how can i run 2 hdtv with HC300 or can I

[stenkb]

Hi I am new to control4 but am excited to install and get it working.

How can I have 2 hdtv plasmas hooked up in different rooms and control them independently and have access to the control4 on screen menu for each - all using only an HC300? or is this possiible? I am assuming I will need a cable receiver for each tv which is fine - but i dont get it because the HC300 only has 1 video output - so i dont really get how I will get the on screen control4 menu on each tv.

Also - how does a cat5 cable work for getting rgb to the tv - i dont get that.

Thanks. Kevin

[Kevin L]

you can control them separately but you can only use 1 onscreen at a time.. when you press the red4 in the other room the onscreen interface will change rooms

[stenkb]

hmmm - any idea how exactly i would wire this situation? like from the HC300 to each hdtv?

maybe a dumb question - but my brain starting to hurt thinking about this...

I am thinking have the IR from each cable box go to the HC300 - and then the actual video feed from each cable box to each tv? if so I dont see how the control4 menu video can get to the tvs....

[henniae]

How can I have 2 hdtv plasmas hooked up in different rooms and control them independently and have access to the control4 on screen menu for each - all using only an HC300? or is this possiible? I am assuming I will need a cable receiver for each tv which is fine - but i dont get it because the HC300 only has 1 video output - so i dont really get how I will get the on screen control4 menu on each tv.

There are several ways to do this. One way is to use a video switch.

You could also use a video distribution amplifier that takes one input and sends it out 2 or more outputs.

Also - how does a cat5 cable work for getting rgb to the tv - i dont get that.

To accomplish this you would use a pair of devices called baluns. When you say "rgb" I am assuming you mean component. There is a difference between RGB and component. Many people think that RGB = component because the cable colors of component are Red, Green and Blue.

[henniae]

I am thinking have the IR from each cable box go to the HC300 - and then the actual video feed from each cable box to each tv? if so I dont see how the control4 menu video can get to the tvs....

You would have to run a second set of cables or use a video switch.

[stenkb]

hmmm tell me if i am understanding this correctly please.

I would take the video output from the HC300 and instead of having just 1 component output - maybe I splice the line so I have the video output sending the same signal out in 2 ways - 1 to each tv. And in this case each tv would have its primary video in from its own cable box and the video output from the HC300 (which i have now split) to a secondary video input into each tv? would this work? or am i all messed up?

[henniae]

hmmm tell me if i am understanding this correctly please.

I would take the video output from the HC300 and instead of having just 1 component output - maybe I splice the line so I have the video output sending the same signal out in 2 ways - 1 to each tv. And in this case each tv would have its primary video in from its own cable box and the video output from the HC300 (which i have now split) to a secondary video input into each tv? would this work? or am i all messed up?

You can't just splice the wires but yes that is the idea. You would use a piece of hardware that would take the single output from the HC-300 and split it into 2 outputs and send the outputs to each TV over a second set of cables.

One thing to consider is the cost of all this extra hardware and cable vs. just purchasing an additional HC-200 and use it for the C4 menu on the second TV.

[stenkb]

Ya you are right - probably a second controller is the best way to go.

My other question i still dont get yet......

how specifically do you connect a cat5 cable from an HC300 to a tv - they dont connect directly to the HC300 or the tv ???? so confused.

[thecodeman]

Use a pair of baluns.

http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/products/niles/c5-comp-vdig.html

[stenkb]

Thanks so much - starting to make sense.

[ILoveC4]

You really should look into getting a video switch. That will make the entire thing a whole ton easier. You will be looking for an audio/video matrix switch. The one is own can be found here: http://www.shinybowonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=145, but you can buy them with almost any number of inputs and outputs. The way this works is much simpler.

You connect your cable box, dvd changer, HC300, etc...(all your video output devices) to the input section, and then hook your TV's up to the output section. Then Control4 (your director/controller) tells the switch what input to display on what output. You just need to make sure your switch supports RS232 control. Take my home for example. If I am in my office, and I hit the red "4" button to pull up the menu Control4 turns on the TV, launches navigator on the HC300, and tells the switch to display the HC300 on the office TV. If my wife is in the master bedroom and wants to watch a DVD, control4 turns on that TV, and tells the switch to display the DVD changer on the master bedroom TV. This way you simply run one component video and one audio feed to the TV, and everything stays in one central location in the basement. This obviously is assuming you have the ability to locate everything in one location.

In my opinion this is far and away the best way to do what your after. Plus, it will wow your friends when the only thing on the wall is a TV and the rest of your equipment is completely out of sight yet your somehow watching it and controlling it.

I love this stuff.

[ILoveC4]

Oh, and to answer your question I was running 4 plasma HDTV's with only one navigator, so it can be done. With only one navigator you just want to make sure that two people will not want to use the navigator interface on the TV at the same time.

[jbs]

There was a relevant thread here:

http://www.c4forums.com/viewtopic.php?pid=7550#p7550

Here's my post:

We have 5 TVs in the house, each wired back to an equipment closet with RGBVH and Cat6. Have one HC300 and a Media Controller in the closet, along with all the video sources (DVD changer, DLink Media Lounge, Tivo, Cable Box, Camera system, etc). The sources go into a video matrix, the TVs all come out of it, and the IR signals from the Media Controller run over a couple of strands of the Cat6 cable. At the TV end there's a Cat6 jack behind each TV with a short length of Cat6 cable coming out of the spliced into an IR bud which is stuck to the front of the TV near the IR receiver.

At first I did not like the fact that the IR bud "flashed" but now I find it a useful diagnostic/confirmation.

We are using the Media Controller for all the IR control, but the HC300 for the OSD because it's an HD OSD (720 I think). As others have suggested, we've thus far had no problems with the fact that all the TVs get their OSD from the same box, and the programming is set so that if I press the Red4 when I'm in the Living Room (and the remote is set to Living Room of course) then the OSD comes up with Living Room selected, so all you really have to do is amke sure the remote is set to the right place . . .

The centrally located components, though, are definitely the way to go, and for us the video matrix makes it all much more functional.

I ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorse ILoveC4's video switch suggestion. It was not something I'd initially planned to get, but my dealer encouraged me to do so and it ended up being among the best money we spent. The functionality is night and day above non-switched video. Starting a movie in the gym and finishing it downstairs in the office, as an example, is simply seamless.

--Jason

[ILoveC4]

^^^^Another great point Jason. I actually do that very thing all the time. Another reason it is great is for sports games/parties. You can have every TV showing the same thing, which is really nice.

[wappinghigh]

You connect your cable box, dvd changer, HC300, etc...(all your video output devices) to the input section, and then hook your TV's up to the output section. Then Control4 (your director/controller) tells the switch what input to display on what output. You just need to make sure your switch supports RS232 control. Take my home for example. If I am in my office, and I hit the red "4" button to pull up the menu Control4 turns on the TV, launches navigator on the HC300, and tells the switch to display the HC300 on the office TV. If my wife is in the master bedroom and wants to watch a DVD, control4 turns on that TV, and tells the switch to display the DVD changer on the master bedroom TV. This way you simply run one component video and one audio feed to the TV, and everything stays in one central location in the basement. This obviously is assuming you have the ability to locate everything in one location.

.

IloveC4. This seems a great set up. But I'm curious to know what you do about your audio side of things. Do you use the H200/300's to route your audio, or do you use the switch. Also, what do you do about digital audio? Say getting a surround audio signal back from the DVD player to your surround sound receiver?

[thecodeman]

Most times, people switch the audio with the component video using digital coax. You'd quite simply hook it up as

DVD - Component out, Digital Coax Out

Switch input 1 - Component in, digital coax in

Switch output 1 - Component out to display, digital coax out to receiver for 5.1 surround zone

Lather, rinse and repeat until you have your sources hooked into the inputs on the switch, your display hooked to the component outputs, and your audio routed to receivers or inputs on a speakerpoint, amp, controller, etc.

Be mindful that the C4 gear only handles stereo audio, so if you want to pass audio to them you'll also need to make the appropriate connection from the source device.

( DVD player stereo out - matrix switch stereo input - matrix switch stereo output - speakerpoint)

This way you can route any of your audio/video signals, anywhere.

Your mileage may vary depending on your setup.

[ILoveC4]

IloveC4. This seems a great set up. But I'm curious to know what you do about your audio side of things. Do you use the H200/300's to route your audio, or do you use the switch. Also, what do you do about digital audio? Say getting a surround audio signal back from the DVD player to your surround sound receiver?

In my current home I do not have any 5.1 surround setup, my basement is where the theater room will reside (which will have 7.1 BTW) but that is not completed yet. What codeman said is the way to go.

Most times, people switch the audio with the component video using digital coax. You'd quite simply hook it up as

DVD - Component out, Digital Coax Out

Switch input 1 - Component in, digital coax in

Switch output 1 - Component out to display, digital coax out to receiver for 5.1 surround zone

Lather, rinse and repeat until you have your sources hooked into the inputs on the switch, your display hooked to the component outputs, and your audio routed to receivers or inputs on a speakerpoint, amp, controller, etc.

Be mindful that the C4 gear only handles stereo audio, so if you want to pass audio to them you'll also need to make the appropriate connection from the source device.

( DVD player stereo out - matrix switch stereo input - matrix switch stereo output - speakerpoint)

This way you can route any of your audio/video signals, anywhere.

Your mileage may vary depending on your setup.

To answer your question further, I simply use stereo audio right now. The matrix switch I am using is the SB-5564. It handles the stereo (L/R) audio and the component video perfectly. I use the speakers on my TV for audio while watching TV, most of the time. I also have "whole house audio" with a set of speakers in the ceiling of every room. These speakers are powered and switched using the C4 8 zone amp. I have also ran one of the outputs on the matrix switch to one of the inputs on the C4 amp so that when I want to listen to the TV/DVD/whatever over the in-ceiling speakers in the house...I can. This is great for sporting events. I setup a media scene where it turns on the TV's in all the common areas of the house, as well as pipes the audio over the in ceiling speakers in certain parts of the house. This way no matter where you are you can either see or hear it, and it is all in sync.

From what I understanding distributing digital audio for 5.1 surround setups is very simple like doing what codeman explained. One thing that I have heard (and I have never experienced this personally, just something I heard) is that if you are running the audio and the video through different switches, and encoding digital audio, sometimes the video can get there before the audio. This would annoy me to no end. This is one of the reason why I just used my TV speakers and stereo audio of 5.1 in certain parts of the house. Like I said, when I get the basement done I will do a 7.1 setup in the theater, just haven't got there yet. Also, I want to reiterate the potential problem I discussed with using digital audio is just something I heard and I have never experienced this myself. I am sure there are plently of people on here doing what you are describing. Maybe someone can chime in a put that rumor to rest....I certainly hope what I heard was inaccurate because that would be a real shame.

[CFUG]

^Certainly there is delay in the ADC process.

[thecodeman]

The analog to Digital conversion delay can be worked around with speakerpoints by putting them in Local Amp Mode if they are going to be used with a video source, for example, so there's no delay. The downside is that it will not accept digital audio streamed over the network connection while in this mode - the source must come from the stereo RCA jacks.

[ILoveC4]

So then what is the best method of distributing digital audio to 5.1 or 7.1 setups?

Controlfouruserguy, are you currently doing this? So, lets play out the plan I have for my theater.

I am going to run the video/audio from my source (for example we'll say the sony 777) into my matrix switch that handles component video and digital audio. From the matrix switch the component video will go out to my projector and the audio will go out to my receiver. The receiver will then distribute the audio the 7 speakers in my 7.1 setup.

Will the audio and the video arrive at the same time?

[Schrader]

So then what is the best method of distributing digital audio to 5.1 or 7.1 setups?

Controlfouruserguy, are you currently doing this? So, lets play out the plan I have for my theater.

I am going to run the video/audio from my source (for example we'll say the sony 777) into my matrix switch that handles component video and digital audio. From the matrix switch the component video will go out to my projector and the audio will go out to my receiver. The receiver will then distribute the audio the 7 speakers in my 7.1 setup.

Will the audio and the video arrive at the same time?

ILoveC4 - This is exactly what I'm doing to 3 different 5.1 Zones, and I do not have any issues with video/audio sync. The digital audio is being processed by 3 different surround sound receivers for the 3 rooms (2 Yamahas and a Sony). I do not have the surround sound receivers doing any DSP, as this I believe would add in some delay. I'm using the Key Digital KD-MSW8x4Pro switch.

I even have a couple of sources converting from optical digital to coax digital without any delay issues.

[thecodeman]

So then what is the best method of distributing digital audio to 5.1 or 7.1 setups?

Controlfouruserguy' date=' are you currently doing this? So, lets play out the plan I have for my theater.

I am going to run the video/audio from my source (for example we'll say the sony 777) into my matrix switch that handles component video and digital audio. From the matrix switch the component video will go out to my projector and the audio will go out to my receiver. The receiver will then distribute the audio the 7 speakers in my 7.1 setup.

Will the audio and the video arrive at the same time?[/quote']

ILoveC4 - This is exactly what I'm doing to 3 different 5.1 Zones, and I do not have any issues with video/audio sync. The digital audio is being processed by 3 different surround sound receivers for the 3 rooms (2 Yamahas and a Sony). I do not have the surround sound receivers doing any DSP, as this I believe would add in some delay. I'm using the Key Digital KD-MSW8x4Pro switch.

I even have a couple of sources converting from optical digital to coax digital without any delay issues.

This is exactly what I'm doing at a customer (though using a NeoPro Borrego switch), even down to converting some sources from optical to digital coax, and it works like a charm for 4 5.1 zones.

[ILoveC4]

Thanks Schrader...this is what I plan on doing in the theater. It is comforting to know what I heard is inaccurate.

I really need a new dealer.

[Matt]

Easiest solution is to get a 200

[ILoveC4]

^^^Huh?