Have i got this right ?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Have i got this right ?

robbon44

252 posts

Ultimate Geek

#177329 30-Jul-2015 09:08

OK so im about 1 week away form moving in to my new house.

Thanks to those of you who advised me on my projector set up and wiring i have got the cabling sorted.

I managed to run HDMi to my main viewing centres as well as getting enough CAT5/6 run through as well, but looking at my gear and equipment im thinking i may need to add a 4x4 matrix as follows..

my set up is

Sources
Blu ray
Freeview
WDTV Media Player - acting as a NAS (until i get a new one)
WDTV live media player (providing netflix global)

Receiver
Marantz SR5007 (5 HDMI in 1 HDMI out - passthrough in standby is single channel)

Outputs

samsung 50" TV series 8 (lounge) - smart
samsung 42" TV series 5 (Bed 1) - not that smart
samsung 42" TV series 5 (Bed 2) - not smart
Panasonic 40" TV old (office) - dumb

obviously i want the surround sound but also radio function and stereo sound (music) in the living room (this is also where my projector sits) so movie watching is the lounge.

i can also tap in a CD player to the amp if needed or ipod etc..

Anyway to give the greatest flexibility in watching stuff and using stuff this is how i see the set up - note all the components are based in a cupboard in the hall.

Can you please tell me if i am doing this right ????????

robbon44

252 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1355951 31-Jul-2015 12:21

yes..no..maybe..

im thinking no now..

shk292

2853 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1355985 31-Jul-2015 13:02

Could be a whole lot easier just to wire for Ethernet and put a WD TV Live or Apple TV or similar everywhere you want to view

robbon44

252 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1355988 31-Jul-2015 13:06

good point. i do have CAT5/6 in place.

i also wondered about modulation.. using coax..

wasabi2k

2096 posts

Uber Geek

#1356008 31-Jul-2015 13:21

robbon44: good point. i do have CAT5/6 in place.

i also wondered about modulation.. using coax..

coax is bad for everything other than aerials in my experience.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#1356018 31-Jul-2015 13:29

Modulation via coax?
Good sir, this is a poor choice in this day and age.

The first issue I see with your implementation of the HDMI matrix are the EDID issue's involved with using 5 devices that are going to offer different resolutions.
Basically, EDID means that all displays connected to the same HDMI circuit (for a lack of a better word) will display the lowest common resolution.

For instance, if you're wanting to access a Blu-ray movie and have an Ultra HD TV in one room, a full HD TV in another, and a standard def TV in a third room...
When they're all on, the Ultra HD TV will be restricted to showing you a SD picture!
That's 1 million pixels (roughly) when it's capable of showing 8 times as many!

What's more, every time a TV on the HDMI circuit is turned on, all devices will have to shake hands again.
That means a picture that will go blank (for 10-15 seconds), then flash back on, then off, then back on.
It will drive you bananas.
B - A -N - A -N - A - S.

Then when someone then turns off a TV, the same thing happens again!

EDID also affects audio playback, but as you only have one sound source and your panels are 'end points in the HDMI chain', you should be fine... as long as your projector doesn't have speakers that is... because that may ruin your world of audio.

If all TV's and the projector are 1080p, 24hZ compatible - then the resolution handshake issue won't apply. But with the world moving forward how it is, I wouldn't be surprised if the next TV I buy 'happens to be UHD'.

Unless an automation system is involved (and I'm guessing you'd want one, rather than struggle with HDMI matrix remote controls?), I'm a fan of Blu-ray players on shelves / in cupboards for the 2nd / 3rd / 4th TV's, and maybe a soundbar / speaker system to deal with the audio.
Sending the Freeview PVR video / NAS video around can also be implemented by a 'smart Blu-ray player'.

A separate Freeview UHF feed to each TV would be ideal... just saying.

robbon44

252 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1356023 31-Jul-2015 13:34

thats what i need... advice.

:)

i may think i know what i want but that is not necessarily what i need and i think i know that ! or at least i didnt know that at the time.

if you follow.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#1356112 31-Jul-2015 15:09

Dunnersfella:
Sending the Freeview PVR video / NAS video around can also be implemented by a 'smart Blu-ray player'. A separate Freeview UHF feed to each TV would be ideal... just saying.

To expand on this somewhat poorly explained point...

My PVR (Panasonic Blu-ray recorder) can send its recorded shows to other DLNA capable devices over the home network. So my smart Blu-ray player in the other room can watch the recorded TV shows in the living area.
This is a cool feature, however, it has its faults.
For instance, many times the DLNA server ability of my recorder is rendered useless. When I'm recording is an example!
Not... ideal... Neil.

Catch-up TV services like SkyGo / TVNZ OnDemand etc etc are helping with this, but the quality is low and there are bugs-a-plenty at the moment.
Pity.
Ultimately, the solution I've settled with is simply setting up an international Netflix feed via Unotelly, that way I've weened myself off a lot of free-to-air content.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

JimmyH

2886 posts

Uber Geek

#1356240 31-Jul-2015 18:26

The resolution handshaking may be an issue with your proposed setup if multiple TVs are running at the same time. If your setup is like mine, where I tend to have the TV on in the living room or the bedroom, but rarely both at the same time, it should be OK. However, if I had a wife and kids who were constantly turning TVs on and off etc and causing my screen to constantly drop out for 10 seconds and change resolutions, I would go crackers fairly quickly!

Where were you planning on getting the 4x4 matrix? I have a 4x2, which was affordable, but I haven't seen good affordable 4x4 or 6x4 options around. The ones I liiked at were either affordable but rubbish, or expensive very for decent quality.

Personally, if I was doing a setup like that I would be inclined to go for a different setup.

I would network all the rooms. In the living room I would go 4x2 Matrix, with inputs as described, and one output hooked to the amplifier and the other to something like a Sling TV unit. Depending on your matrix switch, you *might* also require a HDCP suppressor between it and the Sling unit (they are pretty cheap according to a recent thread on videohelp.com). Then I would put Sling TV capable media players on all the other TVs. This will deal to live feeds and also let you pipe blu-rays etc around the house if you want. Then, when you get the NAS you say you will add, those media players will access all the stored content on the NAS. Done correctly, with the right media players, they can access the content with full metadata etc.

I would also be inclined to replace your (unspecified) Freeview STB with the Panasonic DVD recorder that Dunnersfella discusses (I have one, I like it). Network it as well. That will give you twin-tuner recording to a hard drive, and the ability to access recorded content using DLNA on the media players in the other room as well.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#1356342 31-Jul-2015 20:56

Some HDMI matrix switches have EDID control that allow you to set the handshake to the lowest common denominator at the switch end... meaning an end to all the handshake dropouts.
On a 4x4, it's typically done over IP, but these switches aren't cheap. Good yes, available in HD BaseT, yes. But it's your money.

cisconz

cisconz
1341 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1356490 1-Aug-2015 08:53

How about something like this to send the signal around the house?
http://matchmaster.co.nz/commercial/headend-equipment/14mm-dm21

Hmmmm