Author Topic: looking for help on whole house install  (Read 3026 times)

ggmce

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looking for help on whole house install
« on: August 05, 2010, 10:48:19 pm »
I am a Mechanical Engineer with basic computer skills. I've tried installing Linux (Kubuntu, Ubuntu) on an Asus 1501 I picked up to use as a Media director with varying levels of success just to get used to Linux (still can't get sound using hdmi connection) so I'm a bit worried about moving forward with MCE, but since I found MCE about a year ago and watched the Fiire video, I've been thinking about doing this, and now it's time to execute...

I'm not a Linux pro by any means, so if possible I would like some help/advice on how to set up my system. I attached a simple schematic of what I have in each room and what I'd like to accomplish. I'd like to get some professional input on the following:

1- what computer do I buy/build for my hybrid/core? I've tried loading 7.x and 8.x on an older computer, but it just does not work. I also need to keep the cost within reason...

2- what hardware to get for the multi-room audio?

3- how to integrate the IR to control my AC units?

4- how to get Insteon to work (I did get 7.x to work on the old computer I mentioned above for a while just to practice, I found a post on how to get Insteon to work with MCE, but never got it going)

5- what type of cameras should I get for the surveillance portion? I was thinking of IP cameras but they're more expensive than CCTV and I tried getting an Airlink 101 IP camera to work but was never successful.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated....

Is this question in the wrong place???
« Last Edit: August 11, 2010, 12:12:23 am by ggmce »

purps

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Re: looking for help on whole house install
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2010, 03:10:52 pm »
Hello there, and welcome to the forums.

Firstly, your background is extremely similar to mine, so the first thing I will say is don't bite off more than you can chew. Trying to do all of this in one go will ruin you. LinuxMCE lends itself very well to "baby steps" i.e. get a core with few TV cards and maybe get one or two MDs going, enjoy that for a while, and then add more stuff later when you have a better idea of what is going on (plus you'll get to enjoy using LinuxMCE in the process).

I'm sure that most people here who know the system inside out would agree that this is the way to do it.... for the likes of you and me, I would have said that it was even more true.

To answer your first question, any half-decent computer from any time over the last several years would be fine. My core was quite out of date when I bought it a few years ago, and it's still going strong. I went on ebuyer.com, and bought the cheapest AMD AM2 mobo I could find, the cheapest dual-core CPU I could find, couple of gigs of RAM, nasty case that cuts my fingers, job done. It's a common misconception that you need something fast and fancy; this is not the case. Just make sure you add a second NIC.

There are several ways to get audio in multiple rooms, but the "traditional" method would be to have an MD in each room with amps and/or speakers connected up to those.

Search for USB-UIRT and zantech emitters re your IR problem.

No idea about Insteon.

Regarding cameras, see first paragraph ;)

Don't forget you can also post DIY questions with regards to your installation in the users section should you need to. e.g plastering tips, fabrication, etc.

Cheers,
Matt.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2010, 04:19:26 pm by purps »
1004 RC :: looking good :: upgraded 01/04/2013
my setup :: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User:Purps

ggmce

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Re: looking for help on whole house install
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2010, 04:46:35 am »
Ah, someone who understands the madness....I am in danger of getting completely sucked in...

At least I got HDMI to work on my future MD; although I'm not sure how I did it....

Thanks for the advice, duly noted....

purps

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Re: looking for help on whole house install
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2010, 10:46:33 am »
As I say, baby steps, and take time to read and reread the wiki, FAQ, etc before and after buying new hardware.

What's your future MD running at the moment, LMCE or standalone ubuntu? The HDMI will be fine, certainly from the video point of view, and plenty of people have it working for sound as well.

You won't need sound over HDMI though if you're installing ceiling speakers right?
1004 RC :: looking good :: upgraded 01/04/2013
my setup :: http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User:Purps