multiroom av distribution

pico24

Looking for some device...
I have bought a new house and want to run cables to each room for hdmi av
there is 6 zones, living room, living room2 and bedrooms 1-4
I'm not sure whats in the house already wiring wise, there are about 15 coaxial cables loose under the stairs going to all rooms. I have asked and looked but cant find any schematics.
I would like to use the space under the stairs as a central hub.
this is where im not sure on what I need...
I would like a 6x6 hdmi matrix switch, there seem to be a lot of them on the market with huge price differences, can anybody recommend one?
Not interested in having a touch screen in every zone, a remote with ir control back to hub would do.
I intend to run cat6 cable from hub to every display and send signals out on that and convert to hdmi at display. Is that ok?
I also want to run speaker cable to every zone but not sure does this need to come back to hub or an amp in each zone? Also how would I control this or connect my songs to this system, does this connect to the matrix box? would like to control with ios or android.

As I said I'm looking to run the cabling first and build the system as I go
can anybody tell me what I need for such a system or send me a wiring diagram?

Much appreciated

Cuddlesworth

Unless your budgeting for around 10k plus some awesome programming skills, it's unlikely to happen.

pico24

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Unless your budgeting for around 10k plus some awesome programming skills, it's unlikely to happen.

Could you breakdown the 10k for me?
Thanks

uphillonly

Perhaps I don't fully understand what you are trying to build but I think you are over-complicating it. I would put down the network (Cat6 or 5) cable to all the rooms you want and then have an AppleTV or equivalent. I use this for multiple rooms and it allows all music & videos to be played independently & controlled independently by iPhones, iPads, laptops etc. One of my AppleTVs isn't even connected to a monitor. I just use it connected to a decent mini-amp & speakers.

They are very small & unobtrusive & cost 100 euros each (at the airport). AppleTV has hdmi & optical digital out which you connect to TV & or an amplifier.

I'm sure there are good non-Apple equivalents (ROKU?), I just find the Apple eco-system convenient. Combination of the iOS devices & iTunes match. I use a Macmini as a media server for music & films but can also access all music & a lot of the films through the cloud with iTunes match.

I think it's the music & media you want to access everywhere. You don't need to transmit that through hdmi cables. You can use wifi but cat 6 cable is very cheap & future-proofs you.

The one thing you won't be able to do on my proposal is send signals from a Sky or UPC box to other rooms. However more & more channels have mobile player solutions to view through the web, so they are slowly becoming less relevant. I think the key is to have network capability.

pico24

uphillonly wrote: »

Perhaps I don't fully understand what you are trying to build but I think you are over-complicating it. I would put down the network (Cat6 or 5) cable to all the rooms you want and then have an AppleTV or equivalent. I use this for multiple rooms and it allows all music & videos to be played independently & controlled independently by iPhones, iPads, laptops etc. One of my AppleTVs isn't even connected to a monitor. I just use it connected to a decent mini-amp & speakers.

They are very small & unobtrusive & cost 100 euros each (at the airport). AppleTV has hdmi & optical digital out which you connect to TV & or an amplifier.

I'm sure there are good non-Apple equivalents (ROKU?), I just find the Apple eco-system convenient. Combination of the iOS devices & iTunes match. I use a Macmini as a media server for music & films but can also access all music & a lot of the films through the cloud with iTunes match.

I think it's the music & media you want to access everywhere. You don't need to transmit that through hdmi cables. You can use wifi but cat 6 cable is very cheap & future-proofs you.

The one thing you won't be able to do on my proposal is send signals from a Sky or UPC box to other rooms. However more & more channels have mobile player solutions to view through the web, so they are slowly becoming less relevant. I think the key is to have network capability.

Thanks for your detailed reply,
I am starting to agree with network capability being key, and mobile players being used a lot more but like the idea of central hub for media and sky.
I am going to run 2 cat6 to every zone. Have talked to a company about a 4x4 hdmi switcher over single cat6 and they sre in the process of developing an app for android for €1500
Think Im going to do audio separate and go down the road of sonos connect amp, easy to use/setup and can add as I go

Cuddlesworth

pico24 wrote: »

Have talked to a company about a 4x4 hdmi switcher over single cat6 and they sre in the process of developing an app for android for €1500

I'd contact HDanywhere first, they seem to have a working self build app for phones and tablets that works with their multiroom systems. Which also seem to have control pass through with IR over a single CAT5. They sell pre configured universal remotes as well.

Only came across this in the last day or so, wasn't aware it existed.

pico24

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I'd contact HDanywhere first, they seem to have a working self build app for phones and tablets that works with their multiroom systems. Which also seem to have control pass through with IR over a single CAT5. They sell pre configured universal remotes as well.

Only came across this in the last day or so, wasn't aware it existed.

Thats the company I was in contact with

uphillonly

pico24 wrote: »

I am going to run 2 cat6 to every zone.

Pico - Just curious, is the double Cat 6 run for insurance/damage, bandwidth?

I'm looking at this at the moment and was planning one cable to each location and using Ethernet switches when needed. I've did that in a previous house and it worked ok.

uphillonly

pico24 wrote: »

Think Im going to do audio separate and go down the road of sonos connect amp, easy to use/setup and can add as I go

Re - Sonos. I don't have it myself but everyone I know who has it, said it works very smoothly & is simple for the less technical to operate too.

pico24

uphillonly wrote: »

Pico - Just curious, is the double Cat 6 run for insurance/damage, bandwidth?

I'm looking at this at the moment and was planning one cable to each location and using Ethernet switches when needed. I've did that in a previous house and it worked ok.

running 2 cat6 more for future proofing and damage, also going to run a pull wire along side in case I need to run anything else at a later date.
Its a pre built house so going to be a pain to run the cables as is but better to it now than later I suppose.

smee again

uphillonly wrote: »

Pico - Just curious, is the double Cat 6 run for insurance/damage, bandwidth?

I'm looking at this at the moment and was planning one cable to each location and using Ethernet switches when needed. I've did that in a previous house and it worked ok.

Chances are you will have more than one device needing ethernet in the rooms, sat boxes, consoles etc. Using an eternet switch in the room limits all the devices connected to it to the speed of the switch port