Final Wiring Assistance Needed

[itschris]

The guys have tore out the big triple glass doors in my room and are almost done with the new wall where all my stuff will go. All the equipment is on the other wall in a built in that being built as well. I need to run wires for the wall but want to be 100% sure I get them all since I'm going to have a custom face plate. Here's what I'm thinking:

Speaker wire: L C R
HDMI: 1 from the receiver to the TV
Cable Coax: from outside I guess

I'm going to keep HD cable box with the TV and hook it up directly to make non-critical viewing a lot easier (which will like be most of the viewing) If I want to play the sound through the system though for a cable movie or sportscast, what cable should I be using from the TV to the receiver pre/pro?I'm assuming I need a cable from TV-out to an audio input on the reciever.

Blu-Ray, DVR, CD, etc will be handled via an HTPC/Media Server that I will be building which will be connected to the receiver so I don't think I need anything else from there. I'm assuming the HDMI from the receiver should get everything to the tv.

Suggestions? Comments?

 

[patnshan]

What about surround speaker wire?

Pat

 

[itschris]

Luckily that's already in place. I just have this new walll being built and I want to run the wires before it's drywalled.

You got any advice if I need to run a cables from the TV to the pre/pro for piping cable through the system? I'm just a bit confused on that part because everything else onthe source side is in the rack except the hd cable box.

 

[trnqk7]

What tv are you using? It should have audio/video outs on the back that are labeled differently from the inputs. If you are lucky (I think a lot of newer tvs have this) you will have either an hdmi out or at least an optical output so that you can send digital audio (such as dolby during tv broadcasts) back to your receiver so you can listen in surround sound. Check the manual that came with your tv or download it from the manufacturer's website-it should tell you everything that you need to know.

 

[itschris]

What tv are you using? It should have audio/video outs on the back that are labeled differently from the inputs. If you are lucky (I think a lot of newer tvs have this) you will have either an hdmi out or at least an optical output so that you can send digital audio (such as dolby during tv broadcasts) back to your receiver so you can listen in surround sound. Check the manual that came with your tv or download it from the manufacturer's website-it should tell you everything that you need to know.

I'm getting a 61" Samsung DLP. It does have HDMI out. So I'll need to run two HDMI cables ... one in and one out. Hopefully that should do it.

 

[TLS Guy]

Run your wires in conduit while you have the chance. In a year or two you can be certain you will need some different cables not heard of yet.

 

[jcPanny]

Video cables

I would run component and possibly s-video. It is easy now, but very difficult later. Some receivers and devices like the Velodyne SMS-1 only have an svideo or composite video output for the OSD.

Also make sure that you your HDMI cable supports 1080p and test it prior to installation.

Possible audio connections:
analog L/R for using TV speakers, and digital audio (from TV to receiver) if you use the OTA tuner. Some of these connections are redundant. A component video run could be used for composite video and/or digital audio.

 

[TLS Guy]

I would run component and possibly s-video. It is easy now, but very difficult later. Some receivers and devices like the Velodyne SMS-1 only have an svideo or composite video output for the OSD.

Also make sure that you your HDMI cable supports 1080p and test it prior to installation.

Possible audio connections:
analog L/R for using TV speakers, and digital audio (from TV to receiver) if you use the OTA tuner. Some of these connections are redundant. A component video run could be used for composite video and/or digital audio.

Put your cables in conduit! Then you can add or change cables when and as you need. With the pace of change, I just can't believe people are not screaming that advice. How long have we heard of HDMI, let alone HDMI 1.3.
I seem to be the only member stating the obvious.

Bottom line anybody who has open walls and does not run conduit is a chump.

While I'm on it, I would change the building codes to have all cables run in conduits. I think we will move to a hydrogen based economy and may be sooner than we think. This will likely require a very different wiring scheme in houses.

 

[KevInCinci]

When (not if!) you run your conduit, don't forget to also run an extra-long piece of thin rope through it to help you pull new cables through in the future. Makes life much easier.

Cheers,

Kevin

 

[itschris]

They came and drywalled the everything. They put the junction boxes in, but no conduit. I think I'm okay though because it was a large triple glass door so there is a double wall: Interior and exterior with a about 3-4 inches in between the two frames so running cables shouldn' be a big deal. The wires will only be coming from the corner of the room... about 15 total. Hopefully it won't be a big deal. I want to order the custom wall plate. Based on what I've read here... for my setup... I got:
3 set for the front speakers
2 HDMI (1 in and 1 out)
1 coax for the cable/satallite.

I don't think I'd need optical (toslink) or component since I have HDMI. I'm going to run their high HMDI cables and 10 guage speaker (might be overkill for 15 ft)