Expanding to kitchen (looking for recommendations)

[hghubert]

I am looking for recommendations for a TV that I can place in my kitchen that I can attach a C4 Media Player (C4-MP1-E) to. My main setup is downstairs and now my family wants to watch movies and listen to music on a TV in the kitchen. I already have an ethernet cable to the kitchen (but only one) and I am not sure I can easily pull another to get an IR flasher to the TV to be able have it turn on and off with the remote.

Are there any 19-22 inch TV's out there that have a serial port or RS232 jack on them to control it that way? What would you experts recommend for a small TV that will mount on the wall under the cabinets in my kitchen?

Thanks in advance.

[ILoveC4]

I use a little Sharp 22" in my kitchen and my family really likes it. It has a built in DVD player so if one of my neices or nephews brings a video over to watch with my kids they can pop it in easily. It doesn't mount to the wall, just sits on the countertop.

You could figure out a pair of wire the ethernet protocol doesn't use (out of the cat5) and use that pair for IR. Standard 10/100 ethernet only uses four wires...I think...I haven't looked into that for a while.

[thecodeman]

Look into LG. Many of them have rs-232.

[CFUG]

You could supply video/audio (you didn't say you had a feed) via HDMI-single CAT5E-HDMI over your lone ethernet pull.

All-in-all, you need more wire at that location. BTW, the media player does not hook to your display. And, CAT5 (ethernet) contains four pairs.

[ILoveC4]

I know CAT5 (ethernet) contains four pairs. Standard 10/100 ethernet only uses 4 wires (two pairs), thus he could run network and IR over one CAT5 (in theory, I haven't actually done that BUT I have one two phone and one ethernet over a single CAT5 successfully).

The media player will hook to the display if it is just being used as a local source. Without a distributed video system it will need to be hooked to the display you want to watch it on...

[CFUG]

He may not have any video cabling in place- all he said he had was one CAT5. 4 wires or 4 pairs- he's got problems! Also, I would think he'd want the media player output distributed. At $400, I'd want that.

[hghubert]

Great discussion. Here is a little more about my set up. In my basement I have a HC-300 that I use to control my lights, projector, receiver, DVD player and my Zatabit (media server). All of my movies, music and photos are on the Zatabit. It interfaces to my C4 system as a NAS device and I can play the music or watch any of the movies by using the remotes or the C4 touch screen on the wall. The Music displays the Album art on the touch screen and the movies all display their cover art on the touch screen as well.

What I am wanting to do is have a TV upstairs in my kitchen that get's it TV signal from my OTA antenna in my attic. I would also like to be able to play the movies and music that is already on my Zatabit through this TV. I have been told the C4 Media Player will work for this as the Zatabit will push data to it.

It is my understanding that the Media Player connects to the TV video source. If it does not then I was misinformed and need some explanation as I am not sure how the signal would get to the TV. I have one Cat5e cable and 2 COAX cables in the kitchen. It was wired long ago. Before I ever moved in.

Does this change any of the discussion that has already happened?

[ILoveC4]

What you need to do is get network (4 wires on your CAT5 into an RJ45) to the media player, which you will mount behind that TV. Then use two of the four unused wires in that CAT5 for IR, to control4 the TV. This will need to go to your HC300, and assumes you have an IR out available on the HC300. Then you should be able to have your dealer install the media player behind the TV, hookup the video cables between the media player and the TV, hookup the network, add it to the project, make the appropriate bindings, and there you go. If you want a navigator on that TV (circle of power display) you will need an HC200 as well. If that is the case, use the single CAT5 for TWO RJ45 (network/ethernet) jacks to get them both on the network, then use an IR out on the HC200 to control the TV.

This really isn't that difficult. It sounds to me like you have everything you will need in place.

[ILoveC4]

I should add that I would recommend the second route, putting an HC200 and media player at the local TV. This will simplify your IR control, and give you a navigator interface on that TV.

[hghubert]

use the single CAT5 for TWO RJ45 (network/ethernet) jacks to get them both on the network,

I love the idea - I never considered another controller. One question though. Are you saying to use 4 wires for one RJ45 and the other 4 for the other RJ45? Or is there another way of getting 2 RJ45 ends from a single cat5?

Thanks in advance.

[JayGatten]

Put in a 4 port network switch

[henniae]

You could use your single Cat-5e for the video/audio with baluns and get an IR injector for the coax.

[ILoveC4]

use the single CAT5 for TWO RJ45 (network/ethernet) jacks to get them both on the network' date='[/quote']

I love the idea - I never considered another controller. One question though. Are you saying to use 4 wires for one RJ45 and the other 4 for the other RJ45? Or is there another way of getting 2 RJ45 ends from a single cat5?

Thanks in advance.

That's correct. Four wires for one RJ45, four wires for a secoudn RJ45.

Henniae is correct in that you can run IR over the coax to control the TV, but I assume you're going to want a navigator on that TV so you can select movies without using the screen on the SR-250 (or other handheld remote), correct? If that is the case you will have a controller back there to provide the navigator, and that will have IR out's on it anyways. You're in good shape for what you want to do here, so long as those cat5 go down to your network switch.

Why put a 4 port switch in? That just complicates things. Unless he needs gigabit (which none of the C4 gear supports except the HC1000) he can save time and money buy just running to ethernet over the single cat5.

hghubert, let us know what you end up doing.

[ILoveC4]

You could use your single Cat-5e for the video/audio with baluns and get an IR injector for the coax.

But he doesn't have distributed video...not video matrix switch to share his sources. What would the benefit be in doing this?

I am not trying to argue, I know that you know what you're talking about. Just curious.

[ichbinbose]

You could use your single Cat-5e for the video/audio with baluns and get an IR injector for the coax.

But he doesn't have distributed video...not video matrix switch to share his sources. What would the benefit be in doing this?

I am not trying to argue' date=' I know that you know what you're talking about. Just curious.[/quote']

hghubert, said that he has 2 existing coax - so this is why henniae suggested the IR injector for coax.

another option would be to put in a switch, the media player and an HC-200. This would then give you the network connection needed, plus the IR/RS232 control needed, additional zigbee coverage, on screen navigator and the ability to place the media player in the kitchen for local use.

[ILoveC4]

He won't need to run IR or RS232 control over that CAT5 if he has a local controller.

I understand why he said to run IR over coax, I just didn't understand why he said to use baluns. The source is local at the TV.

[ichbinbose]

He won't need to run IR or RS232 control over that CAT5 if he has a local controller.

I understand why he said to run IR over coax, I just didn't understand why he said to use baluns. The source is local at the TV.

Sorry, I didn't realize that your question was directed at the balum question.

I agree, that he wouldn't need to run any extra cables if he installed a local controller. He would want to install a local network switch as well though if he is going to also install a media player as both the controller and media player should be on the network.

[henniae]

You could use your single Cat-5e for the video/audio with baluns and get an IR injector for the coax.

But he doesn't have distributed video...not video matrix switch to share his sources. What would the benefit be in doing this?

I am not trying to argue' date=' I know that you know what you're talking about. Just curious.[/quote']

I missed that point in the post. I am not that familiar with the Zatabit product. Without a distributed video system my suggestion would not work. Never mind.

[ILoveC4]

No worries Alan, the Zatabit is a high end media player and media server.

Ichbinbose, he won't need a network switch because he's only hooking up two devices. He can run two 10/100 (plenty for what he's doing, plus they don't support Gigabit anyways) Ethernet lines over a single cat5. Even though all 8 wires fit in an RJ45 end, it only uses four of them for 10/100.

Hopefully that all makes sense.

[hghubert]

I think I will go the HC 200/ Media Player route. But I do have one additional question about the setup.

What needs to be connected to the TV for on screen navigation? If I connect the Media Player to the TV, do I hook the Media player to the HC 200? Do I hook the HC 200 to the TV also? What is the hookup that makes it all work together?

Thanks for all the advice and help

-- Greg

[henniae]

I think I will go the HC 200/ Media Player route. But I do have one additional question about the setup.

What needs to be connected to the TV for on screen navigation? If I connect the Media Player to the TV, do I hook the Media player to the HC 200? Do I hook the HC 200 to the TV also? What is the hookup that makes it all work together?

Thanks for all the advice and help

-- Greg

The TV will have multiple inputs. Hook the HC-200 to one of the component inputs on the TV. Hook the Media Player to either the HDMI or second component on the TV.

[wappinghigh]

HP are marketing these for the kitchen. http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/touchsmart/

Can also pull up recipes. Use the net. Kids can play games. It's also a TV if you add the tuner option. Becomes a media centre as well.

Now if only C4 had a computer software based navigator, you could just use one of these with one Cat5e cable. Or use wireless and just the TV aerial cable...Just saying...:cool:

[ILoveC4]

Don't waste your time with the HP, just buy a TV and hook it up as Alan suggested.

[hghubert]

I have recieved the Media Player and hooked it up to my TV. I have a NAS box that has the movies on it, and I have addeded everything in composer. The trouble is I can't see the videos from the NAS on the touch screen. I think there should be a CovertArt section under Video's on the touch screen but it is not there.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong so any advice you can recommend would be beneficial.

I have followed the instructions provided in the help file but cannot seem to figure it out

Any ideas?

[ILoveC4]

I have recieved the Media Player and hooked it up to my TV. I have a NAS box that has the movies on it, and I have addeded everything in composer. The trouble is I can't see the videos from the NAS on the touch screen. I think there should be a CovertArt section under Video's on the touch screen but it is not there.

I am not sure what I am doing wrong so any advice you can recommend would be beneficial.

I have followed the instructions provided in the help file but cannot seem to figure it out

Any ideas?

Did you refresh the navigators?