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Steps/guide to planning an overall home entertainment system? TIA
When we did our reno we ran copper all through the house. Now I need to plan what to buy and install, and when as we have some budgetary constraints so we may have to use a phased approach. Any guidance on how to plan it (define requirements, what to look at for each, how to evaluate, etc.)? Any books or other sources?
What I'm looking for is a complete, multi-floor system. Has to accomodate gaming (both single/multi-user in-house and internet), audio, video, web surfing, etc. I'm thinking central music/video library, streaming audio & video capabilities, etc. A key requirement is user interface so my wife can use it as well. No slur on the women reading this - my wife will be the first to admit she is NOT a gadget person and I don't want her to have to depend on me to work the system.
Right now each room has at least 1 wall jack for our internet connection (wireless is too slow for gaming), plus the main floor has wiring for speakers in the living room, dining room, kitchen and rear deck. The top floor has wiring for speakers in the to-become-home-theater-room (which has a space left on one wall for a 55" flat screen), and this is also connected to the central/control point in the living room. We currently have a decent 32' flat screen and a new PVR to use in the new system. The rest will be new.
Any guidance will be appreciated.
TIA - R.
What I'm looking for is a complete, multi-floor system. Has to accomodate gaming (both single/multi-user in-house and internet), audio, video, web surfing, etc. I'm thinking central music/video library, streaming audio & video capabilities, etc. A key requirement is user interface so my wife can use it as well. No slur on the women reading this - my wife will be the first to admit she is NOT a gadget person and I don't want her to have to depend on me to work the system.
Right now each room has at least 1 wall jack for our internet connection (wireless is too slow for gaming), plus the main floor has wiring for speakers in the living room, dining room, kitchen and rear deck. The top floor has wiring for speakers in the to-become-home-theater-room (which has a space left on one wall for a 55" flat screen), and this is also connected to the central/control point in the living room. We currently have a decent 32' flat screen and a new PVR to use in the new system. The rest will be new.
Any guidance will be appreciated.
TIA - R.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by TwesT on -
Not to sound cliche, but you should consult a good installer. Be up front about wanting information for planning purposes and be prepared to pay for their time. Based on what you have written, you need the knowledge of an experienced professional to help you develop a plan. There are too many options and too many ways to engineer a solution to give you more than this advice: Plan, evaluate, revise, repeat. Then repeat again. After you are sure your plan is solid and addresses all of your needs - functional and ergonomic - design. After design is complete, choose hardware and build. Notice how much of my advice is preparation and how much is execution. That is by design, as planning is the most important part of a successful install. Equally important is sticking to the plan after it is approved.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Hobbs on -
Probably too late for OP but someone else may benefit from reading.
The planning and cabling stages are probably the most important AND least expensive parts of the job, That huge flat screen TV you're about to drop a huge wad of cash on will probably be only worth half that next year. Correct design and cabling however can save you money in the long run if the design outlives the fast pace of technology, it can easily last generations of installs/upgrades.
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