Ordered everything last week from Monoprice and should have it today. Can't wait to see it all. Drywall is going up in a few days so I need to get this ironed out. I'm looking to run the Cat6 anywhere I can get it to. I figure run Cat 6 to HDMI plates throughout in order to save some space and long runs. Plus Cat6 has several uses and I'll have a 1000' of Cat6 I'll need to use.
I'm still up in the air how some of the components will actually work while trying to hide (other room) them. So maybe one of you audiophiles can help simplify this for me.
Here's what I'm thinking for right now -
Components - "Smart" TV, Xbox, cable box, blu-ray, computer/server, AV receiver
Connections - all components run HDMI to receiver w/ main HDMI running to back to TV via cat6 cable. Cat6 to HDMI converter at TV. Have power and will run a Quad RG6 coax, x5 Cat6 (1 for TV, 2 extra, 2 for HDMI converter) to back to TV as well.
Questions:
1. Main question is for the IR extenders; the run would be about 30' max. Do I only need 1 IR connection at the TV and all the other IR connections at the receiver? I want hardwired. How many should I run to the back of the TV? Any suggested brand/hardware I should use?
2. What's the best place for the Xbox? As of now I have to run component cables and a toslink optical cable to get Dolby Digital bc MS can't get their shit together to run it through an HDMI cable. I can get another converter that runs over cat6 and adds an
HDMI, toslink and component connection at the other end. Would that work? Placement next to the TV isn't possible as I don't have a place to put it that won't be just on the floor - wife won't go for that. Maybe I'm over thinking this. Could I just run the optical and the component cables to the receiver? Wouldn't all the sound and video come from the receiver back to the TV at that point? Anyone know what the max distance a xbox controller works? I'll be, at most, 10 feet away from the console but it'll be a floor below me.
3. With the TV networked, I assume as long as my server is also networked I'll have access to everything. Do I need another PC or app to run something in order to actually view/listen downloaded files? I assume this depends on your TV. I'm looking at the Panasonic ST plasmas if that helps.
Sorry lots of questions but I appreciate any help.