HomeTheatre solutions (Wireless / AV senders etc)

[j3rk]

Ok, a query to all the hometheater and AV gurus of the forums.

As my home theatre grows the amount of boxes/remotes and clutter is something I would like to hide (foxtel, ps3, xbox, reciever, etc!). So looking into one-seen-box AV solutions.

Something along the lines of nice universal remote system, which allows remote mounted boxes with a simple or minimilist reciever connected to the tv. So far this is the best one i've found: The Phillips Pronto (http://www.pronto.philips.com/index.cfm?id=1303) but it seems riddiculously complex and when queried requires drug money to buy.

So, hit me up with ideas!

[coFF33]

Ipad.

LOLZ

[Ryan1080]

Mate, get yourself a Logitech remote! I got one about 2 months ago, it controls everything you want. You plug it via USB to your PC, and use the software to update the remote for any device you want it to control. I got the TV, PS3, amplifier, DVD player, satellite box. And only one remote. The one I got is this one:
http://www.logitech.com/en-au/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/4738

Really happy with it. You can set it up for 'activities', you press one button, it swtiches on the tv, amp, DVD player/PS3/satellite box (if needed), sets the right channel on tv, sets the right output on the amp and so on. You can program it to do anything extra like automatically changing the sounds settings on the amp as well. For PS3 you'll need to get the PS3 adapter, got it for about 40 bucks off ebay. It's this thing: http://www.logitech.com/en-au/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/4738 works great!

Normally it's about $120, but I've seen dick smith sell it for around 50 bucks, same with ebay. I actually got it bundled with Norton 360 software (5 licenses, and two V8 supercar tickets, plus the remote) for $120 at Harvey Norman.

It will also retain all function of your other remotes. Whatever physical buttons are missing on the logitech remote, you can pre-program shitloads into that LCD screen. I use that to program things that I woudln't use regularly. So you can basically get rid of your factory remotes altogether. The logitech software has thousands of IR codes for different brands and models. Setting it up takes 10 mins, easy as!

[fourseven]

I've got the Logitech Harmony 525. The Pronto series aren't bad. They all do the same thing in the end, the only difference between brands and models is the number of activities and the look and feel of the remote/control panel.

[kirbo]

Although I have no experience with them, I've only heard great things about the logitech range of remotes:
http://www.logitech.com/en-au/remotes
I often see them for a good amount below RRP but I already have a uni remote.

[mr_rotary]

I have the Logitech Harmony 1000i touch screen remote for my home theatre setup. One touch and the whole setup lights up to correct station, volume etc. I purchased mine off E-Bay at less than half the RRP.

[RGVFAST]

i have the 1000i also, is a great remote although its only IR so all devices must be within direct site of the controller. can also control your Aircon and lighting system if you have them remotely operated

[_S9_]

Got an older-style Logitech Harmony 520 - had it for YEARS.

Best thing I've ever bought. Look no further.

[Dagon]

I can recommend NOT getting cheapy ebay-spec AV wireless transceivers... i've gone through a few and not many of them are good =P

[Macca]

yep 1000i here. have had a few different logitech remotes but this is the ducks nuts.

All depends on your budget tho

[mitchy]

logitech is the way to go, we've got a couple and they are great.

[DanWA]

I only use amp remote and one of those nasty Rock MCE remotes... does the job!

[RMX]

As the rest have said..

For a universal remote system, Logitech Harmony's are probably the easiest to program and are generally fairly reliable.
If you want it to control your PS3 as well, You'll need a Logitech PS3 Adapter: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/5732



As for hiding components.. I'd look at a Xantech kit: http://www.xantech.com/products/ir_products.htm


This will allow you to use all your gear remotely and pass an iR signal through a wall so your gear can be in another room or in a cupboard/cabinet.


http://www.xantech.com/products/images/repeater_diagram.gif

Xantech are distributed by Amber Technology who also import Onkyo and other gear.


http://www.ambertech.com.au/custom_install.php

[NVIOUS]

logitech remotes are the easiest to use, ive got a logitech 515 remote which wasnt too hard to setup, can turn on/off everything with one button, controls my xbox360, pioneer amp, foxtel, and sony projector - the projector I was initially worried as its mounted above on the ceiling but somehow still works fine with the IR remote pointed at the front of the room

If you dont mind splashing out more $$ id get the logitech 900 rather than the 1100i. 1100i is too big/stupid shape, 900 looks like a tradional slim remote & still has a colour touch screen display - but best part is the 900 uses RF instead of IR, so much better if you've hidden your AV gear out of sight. Comes with RF reciever and IR blaster to control all the devices no matter where they are. 900 has much better options, 1100 is just wank factor due to a big screen

[RaGH*]

If you want a neater solution to having everything wired up the ideal method would be using your amp/receier to it's potential. Ie: everything should be wired into the amp and then hdmi to the tv. Thus you could have all your components to the side of the room, stacked and plugged into the amp, then just cabling from the side of them room from the amp to the tv. Nice and clutter free. Good AV cabinet is like 250 for a 4 shelf (from memory).

Then as everyone has said, get a harmony remote which will then control the whole lot, will be a complete solution, and will work and beaten veerything to the standard I think you want.

[Anaru]

LINK (http://www.logitech.com/en-au/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/5874)

Get the harmony 900 if you want RF control with remote IR

[j3rk]

Cheers for all the reply's guys... Logitech seems the cheap winner!

Currently the system I intend to put together stands at:
Logitech 1000i Remote - Managed to pick one up cheap yesterday ($100)
Logitech RF Extender (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/378) - To hide and control gear from remote install (~$100)
Logitech PS3 Adapator (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/remotes/universal_remotes/devices/5732) - For PS3 control (~$70)
All equipment installed into my sony reciever with one HDMI output (Already owned)
HDMI to Ethernet Extender - For 10-50m runs to allow remote installs (~$200)
One HDMI cable into TV. (~$100) ***
So my logitech solution will cost just over $500, and do everything intended... hopefully it all works!

***Decided against wireless AV senders as HD senders are costly and seem to be fraught with issues / complications. Ethernet is easy to run / replace / fast enough whilst maintaining 1080p.
RMX - Will look into the Xantech gear before I go logitech RF, but for ease of communication etc a full logitech system will be the go I think.
May look into a second run of ethernet-HDMI with the use of a Harmony900 or Harmony 1100i + RF for second room install in the future.

[nang3]

WTF, $100 for a HDMI cable???
fuck that, go to ezyhd.com !

[mr_rotary]

WTF, $100 for a HDMI cable???
fuck that, go to ezyhd.com !
You get what you pay for and the same goes for cheap cabling.

[Joe]

You get what you pay for and the same goes for cheap cabling.

You keep buying those expensive cables.. I'll stick to my $2 eBay specials.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/tests/4235717

http://reviews.cnet.com/hdmi-cable/

http://tv.suite101.com/article.cfm/cheap_hdmi_and_dvi_cables

[Macca]

You get what you pay for and the same goes for cheap cabling.

yet it has been proven time and time again that the cheaper cables do the same job as the expensive ones

[SimonR32]

yet it has been proven time and time again that the cheaper cables do the same job as the expensive ones

thats because a digital signal is either a one or a zero... if you get the signal you get the quality

[Joe]

thats because a digital signal is either a one or a zero... if you get the signal you get the quality

Exactly.

In fact the last HDMI cable with gold-plated terminals that I bought from eBay (1.5m cable to run from my PS3 to my Sony Bravia LCD) cost me $1.80 SHIPPED.

If it fucks up (which it hasn't in 2 years), i could buy 10 more and it would still cost less than a shop-bought 1.5m HDMI cable.

[NVIOUS]

yet it has been proven time and time again that the cheaper cables do the same job as the expensive ones

to a point, depends on cable length (ie i had to use a 10m hdmi cable due to having projector on ceiling and AV gear at front of room). If you only need a metre or two then cable quality isnt as big an issue. There are also different versions of HDMI, cheaper ones usually dont comply to the newest ones (ie v1.3b, v1.3c etc) - or they dont state version at all

He hasnt said what length the cable was, so if its 10m or so then $100 would be a good quality budget cable. I paid 110 for my ugly hdmi 10m cable which is a good quality cable, but still far cheaper than something stupid like monster cable etc. If however its only 1-2m then yes thats a tad over priced

[_S9_]

to a point, depends on cable length (ie i had to use a 10m hdmi cable due to having projector on ceiling and AV gear at front of room). If you only need a metre or two then cable quality isnt as big an issue. There are also different versions of HDMI, cheaper ones usually dont comply to the newest ones (ie v1.3b, v1.3c etc) - or they dont state version at all


Nope, another misnomer. The version numbers relate to HDMI protocols. The cable is still exactly the same!


*facepalm*

[nang3]

You get what you pay for and the same goes for cheap cabling.

ROFL seriously mate, its not the case!!

[Ryan1080]

LOL. Digital... analogue... not same!

You either get the signal or you don't. Cable quality doesn't come into play here.

[mr_rotary]

ROFL seriously mate, its not the case!!
There is no point in me going there as 'cheap' cabling is more than capable for sub-standard systems. Invest in something a little better than cheap assed sansui home theatre gear and then we'll start talking as there is very noticable differences between low and high end cabling, both picture and audio quality. Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

As for Monster Cabling, you just need to know where to purchase for the right price :shake:

[RaGH*]

Monster cable = rip off

HDMI is a modified usb cable. Do you spend $100+ on USB cables? Digital cables are as everyone has said 0 or 1. Yes, you can pay more for gold plating, shielding, fancy looks to make you feel better for spending the 100 over dollars on cable.... but my $8 HDMI cable, does the job just as well as a $250 Belkin silver series.

Analog is different. Speaker wire is different. Digital is all same same..

/dufus

[Macca]

There is no point in me going there as 'cheap' cabling is more than capable for sub-standard systems. Invest in something a little better than cheap assed sansui home theatre gear and then we'll start talking as there is very noticable differences between low and high end cabling, both picture and audio quality. Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

As for Monster Cabling, you just need to know where to purchase for the right price :shake:

http://i49.tinypic.com/2d0b7tt.gif

[_S9_]

Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

^ here you have it folks. A victim of a good salesman. Will believe anything.

(unless you are talking about S-Video/RCA Audio or RF antenna cables then, yes you are correct.)

[mr_rotary]

^ here you have it folks. A victim of a good salesman. Will believe anything.

(unless you are talking about S-Video/RCA Audio or RF antenna cables then, yes you are correct.)
Plus don't forget speaker cabling, also makes a very noticeable difference. Forget Monster Cables for one minute and just think of your favourite higher end cabling manufactuer. There is a number of problems with the cheapo HDMI cables. Bandwidth or future proofing is supported on higer end cables now supporting 1.4 and higher. Yes the cable is a digital signal that uses 1's and 0's however if it does not work correctly, you experience dots, lines or blank screens. Then there is the problem with inadeqate shielding that will interere with other cabling in your system.

I'll keep saying it, but cheap cables are exactly that, cheap. I bet the people here who are in the 'cheap' brigade are the ones who have never tried better quality cabling before to see and hear the difference and just have to 'make do' with what they can afford.

[RaGH*]

Well I sell cables and HIFI equipment for a living. Still use $8 cables, I sell $200 cables.

All displays at work use cheap cables - theory goes, we'd use the best to show the best image. Hell, I even setup the new 3D LEDs with soniq hdmi cables from the 3D blu ray player. Same quality as the new 'special' 3D hdmi items. Sure the new 1.4 cables are bi-directional, but it's not functional until the new receivers hit the market.

I'm sticking to cheap HDMI cables will work... sure they may die faster but they defo work until the bite the bullet.

[Macca]

Plus don't forget speaker cabling, also makes a very noticeable difference. Forget Monster Cables for one minute and just think of your favourite higher end cabling manufactuer. There is a number of problems with the cheapo HDMI cables. Bandwidth or future proofing is supported on higer end cables now supporting 1.4 and higher. Yes the cable is a digital signal that uses 1's and 0's however if it does not work correctly, you experience dots, lines or blank screens. Then there is the problem with inadeqate shielding that will interere with other cabling in your system.

I'll keep saying it, but cheap cables are exactly that, cheap. I bet the people here who are in the 'cheap' brigade are the ones who have never tried better quality cabling before to see and hear the difference and just have to 'make do' with what they can afford.

you are either a salesperson or someone who got sucked into spending too much on cables.

[Ryan1080]

There is no point in me going there as 'cheap' cabling is more than capable for sub-standard systems. Invest in something a little better than cheap assed sansui home theatre gear and then we'll start talking as there is very noticable differences between low and high end cabling, both picture and audio quality. Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

As for Monster Cabling, you just need to know where to purchase for the right price :shake:

Speaker cables,and other analogue signal transmission cables, correct. Digital, sorry mate, you're getting ripped off!

I've got a few HDMI cables at home. One is an $80 cable that I bought when I didn't know better. The others are $5 cables. I can tell you now, trying all of them, there is NO difference in the digital signal.

Like someone has said, you're either a salesman, or have been brainwashed by a salesman, and got ripped off.

A fool and his money are easily parted, as they say :)

[nang3]

There is no point in me going there as 'cheap' cabling is more than capable for sub-standard systems. Invest in something a little better than cheap assed sansui home theatre gear and then we'll start talking as there is very noticable differences between low and high end cabling, both picture and audio quality. Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

As for Monster Cabling, you just need to know where to purchase for the right price :shake:

Sansui ROFL I think not.. my gear is all LX range Pioneer, Dali Ikon and a big fuck off SVS subby...

my mate got RIPPED OFF buying monster HDMI cables at $300 a pop for his new Bravia LCD... i took round some cheap $20-30 EZYHD cables to compare and no one could tell the difference whatsover and we tried to pick them apart for hours. He took the monsters back the next day.

FACT is monster is overpriced. Go to DTV forums adn see just exactly how many people on there use EZYHD cables with no problems, and they sure as fucking shit dont have sansui systems

Dont get me wrong, im sure monster cables are a good cable, but they are overpriced and marketed at ripping people off... have you not seen the harvey norman displays when they have 2 TVs running the same shit and one supposedly is running monster cables and looks 1000 times better?? ever notice the other non-monster TV is hooked up via composite or s-video ahhaha dodgy pingpingpingpings course its gonna look shit in comparison

[Azrian]

I know for a fact the harveys have about 200% mark up on their cables as well.

[Anaru]

This:



Sure the new 1.4 cables are bi-directional, but it's not functional until the new receivers hit the market.


And This;



cheap HDMI cables will work... sure they may die faster but they defo work until the bite the bullet.

/End

[nang3]

There is no point in me going there as 'cheap' cabling is more than capable for sub-standard systems. Invest in something a little better than cheap assed sansui home theatre gear and then we'll start talking as there is very noticable differences between low and high end cabling, both picture and audio quality. Having dealt with Monster Cables over a number of years, I have seen this first hand how much of a difference a cable can make, even from the same brand.

As for Monster Cabling, you just need to know where to purchase for the right price :shake:

oh i just noticed you inferred my system was sub-standard and that yours obviously requires expensive cables?? please enlighten me as to your system then? nothing less than a Z11 AVR yeh??

[j3rk]

Cheers for the assistance guys, saved me a bit on HDMI cables... knew I wouldn't be paying $100 but had no idea paying as low as suggested would be as good!

Next points of discussion:
HDMI extender ~ up to 30m apparently ~$50-150
Vs.
HDMI over Ethernet ~ up to 50m apparently ~$100-200
Technically I don't need more than 20 or so metres extended... but could use some feedback from people in the know.

And feedback on HDMI splitters / switches (for use in multiroom applications).

[RaGH*]

Go for a receiver with multiple zones.

And I'd say hdmi booster/extender though I've heard otherwise from a couple of people..... Even runnin Ethernet over distances isn't ideal unless they do hdmi to cat 6?