Can I pull this off with one receiver or do I need two??

[parinshah]

We are building a home and we will have a very large entertainment/game room that will be 28' long and 18' wide. I will be placing a Hitachi 70" TV in this room, aswell as a blu-ray, nintendo wii and cable box. I will be doing 7.1 surround for half the room, and have 2 additional speakers in the rear of the over the pool table. The 7.1 and the 2 additional speakers will be separate, so I don't have to power up all the speakers just to play pool with some background music. FYI, I am planning on buying axiom m60's and EP500 subwoofer. I haven't decided on the in-ceiling for the rears and the speakers over the pool table.

In the family room i will have a 65" panasonic plasma. I want to run component cable, not HDMI, from this plasma tv to the gameroom. I want to do this because I dont want a receiver, cable box, blu-ray player, nintendo sitting in the family room. i don't have cabinets in this family room.

I will get an RF remote to help me through this

1) Is there a receiver in the $500 or so price range that can handle playing both TV's? Will one HDMI output for the gameroom TV and one component output for the panasonic plasma in the family room suffice?

2) I have a Denon 2805. If I keep this and buy another receiver would I be able to do it then?

3) I want axiom floor standing speakers for the gameroom and an EP500 sub, but I also want my rear speakers to be in-ceiling. What are good in-ceiling speakers that are directional?

4) What is a good budget RF Universal Remote that can handle this? I don't need a fancy display on the remote.

Thanks

 

[Po1nt-Tak3n]

Seems do-able

Sounds like a SWEET setup, I'm just a little jealous

I think it seems like a very viable option. As far as I can tell the only thing you would need is a receiver that can output to the HDMI and the Component outputs at the same time. Otherwise, you would have to change which output you're using every time you start something up (i.e. you want to watch a bluray in the basement on friday night, so you switch the receiver to output bluray to HDMI. On saturday, you switch it so bluray goes out to component so your wife can watch a flick while she knits ) which would obviously be very annoying.

If such a receiver doesn't exist, I'm sure there is a signal repeater somewhere that can split one output to go to both component and HDMI at the same time. Just put one of those after your receiver and you're golden.

Unfortunately I don't have any specific models in mind, but these seem like fairly reasonable features to expect from this kind of equipment. Good luck!

 

[CraigV]

You need two receivers. One receiver may have a second zone capability, but it’s not quite the same as routing two different video signals to two different displays, it’s for audio.

 

[parinshah]

yeah...the Q's or mounted rears will sound better.....but having a pair of speakers in the middle of the room pointing towards my sofa, doesn't seem to look as sleek to me as a flushed ceiling.

sound or style...that is the question!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Not sure that is true. I am pretty certain that you can do this with the Denon 3808.

You need two receivers. One receiver may have a second zone capability, but it’s not quite the same as routing two different video signals to two different displays, it’s for audio.

 

[parinshah]

oops..i responded this to the wrong forum (talking about in ceiling rear speakers vs. mounted rears)

sorry!

 

[parinshah]

but is it better buying 2 $500 receivers or one denon 3808?

i do have a denon 2805, if 2 receivers is better, i just buy one more that has HDMI switching

 

[BMXTRIX]

You have to consider which products will actually output video on both the HDMI connection as well as the component video connection at the same time, along with (possibly) audio on two separate connections.

Apple TV - will not run video out of component if HDMI is connected.
Wii - Only one connection type at a time, so you will need to split it.
Blu-ray - Typically, only HDMI works OR component - not both at once.
Cable TV/DirecTV - Both HDMI and Component work at the same time.

I will OPENLY say that not running HDMI to both locations is a mistake. I would run HDMI and component to all your displays to ensure compatibility.

I would get a cheap receiver for your second room for audio and video, then I think I would go with a HDMI matrix switcher to handle the switching to two rooms. There is definitely some concern with HDMI matrixing, but this will give you the best results and quality overall if it works properly...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5312&seq=1&format=2

You run all your HDMI to the matrix switch, then it can pick a different source for each display/audio system. Whether HDMI with HDCP will mess it all up is a different story.

I personally use component video for everything because of the headaches involved with HDMI - but I intend to go with a HDMI matrix switcher as soon as they fall to the price point I need them at.

 

[parinshah]

Thanks guys!

So you recommend running all the HDMI cables into the switcher, and then connect the switcher to both receivers?

The reason I am running component cable from the family room is because the closet is 70' away from where the plasma will be, that is walking distance...probably more to go up and over rooms...HDMI for that length will be pricey.

I want to do it this way to keep all the boxes, receivers etc. in one closet.

Thanks

 

[parinshah]

Having the apple tv, wii, cable box, blue ray..etc. work together off component and/or HDMI seems really, really complicated.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024006&p_id=2802&seq=1&format=2

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024006&p_id=2803&seq=1&format=2

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm

 

[lsiberian]

You have to consider which products will actually output video on both the HDMI connection as well as the component video connection at the same time, along with (possibly) audio on two separate connections.

Apple TV - will not run video out of component if HDMI is connected.
Wii - Only one connection type at a time, so you will need to split it.
Blu-ray - Typically, only HDMI works OR component - not both at once.
Cable TV/DirecTV - Both HDMI and Component work at the same time.

I will OPENLY say that not running HDMI to both locations is a mistake. I would run HDMI and component to all your displays to ensure compatibility.

I would get a cheap receiver for your second room for audio and video, then I think I would go with a HDMI matrix switcher to handle the switching to two rooms. There is definitely some concern with HDMI matrixing, but this will give you the best results and quality overall if it works properly...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011002&p_id=5312&seq=1&format=2

You run all your HDMI to the matrix switch, then it can pick a different source for each display/audio system. Whether HDMI with HDCP will mess it all up is a different story.

I personally use component video for everything because of the headaches involved with HDMI - but I intend to go with a HDMI matrix switcher as soon as they fall to the price point I need them at.

When it comes to video do what this man says.

I agree get a cheap receiver for the second room and matrix.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Agree.................

When it comes to video do what this man says.

I agree get a cheap receiver for the second room and matrix.

 

[AVRat]

You can do Cat 5 and Baluns for HDMI over longer distances.

 

[parinshah]

can Cat 5e transmit HDMI?

How would I do that....do I wire HDMI from the family room plasma to cat5e....and then at the other end connect the cat5e to HDMI....and then the HDMI to the HDMI matrix? do I just need short pieces of HDMI on either side?

 

[CraigV]

Not sure that is true. I am pretty certain that you can do this with the Denon 3808.

I was not aware there was a receiver with that capability. Even so, trying to control everything from one location seems like a bit of a pain, IMO.

 

[lsiberian]

can Cat 5e transmit HDMI?

How would I do that....do I wire HDMI from the family room plasma to cat5e....and then at the other end connect the cat5e to HDMI....and then the HDMI to the HDMI matrix? do I just need short pieces of HDMI on either side?

Cat 5 can do anything as long as your bandwidth requirements aren't too high. I'm not sure of HDMIs bandwidth though.

But bascially the Balun transmits packets to the other one which translates it back to HDMI.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Yep, my AVR will do HDMI video to zone one and comp video to zone two.

You don't have to be in the same room to control anything if you set up repeaters. I use a Niles system in my bedroom to control the AVR in the main room

I was not aware there was a receiver with that capability. Even so, trying to control everything from one location seems like a bit of a pain, IMO.

 

[parinshah]

1) I really like the idea of the matrix switcher! Does it work pretty well?

2) Would someone be able to explain what a Balun is and how I would connect and how it would enable to get me HDMI from one room to another room?

Thanks!

 

[parinshah]

oh..wait, the intelix Balun is $599.00....wouldn't it be cheaper to wire HDMI from one room to the other room