 2 rooms (they will buy a second receiver) and also want to be able to listen to music (CD/Radio) in the whole house (2 bedrooms + basement). Also they want me to hook up one more TV in another bedroom but not necesarely to watch a different channel then others).

Now I know that some of Denon have multi room capabilities but I have never used that future before. I also heard that there are some audio/video switcher (I think) but also never worked with one before. Can someone please give me some ideas on what I should look at and what would be good setup for this scenario? They are doing remodeling now and want to wire the hose.

Thank You

First question to ask is how many different sources do you want available to listen to in the entire house all at once?

Do you want the 2 bedrooms playing the same thing and the basement having the ability to do something different then the bedrooms or do you want to be able to listen to one source in one bedroom, something else in the other bedroom and still something else in the basement at any time?

Those answers should get us started with designing a system to fit your needs.

basement: 5.1/7.1 Home Theatre
-CD
-VCR
-DVD
-AM/FM (does not have a separate AM/FM receiver)
-Dish
bedroom 1 (in wall (ceiling) stereo speakers)
-Dish (to be able to watch different channel then basement)
-CD (the same CD in the basement)
-DVD (same DVD from basement)
-VCR (same VCR from basement)
-AF/FM (same from basement)

bedroom 2 (in wall (ceiling) stereo speakers)
-Dish (to be able to watch SAME channel from bedroom 1 or from basement)
-CD (the same CD in the basement)
-DVD (same DVD from basement)
-VCR (same VCR from basement)
-AF/FM (same from basement)

I'm missing a zone here or is the Basement and the Home theater room the same thing?

yea the have the home theatre in the basement and want to keep all the things over there just want to be able to watch tv and listen to musin in both bedrooms

Ok then the Receiver that you currenty have will do the trick for the whole house audio for the 2 bedrooms. You will be using the Zone2 out that is already built into the denon 1507.

Here's the next question then. Do you what a HD satellite dish receiver in the bedroom or will a standard box do the trick for you?

standard will do.

Do you want that Satellite receiver in the basement? or will it be in one of the bedrooms. Does the satellite receiver operate with an RF (Radio Frequency Remote) or an IR (line of site Infared) remoted control.

This will determine how to start suggesting on how to wire for all this.

basicly they would like all the boxes in the basement, but dont want to go down to basement to change channel in bedroom The DVD the receiver, CD are all on IR remote controls so mabye there is a in wall remote I could use wich is wired to the basement or something like that

The best bet for that will be a universal learning remote with an RF base station... we'll get back to that...

First problem is going to be how to use the current receiver to distribute the other video sources. The 1507 does not have a zone2 video out. So.... decision time.... Upgrade the receiver... or add a multi channel modulator for the sources. either way we'll probably end up with a modulator in the system anyways. It's just going to either be a 4 channel stereo and leave the current receiver or a single channel and upgrade the receiver. If we go to the 4 channel modulator we are going to start getting into complex wiring for the sources that only have one video output like the VCR etc.

wiring is not a problem (all walls are down now due to remodeling) Just need to tell him what kind of wires to get, so I would say to go with a 4 channel modulator (this way I learn more ), also he will buy a better vcr if he has to or anything that has to be upgraded he will upgrade it.

The way a 4 channel 4 input modulator works is it takes the video(yellow) and analog audio (red and white) and converts them to a physical "channel".

Problem being anything that has only one composite video out signal on it would be where the wiring delema starts. That will be done at the equipment end and will not change the wiring at this point.

First for bringing the sound to the other 2 bedrooms you will need to run a 4 conductor to a volume control location.(J-box like the electricion uses) either 14 or 16 guage will do. For the Tv's I would run 2 Coax from the lower equipment to the bedrooms. One we'll use for the modulated channels and one as a spare for now.

Then from the volume control ( J-box) you'll want to run 2 conductor (again 16 or 14 guage) to your speaker locations.

You can wire the ceiling speakers and have the drywaller "stub out" the wire at the locations where you are going to cut in the ceiling speakers. I would suggest stubbing them out in the center of a joist that you choose rather then being near the 2x4 ceiling joist. It will make for easier installation and cutting the drywall out when it comes time to install the speakers. The best trick for that is to take a short piece of wire and staple it to both sides of the ceiling joist where you want the speaker to go. then when you bring the wire from the volume control over the top of the ceiling to the wire that is just stapled between the joists use a zip-tie and let the wire hang down a couple feet and zip-tie it to the center of the cross wire between the joists.

I'm stopping for now.. going out for a smoke..... let me know if you are follow me to this piont.

I follow you with the wires. One thing maybe I should've mention before. He's got a huge plasma screen for the basemetn (48 or 50 something inches HDTV). Does not have a HDTV receiver and doesnt want one. For one of the bedrooms he also want to get plasma screens but not that huge, the other one will be a regular TV) I'm not sure about the coax cable to be able to hook it up to these screens since I belive it only has the yellow and S-video inputs and also RGB if I remember corectly)

We'll need to find out the specs on the TV's. In order to use a modulator the tv should have an antenna connection.

Coax is perfect for video distrubution. When you terminate the coax you either terminate with a Regular F-connector (screw type) and then the plate that goes in the wall we just use and F-Rca adatopor ( about a $3 piece) instead of the normal Screw on end that you normally see at a coax location.

But before even going into the above paragraph reguarding using coax for video we need to determine exactly what the monitors and tv's have for inputs.

You'll need to provide the make and model numbers for the tv's and to save me a little time.. if you can look up the links on the web for the PDF owners manuals for the tv's and post the links to the PDF files here so I can review them. It will help me out greatly not having to try to find and verify that I'm looking at the correct information.

It will take me a couple of hours maybe less to get that, so I will get back to you when I get the exact model of the plasma screen he's got. The other plasma screen he did not buy it yet so here he's open to suggestions and the regular tv is an old RCA with only the screw type of connection, I know that for a fact. BTW thanks for all the help. I have to go to his house to find out. Thanks Again.

The existing downstairs won't change at all.. Just need the Make and Models and the PDF files of the manuals for the 2 screens that will be in the bedrooms.

I've just talked to him on the phone, he wants to buy everything new except speakers for the basement. Plasma screens in bedrooms as well but smaller, also he asked me what's the biggest plasma screen he can get for his basement and of course I had no ideea Do I have to decide what plasma screens to buy prior to do the wireing?

It would be a good thing to know.. working with the unknown is always a guess.

If you end up with tvs/monitors without an RF (antenna) input the setup and required componts will be different then if they do... so yes.. Specs on the make and model are important.

I talked to them last night and they pretty much agree to have the following:

basement: Elite Pro-1540HD - this one has antena inputs

zone 2,3 : [/b]:generalOpenWin('/tacpassets-images/models/42DPC85/docs/42DPC85_spec.pdf','resource1_55','width=740,height=480,resizable=1,scrollbars=1')]Toshiba42DPC (they have one and will get another for second bedroom

Toshibahttp://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisi...?model=42DPC85 - The link didn't work in previous message.