Central or Local source?

[Wire-Guy]

Can C4 be used in a central source system? i.e. All video sources located in rack in mech room instead of located at each TV location. If so, which C4 equip does the switching.

Thanks

[henniae]

C4 is very flexible and can be deployed as a centralized system or distributed or a combination of both.

C4 has a Sony video switch that they sell but there are many other vendors of video switching equipment that can easily be integrated with C4.

C4 has amps and audio matrix switches for audio distribution.

[Rsmolo]

We use Video Storm and AVocation for video switching, great price and great product. Drivers are available in online database.

For audio I would recommend c4 audio switch or amp, depending on number of sources.

[Jeff at Zektor]

Wire-guy, if you need a A/V switch with more features than anyone else in the market and an awesome C4 driver, then please take a look at our switches at www.zektor.com. A quick overview of what we offer in our Clarity Elite and Prowler switches:

* 8 CAT5 Audio/Video outputs and 8 local mirrored Audio/Video outputs. (Prowler)

* Transmits video and stereo audio or S/PDIF over single CAT5 cable up to 1000ft. No power required at the receiver. (Prowler)

* Per zone control of volume, balance, bass, treble and 5 band graphic equalizer, available for both analog AND digital audio.

* 3 dedicated channels of composite to component conversions for security cameras, VHS, or live video feeds.

* Lip sync delay per zone, and/or per input

* Control: TCP/IP, RS-232, RS-422, Front panel IR sensor, Rear panel IR jack.

* 450MHz bandwidth (local video outputs), fully DC coupled video, for the most demanding video applications.

* 150MHz bandwidth (CAT5e/6/7 outputs), fully DC coupled video.

* 4 or 8 auto converting optical audio inputs for easy integration with cable boxes.

* Analog audio is converted to digital audio on both inputs and outputs, digital audio is converted to analog audio on both inputs and outputs.

* Per input gain settings, separate settings available for digital and analog inputs.

You can see the full specification and download the latest Control4 drivers from our site.

Thanks and good luck with your project.

[Wire-Guy]

Ok, got it. Im familiar with different switchers, we use the Aton, but I can't find the Sony C4 peice, or any others,listed on their website. Does that mean C4 does not make a specfic peice for a central system and I should use the one you've recomended? If so, can I eleminate all the HC 200s and 300s in the house and use a single HC controler in the rack instead?

It seems to me that the C4 was designed mostly for local source operation of limited sources, unless an AVR is present. In most of our jobs, all of the equipment is hidden and controled by URC 3000-6000.

This is the first time Ive worked with a C4 system. I've hired a local C4 dealer as a consultant on this project but he's not avaliable for another week. I need to wrap my head around the C4 design specfics before then.

Thanks again

[henniae]

That is correct. C4 does not have a C4 branded video switch. The Sony switch is just resold by C4. In my opinion the Sony piece is nice but there are 3rd party units that are a better bang for your buck.

If you were to use a video switch you could indeed put a single C4 controller in your equipment closet and distribute it to many TVs with the video switch. I have done jobs with just one HC-300 hooked to a video switch that provides the COP (Circle Of Power) to more than one TV. C4 recommends a controller per TV but it is not always needed. It really depends on how many people will be using the on screen display at one time. Obviously with only one controller only one person can use the OSD at a time.

Depending on the size of your house and how the house is constructed you may be best off having a few controllers (perhaps HC200s) distributed around the house. The benefit this provides is that you can have ZigBee radios in each controller to help make a better ZigBee mesh. For example might want a dedicated local controller in the master bedroom so the master bedroom always has access to the COP.

Here is an example of a house I did. It was about 10,000 sq. ft. including a finished basement, first and second floor. Most of the equipment was in the basement equipment room. There were nine TVs int he house. We used a VideoStorm to distribute video to all the TVs using Muxlab component baluns. There was a BluRay in the master bedroom that was hooked to the video switch in the basement and the TV in the master bedroom A second DVD in a closet on the first floor family room. The C4 controllers were an older Media Controller and an HC300 in the equipment room and a HTC in the master bedroom as a ZigBee server. I think there were 10 zones of audio. For the audio we used a C4 audio matrix switch and Parasound amps that the customer already had.