newbie to c4! Please help.

[cable123]

Hello guys,

I've been reading this forum for a few days now and I am really impressed by the abilities of C4! some really cool stuff.. However, alot of this is wayyy beyond my financial budget.

I have just purchased an a house and will be doing some major refurb work to it in the next few months...... it would be sensible to install some AV & data infrastructure whislt the floor are up and walls plastereed.... so I can eventually build up some form of an automated system. I also wish to install an Alarm and CCTV and if it is afforable, have this connected to the C4 system.

I am based in NW LONDON, UK, Harrow.... Is anyone able to advise on the best setup for me? I would like a centralised source which I can connect my Sky+HD/ Blu Ray player and USB drives full of movies, and then be able to distribute these to multiple television around the home.... at the moment there will be 1 primary tv in living room and 3 other ones in bedrooms and kitchen.

I have have read that running multiple CAT6 cables for AV, as well as coax is advised ... but all this is getting confusing due to the various contradictory recommendations.

I am happy to run all the cables myself, but will I able to purchase the devices myself and configure a basic setup?? I am farily tech minded, but jsut unaware of how this system is structured in terms of cabling.

I don't have an enormous budget for this at all, but am keen to integrate some sort of smart AV/data tech into my new home.

I hope someone can advise on rough costs for a fairly basic system.

Many thanks,

Cable123

[ILoveC4]

Costs are going to vary for someone in the UK so much vs. the US that I cannot guess what that cost will be in your currency...

You need a video matrix switch (sounds like 4x4), at least one controller (HC200 or HC300) and a few remotes. In the US I'd imagine you're looking at a few thousand bucks in Control4 gear (including a CHEAP matrix) and programming/integration. That could vary drastically overseas though.

Good luck with your project.

[cable123]

Thanks for your response ILoveC4.

In terms of running cabling, what exactly are the advised number and types fo cable that I need to run? How does the controller distribute and send the a/v? Isit over 2xcat6 cables ? Someone mentioned runnign 4 cat6 to each tv point?!! is this too much? They are 10m-15m runs max, but I want the rig setup to be flexible for future use as I will never rip up the floor again.

I want to transmit a 1080 HD picture to each TV.... is this possible? Will image and sound qaulity affected over cat6? Is this setup via hdmi baluns?

anyone have simple diagrams on the type of cables and arrangement of the network that I could run?

[ILoveC4]

The controller doesn't distribute any A/V. Your Control4 controller can control a matrix switch which will handle the distribution. The A/V matrix switch will be a third party product. A popular way to do it is to run a pair of CAT5/5E/6 from the matrix switch to the TV, and then use a balun on each end. If you're unfamiliar with baluns, they are basically a little box that accepts an input (be it HDMI, component, whatever) and transmits it over the CAT cable to another little box, which converts it back to the original cable.

I would run conduit, in addition to whatever cable you run. 4 CAT cable would be a minimum in my opinion. Two for a balun, one for network (most TV's like internet connectivity these days) and another for up to 4 IR. Me personally, I'd probably run 6 as well as a conduit. Don't run the 6 in the conduit either, run them outside the conduit. This is all cheap right now, expensive later.

[cable123]

woah... 6 x cat6 as well as empty conduit?? when will I ever really be using them??

What type of conduit do you advise?? Most of these will be under the floor joists on ground floor and first floor, with the cables/coduit rising up recessed within a masonary wall.... What size of conduit do you recommend? Flexible pipe stuff? Any examples? Seems like a lot of chasing in walls, but I see you point of planning for any possibility.

In empty conduit, how will I be puling new cabel through? in many cases this conduit may be doing a few bends... won't fishing wire through in the future be tough??

sorry to be firing silly questions... I'm a newbie to this and its my first time running such a large amount of cables.

Do you have diagrams on how the setup will work? Does the C4 controller allow for my satellite reciever channels to be controlled? In the UK the provider Sky+HD allows for intereactive tv which can be live paused rewinded etc... will these features still be available?

Most importantly, will there be Image/Sound quality loss using cat6 & balons? or is it virtually 95-99% as good as a direct connection of STB to TV.

Many thanks in advance

[ILoveC4]

There will be no signal loss if you use good baluns.

Conduit, there are all sorts of kinds. I used a flexible conduit, 1.5 inches in diameter I think. You can pull wire through with fish tape. I never said it would be easy, but it is certainly possible. Lube up that wire and start pulling...it will make it.

Your Control4 system can easily be programmed to control every aspect of your SkyHD box.

Here's a scenario of using all those CAT cable.

2 x CAT cable for audio from the matrix

1 x cat cable to provide ethernet to the TV

1 x cat cable to provide ethernet to a local bluray player

1 x cat cable to provide data connectivity to an HC200/300 (local controller)

OR

1 x cat cable to run IR to the TV/local bluray player (since there will not be a controller local to the TV)

1 x spare for if a cable goes bad, or for anything else you may think of.

We never know what the future holds.

Here's my recommendation. Find a dealer, have him plan out your system with you and tell you what to run. Then you will make sure to have everything in place that he will need to get your system up to snuff as you discussed with him. You need a dealer to do the setup anyways, you would be much smarter to get him involved now, and get the infrastructure in place.

[dannyboy]

I agree with Dan, you want at least 4 x cat 5e or cat 6 cables. 6 is nice to have if you plan to centralize everything.

I did this myself also and ran a hdmi 1.4 and component+ stereo av cable as well, this has given me an easy way of connecting devices before I get a video matrix in place. I got pre terminated av cables cheap from Internet.

I'm in australia and face some of the inflated pricing you do also. If looking to save money you can buy a lot from the US, but it comes with risk, but vie been mostly satisfied.

I'm looking at the snapav matrix which has both hdmi and cat5 outputs to the displays. In AUD$1500.. There are matrixes that are a lot more and mono price for a lot less, but needs hdmi.

Run speaker cables back to central closet as well, best thing I did.

Security cable is the cheapest. I ran a single pair wire to each window and external door for contacts and 4 wire cable to locations for sensors and keypads.