# Home Wiring Advice



## jmouland (Jan 27, 2009)

Hey all,
First I would like to thank everyone for the input and apologize for the long post but I wanted to provide as much detail as possible to get the most useful info. First I will list questions I have and then after that will be listed specific details on each room’s requirements. Please keep in mind I am looking for the most economic solution that enables future expandability.

-	Can I run HD video from my Satellite receivers in the AV Closet to my video devices in each room using RG6? Is this the preferred method?
-	Is it a bad idea to have any of the components listed below in my AV Closet?
-	Will running one RG6 cable to each volume control enable future upgradability to a whole house control system?
-	How would I accomplish the IPod functionality so plugging it in would override any other input and play the IPod on that one ceiling speaker
-	How would I accomplish switching between Sirius radio and a video device for any specific room?
-	Please offer any other critiques/suggestions you may have


AV Closet Components

RX-V630 AV Receiver (Currently own this so would like to find a way to use it)
HTR-6160 Dual Zone AV Receiver (Need to buy this for Dual Zone functionality)
HD/PVR Satellite Receiver (Currently own this)
HD Satellite Receiver (Currently own this)
Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver
EtherFast 4124 24-Port 10/100 Ethernet Switch (Will buy this)
Some Sort of AV Switch (I will add this on in the future so than I can access any of my components in any room)


Common functionality in Living Room, Bedroom, Ensuite, Guest Room #1 and Guest Room #2

- Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
- Internet Accessible (Home Run to router in Basement Closet)
- Satellite TV Accessible (Home Run to Satellite Receiver in Basement Closet)
- Blu-Ray Player Accessible (Home Run to Blue-Ray in Basement Closet)
- PS3 Accessible (Home Run to PS3 in Basement Closet)

Common functionality in Living Room, Bedroom, Ensuite, Guest Room #1 and Guest Room #2, Dining Room, Kitchen, Back Deck

- Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
- Ceiling Speaker for Sirius and TV (Home Run to Yamaha Receiver in Basement Closet)
- IPod Jack (When plugged in plays iPod on only this speaker)
- Volume Control (Manual at first but upgradable to whole house control)
- IR Relay (Home Run to Basement Closet)

Living Room

- Surround Sound (Home Run to Yamaha Receiver in Basement Closet)

Apartment Bedroom

- Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
- Internet Accessible (Home Run to router in Basement Closet)
- RG6 Accessible (Home Run to Basement Closet)

Apartment Living Room

- Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
- Internet Accessible (Home Run to router in Basement Closet)
- RG6 Accessible (Home Run to Basement Closet)

Apartment Kitchen

- Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
- Internet Accessible (Home Run to router in Basement Closet)


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Welcome to the Forum! You might have better luck posting “bite-sized” inquiries on the appropriate Forums, but I’ll take a shot at the things I can answer. 

This is a pretty complicated system you’re proposing, and might be better left to a professional designer/installer. In addition, some of the things you want to accomplish strike me as peculiar. 

I’ll tell you right up front that there is no way your Yamaha or any other dual-zone receiver is capable of being the “brains” of this system. You’re going to need something specifically designed for whole-house A/V from a company like Niles or Russound. Don’t know what your idea of “economic” is, but a system of this scope and “economic” don’t go well together.



> - Can I run HD video from my Satellite receivers in the AV Closet to my video devices in each room using RG6? Is this the preferred method?


Not sure I’ve ever seen this done, but I don’t see any reason why HD couldn’t be distributed to the rooms this way. It would all depend on whether or not the HD receivers pass HD via their antenna outputs. You’d have to check with the manufacturers on that, or perhaps post a question about it on our Home Theater Components Forum. The common method for HD from the receivers to the display is HDMI or component video, but understandably that wouldn’t be the best way to accomplish long-distance signal runs.



> - Is it a bad idea to have any of the components listed below in my AV Closet?


Depending on the size of the closet, heat build-up from audio amplifiers will be the biggest problem. You should make plans to have an exhaust fan or air conditioning.



> - Will running one RG6 cable to each volume control enable future upgradability to a whole house control system?


RG6 is not the cable used for that purpose. That would be Cat5 or Cat6.



> - How would I accomplish the IPod functionality so plugging it in would override any other input and play the IPod on that one ceiling speaker


I would be surprised if such a function exists in any whole-house system. If it does, it would be from the specialty manufacturers I mentioned; I can assure you that you won’t get it with your Yamahas.



> - How would I accomplish switching between Sirius radio and a video device for any specific room?


It’s no problem with the right equipment and wiring. Again, this is the realm of specialty products, not your Yamaha.




> Common functionality in Living Room, Bedroom, Ensuite, Guest Room #1 and Guest Room #2
> 
> - Phone (Home Run to Basement Closet)
> - Internet Accessible (Home Run to router in Basement Closet)
> ...


I find this to be a real puzzler. I can’t imagine a scenario where you’d have people watching a DVD in 2-3 different rooms at the same time. 

Aside from that, that’s a lot of rooms for only 2 sat receivers – of course you know the limitations will be that only two locations at a time can have exclusive control of what to view.

I assume you forgot the mention that this is also the location for the Sirius receiver. Once again, one person or location will be the decider of what all the others will be listening to, unless you have one of those specialty whole-house products.



> Living Room
> 
> - Surround Sound (Home Run to Yamaha Receiver in Basement Closet)


Do you really want to go down to the basement every time you change DVDs?



> - Volume Control (Manual at first but upgradable to whole house control)
> - IR Relay (Home Run to Basement Closet)


 Again, it’s no problem with the right equipment and wiring, but the Yamaha won’t do it.

In the end, you might well find that simple stand-alone systems in each room is the most economical solution, both from an equipment-purchase and installation perspective.

Regards,
Wayne


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## jmouland (Jan 27, 2009)

Thanks for the reply, here is what I was thinking

- Use HDMI baluns on CAT6 for my video and stereo sound, have 2 runs of CAT6 for this purpose to each potential video device (Living Room, Master Bedroom, Ensuite, Guest Bedrooms)

- Use 4X3 HDMI Matrix Switch with two Sat Recievers in AV Closet and my PS3 in living room Home Run to AV closet by CAT6 so that I can pause a movie in the living room and start watching it again in any other room

- Feed the audio from my devices into a triple zone av reciever (This should enable me to watch/listen to 3 different input sources in 3 different zones)

In each room ...
- Have one run of CAT6 to each volume control for future upgradeability
- Have one run of CAT6 to each phone location
- Have one run of CAT6 for Internet
- Have one run of CAT6 for IR Relay
- Have one run of CAT6 for Future Unknowns

Home run all speakers to AV reciever in closet


How does this sound? What am I missing or misunderstanding


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Check the manual of the 3-zone receiver you're interested in, to make sure it accommodates remote IR control, remote volume controls and the remote input switching you mentioned you were interested in.

Regard,
Wayne


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## Cyclejohn (Jan 8, 2009)

Ambitious. I get paid to do stuff like this and I would probably not take this job. I have only been doing it for a couple of years so I know I am a "novice pro". I use the term professional very sparingly but I do hear mostly tech talk versus a description of desired results.


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## jmouland (Jan 27, 2009)

Could you please provide details on what you find most fearful in this? I was just thinking if I wired CATX multiple drops to everywhere I can think of and then also do drops for RG6 and the rigth speaker it wouldn't be a big deal to add functionality later as needed? What scares you the most here?


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