Home Entertainment Setup

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andyfuller
Posts: 4619
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:23 pm

I am looking at sorting out my home entertainment system so that I can pipe TV, films, music and Online content around my house.

Could anyone who has a setup for doing something similar offer any advice as to the best way to do this. I am looking at combining, a PVR, Blu Ray Player, Xbox and PC.

I was thinking of using Cat5 cable to do the cable runs so that I could keep HD quality for the TV and films and the like. Then end the cable runs at ethernet wall plates. From there have a short ethernet cable running to something like these 'HDMI Extenders over Cat5' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neet%C2%AE-Exte ... _ce_text_y) and then run a HDMI cable from the little HDMI Extender box to the TV.

Also I would look to run a Magic eye (or similar) back from each tv to enable channels to be changed. Also some how make it so that I could use a wireless keyboard and mouse to control the PC but not sure how to get the coverage needed for these to work.

On the Useful Apps thread xbmc was recommended as the media server and also My Remote app.

Any advice would be great as I haven't really been able to find much online that explains it all.

TIA.
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jimrobo
Posts: 1289
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:49 pm

I use plex which is pretty much the same as xmbc and run it from my mac mini.
steven1976
Posts: 1744
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:28 am

Hi Andy, I don't really watch that much TV. The XBMC I use mainly for the movies on demand for streaming. Best way is probably to watch a couple on youtube to see which fits your needs best.

This is the add on that I use the most. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqT_XYZ64Gg

In the UK you can have the TV catchup as well which I think makes it easier than viewing through separate Iplayers.

It was my friend that put me on to using this who has had media centers set up for a number of years who is a bit geeky and therefore I just follow his advice.

I just have one of them slim computers hidden away and connected to the TV with HDMi cable.
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Euler
Posts: 24700
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:39 pm
Location: Bet Angel HQ

The kids and wife don't let me watch TV any more so my home entertainment is streaming stuff on my iPad!
andyfuller
Posts: 4619
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:23 pm

Cheers for the comments and help - I will have a look into the different things suggested.

Peter - sounds like you need a 'man cave' :)
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