RE: Network MP3 and then Multi-room Distribution

["Nigel Giddings" <nigel.giddings@xxxxxxx>]

Richard,

I too am looking at different multi room options and bought an
exstreamer for evaluation. Great little box which does exactly what it
says it does... I do feel there advantages to having dedicated H/W,
especially when compared with loading everything on a Windows PC.

Having said that I was able to control the exstreamer via a web
interface, Ipaq (wireless) and desktop PCs and also via a Pronto...

I am a big fan of the Pronto and will probably have one in each room
eventually for all ir needs, lighting, TV, audio, etc etc.

The way I did this was to send an X10 command from my Pronto to an IR523
(from memory) which triggered Homeseer, Homeseer then sent a UDP command
via the LAN to the exstreamer... It was great for Volume and Mute
controls as well as next track and next playlist commands. It was
limited as of course no feedback to the Pronto.

Another advantage of going via Homeseer was that I could mute on phone
call or door bell, must admit I didn't get that far though.

Nigel

-----Original Message-----
From: rb_ziggy [mailto:richard.boreham@xxxxxxx]=20
Sent: 21 November 2003 15:31
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] Network MP3 and then Multi-room Distribution

Would welcome some input regarding my dilemma...

When we build our house 2 years ago we built in cabling for multi-
room audio distribution. This was based around speaker cable from=20
node 0 to about 5 rooms and double runs of screened cat5 (STP)=20
adjacent to the light switches in these rooms.  (We also have cat5e=20
to all rooms at the plug socket locations in addition to this.) The=20
intention had been to go with something like Living Control's MRS=20
system plus a cd changer radio etc all based in node zero.=20

However the world moves on and I now have all the cds 'MP3ed' on the=20
PC.  I could of course go with the original intention and replace the=20
cd changer with a (for example) Imerge soundserver as the main source=20
for a LivingControl system.  However, I don't really feel like=20
spending another =A32k for a source which I already, in effect, have.=20
(Especially as most have limited capacity compared with a PC based=20
server.)=20=20

I'm quite attracted to the idea of using an Barix exstreamer as the=20
PC interface - that would fit in quite nicely in node 0. However,=20
this seems to leave me with a "how do I control the pieces
problem"=20
as the exstreamer needs a (I believe) a web interface while the=20
typical  multisource/multiroom amps tend to have their own keypad=20
controls.=20

What I really need is a multisource/multiroom amp with web (and=20
really ideally, IR from Pronto) interfaces.  I could then go for a=20
web-tablet approach, either hardwired at the light position or (more-
likely) on a wireless basis to intregrate the source & amplification=20
control.  This would be much better anyway as it would then be easy=20
to couple this to the remainder of the HA stuff (including Comfort,=20
CWI, ACE and lots of X10 lighting).  (I was actually always a bit=20
dubious about having a totally separate audio control system.)

So... is there any current distribution amp product or source/amp=20
combo that would do this (which is not priced in the stratosphere)?=20=20
Or... is there a homebrew multiroom/multisource approach which could=20
achieve the same (remembering that amplification and line inputs=20
needs to be in node 0 with contol in rooms being cat5 (ideally IP)=20
based?  This seems to rule out individual room Slimps (or similar) as=20
I don't think I can get the line level back to node 0 for=20
amplification and distribution to the speakers.=20=20=20=20

As to my technical capabilities of making homebrew work... Quite=20
happy with configuring the Pronto and Comfort via Comfigurator and=20
can even tweek CWI a bit but not a proper programmer type anymore!

Have I missed the blindingly obvious here?

Thanks in advance.

Richard



UKHA 2004: 15th and 16th May 2004

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