JHill9 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I have been searching this forum for weeks now and can't seem to narrow down all that I need. Everytime I think I know I find another post that opens up another door and grows the budget.My experience with Control4 is only what I have seen at Best Buy. Yeah I know, not that great but all I could find around Houston without having to set up an appointment with a dealer. And if you ask the people at Best Buy a question about Control4 their eyes get big and they run away scared. I am a DIY kind of guy and want to understand what I need before talking to a local dealer. My current Audio/Video store doesn't sell Control4 yet but they say they will in another month.Here is what I have:3 TVs - Family room (surround sound), Master bedroom (TV speakers), Workout room (TV speakers) - not set up yetIntegra reciever for the Family room systemMedia Center Computer with around 10TB memory with all of my moviesXboxWii2 Cable boxesRight now I have everything in a closet and using HDMI baulens (sp?) for video for the family room and video/sound for the master bedroom. Then a 50' HDMI wire for the video/sound for the workout room. For control I use IR sensors running to all three rooms and use L5 on my Iphone.Since I started doing research on home automation that is the way I want to take my system. From that I think I need:(1) HC200 or HC300, I heard I can split the IR ports so the 200 will probably work. Is that the only difference between the 200 and 300? From what I have read people don't use the Navigator so only 1 HC will be needed and just use the remotes to control everything.(2) Control4 Thermostats(1) HDMI matrix (I have no idea what kind to get) This will allow me to view any of the sources on any of the TVs, right?Then add a HC1000 when I want to include lights, locks, and the other cool stuff.Since right now I am only looking at getting my video under control4, is that really all I need?On another note. I have had the Media Center Computer for a very long time now and wonder if there is a better option. Since I started looking on this forum I think I might be better off with a Dune Player and a NAS for the movies. Please let me know your thoughts on which route you would take and even what brands you would go with. If you were installing a system for 3 rooms which way would you go? I am tempted to scrap my setup and start over from scratch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookedOnC4 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Main room I have a pioneer vsx-81txv with 1 zone living and 2nd rear deck, cable box, Blue Ray and garage door control with a 300C with navigator. Also denon 1611 with 1 zone basement and 2nd front porch also 300C with 2nd garage control, this 300 also controls front room with speaker bar and cable box, and Blue Ray with navigator. Teen room has tv, Blue Ray and speaker point with 200 running navigator. Master 200B with speaker point also running navigator. Kitchen speaker point, guest speaker point, master bath speaker point and garage speaker point. BD front door lock. 4 SR250 remotes, ipad and iphone. I like having the onscreen navigator but that's me. I am very happy with C4. Still have a long way to go. Not sure what to do next... How could I forget I also have a 1000V3... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 holy cow you have a lot of stuff.So you think I will be good with only 1 HC 200/300 to control 3 TVs, a media computer, and a HDMI matrix? Can Control4 work with my Media Computer?I figured if I wanted Navigator on each TV I could always come back and add 2 more HC200s since they aren't that expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecodeman Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 holy cow you have a lot of stuff.So you think I will be good with only 1 HC 200/300 to control 3 TVs, a media computer, and a HDMI matrix? Can Control4 work with my Media Computer?I figured if I wanted Navigator on each TV I could always come back and add 2 more HC200s since they aren't that expensive.How exactly do you want it to work with your media computer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookedOnC4 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 holy cow you have a lot of stuff.So you think I will be good with only 1 HC 200/300 to control 3 TVs, a media computer, and a HDMI matrix? Can Control4 work with my Media Computer?I figured if I wanted Navigator on each TV I could always come back and add 2 more HC200s since they aren't that expensive.I don't know anything about the matrix switch. You should talk to a dealer but my neighbor controls two tv's with a 300C with the indoor tv running navigator also a speaker point. One SR250 and iPad. So if you are asking me I would start with a 300C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 holy cow you have a lot of stuff.So you think I will be good with only 1 HC 200/300 to control 3 TVs' date=' a media computer, and a HDMI matrix? Can Control4 work with my Media Computer?I figured if I wanted Navigator on each TV I could always come back and add 2 more HC200s since they aren't that expensive.[/quote']How exactly do you want it to work with your media computer?All of my movies are on the computer. What I want is to be able to play my movies on any TV. I figured if I get the HDMI matrix I would be able to watch movies from the computer, cable box, and netflix from xbox/roku on any TV.Simply I want to be able to control all video sources to any TV and I want to be able to control it with my IPhone. Then later I will add audio/lighting throughout the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecodeman Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 All of my movies are on the computer. What I want is to be able to play my movies on any TV. I figured if I get the HDMI matrix I would be able to watch movies from the computer, cable box, and netflix from xbox/roku on any TV.Simply I want to be able to control all video sources to any TV and I want to be able to control it with my IPhone. Then later I will add audio/lighting throughout the house.Yeah thats the easiest if you're ok using an iphone or something else for control. If you want to control your desktop (mouse, keyboard) from within control with a control4 remote or something then that's not really possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 17, 2011 Author Share Posted July 17, 2011 All of my movies are on the computer. What I want is to be able to play my movies on any TV. I figured if I get the HDMI matrix I would be able to watch movies from the computer' date=' cable box, and netflix from xbox/roku on any TV.Simply I want to be able to control all video sources to any TV and I want to be able to control it with my IPhone. Then later I will add audio/lighting throughout the house.[/quote']Yeah thats the easiest if you're ok using an iphone or something else for control. If you want to control your desktop (mouse, keyboard) from within control with a control4 remote or something then that's not really possible.Thanks. The only thing the computer is used for is to run my movies through MS Media Center. So if it will work with iPhone then that is great to hear. Now the computer is acting up, it is a few years old, and am thinking I might need to do a major upgrade to it. For the long run would I be better off making the switch to a Dune player and a NAS system for my movies? I hear they don't have near the problems of a windows computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 18, 2011 Author Share Posted July 18, 2011 Here is a diagram of what I think the Video and IR system should look like. Remember I am new to this stuff so let me know where I went wrong.The HDMI baluns will each have their own run from the HDMI matrix and the IR will also be split a little differently than it is drawn. This is just the first draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannyboy Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 All of my movies are on the computer. What I want is to be able to play my movies on any TV. I figured if I get the HDMI matrix I would be able to watch movies from the computer' date=' cable box, and netflix from xbox/roku on any TV.Simply I want to be able to control all video sources to any TV and I want to be able to control it with my IPhone. Then later I will add audio/lighting throughout the house.[/quote']Yeah thats the easiest if you're ok using an iphone or something else for control. If you want to control your desktop (mouse, keyboard) from within control with a control4 remote or something then that's not really possible.Thanks. The only thing the computer is used for is to run my movies through MS Media Center. So if it will work with iPhone then that is great to hear. Now the computer is acting up, it is a few years old, and am thinking I might need to do a major upgrade to it. For the long run would I be better off making the switch to a Dune player and a NAS system for my movies? I hear they don't have near the problems of a windows computer.I have not used it, but I'm pretty sure there is a ms media centre driver for c4 that works similar to the xbmc driver. I think there are a few ir basic drivers for ms media centre also. Thus allowing control from any of your c4 remotes, touch screens etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 I hope there are IR drivers for everything because I went to best buy to see how theirs system was set up and everything was connected with Ethernet cable. Right now the only device I have that can connect that way is my computer. Looks like I will be buying a lot of new devices if mine don't work. Ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xc420 Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 On the front of HC300/200's there is an IR receiver for capturing IR codes. Also, there's a driver wizard that makes creating new IR drivers very easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ichbinbose Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I hope there are IR drivers for everything because I went to best buy to see how theirs system was set up and everything was connected with Ethernet cable. Right now the only device I have that can connect that way is my computer. Looks like I will be buying a lot of new devices if mine don't work. Ha ha.there is a very large data base of IR drivers available. If you can use IP, or RS232 you can have better results, as well as a "cleaner" installer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdastoor Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 JHill9,Which dealer are you going to use in Houston to do the installation? Have you spoken with any dealers yetPhil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHill9 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 JHill9,Which dealer are you going to use in Houston to do the installation? Have you spoken with any dealers yetPhilI have been using All-star audio for all of my equipment in the past and they are opening a new store that will be controlled with control4 this month. Not sure if I want to be their first attempt at control4 though. This is the main reason why I want to have a good understanding of how the system will be wired before doing the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdastoor Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Have you used All star Audio? If so, how was the experience. Any other Control4 dealers in Houston that are reliablePhil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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