Author Topic: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget  (Read 38168 times)

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #15 on: February 02, 2010, 10:45:28 pm »
and...here we go....

VOIP...i truly do not understand the VOIP portion of this service.  I know what i would like, which is to be able to convert my phone service over to VOIP, and utilize the connection i have, with voip lines, with multiple numbers....basically 2 line for the house, one for home office....I want the system to manage the VOIP services, but not quite sure how im going to do this, and tie into my existing phone lines into my house or would it be better to use cordless phones? and the switching of the phone lines?...ahhah.... ???

epsolon77

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #16 on: February 02, 2010, 11:04:18 pm »
I was just thinking...How many of your TV's will have a full surround sound setup?  Certainly your kids won't have surround sound and subwoofers?  So you can go with a more serious rig for the tv's that need the additional power, and get the cheaper option for the tv's that don't need it.

Any card that can pick up analog cable will be able to view the feed directly from the cable boxes.  This isn't HD though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116037
This card is a little pricey but sounds like one of the better cards.  It would work with two boxes at once.  It runs 130 with a little for shipping from newegg.  Hauppauge is definitely one of the more supported brands with linux.

Now I found this   http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/techspecs/

HDMI input to computer.  Sounds great, but I have no clue if it will work with linux.  I figure it's partly compatible because there are MacOSx drivers, but still.  

The other option is to bypass the Media Director for HD only.  This means that you either need a tuner card in the PC's by the TV.  This means you couldn't use the tiny computers you suggested earlier for the locations that could view the satellite feed in HD.  You would still be able to use all your LinuxMCE functions except time slip and record in HD.  The other functions would work.  

God this stuff gets fun doesn't it!

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #17 on: February 02, 2010, 11:24:37 pm »
ahhah..you dont know my kids, they had full surround sound 5 years ago...hahah...man, doesnt' it make you want to be a kid again..????


tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #18 on: February 02, 2010, 11:29:45 pm »
but there is a saving grace, in that whatever i invest is going to be working there long after they are gone, the Hauppauge card interests me, ...and that's a question is it a card at all?, as when i wen to my local fry's electronics, all i saw were modules that sat outside the case.....??? is this the same devices?

epsolon77

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #19 on: February 02, 2010, 11:31:11 pm »
VOIP.   WOW  ok here comes the can of goodness.

The asterisk system is capable of accepting and dispatching phone calls in many many different ways.  
When you say "VOIP" (Voice over Internet Protocol) you are talking about a specific carrier set that does not require any additional hardware on the asterisk system.  Voip providers will hand off either as a SIP service or an IAX2 service.  IAX2 is a little better for bulk call drop off, like say, between two offices with 20+ concurrent calls on each station.  In your case, it doesn't matter.  Just accept it.  I have my service through VIATALK http://www.viatalk.com/ who run something like 100 year for one phone number and "unlimited" phone calling.  (Your actually limited to something like 4000 a month or something.  Fine print is fun)  They work wonderfully with asterisk systems.

The other option is that you can get FXO cards (Read here about FXO vs FXO http://www.3cx.com/PBX/FXS-FXO.html) , preferably from digium as they are the best supported on the asterisk system http://www.digium.com/en/.  This means you use your standard every day phone from Ma Bell and the system routes it however you program it too.

You can then dispatch your calls in many creative ways.  You can use FXS cards to deliver your phone calls to standard phones.  When you think about an FXS line, imagine it like a phone line coming in from your phone provider.  You can run many phones off it, but you can only place one call at a time.  If you got 3 standard phones and plugged them into 1 FXS port, you could listen on each phone to the same conversation, but only have one phone call per FXS port.  If you had 3 FXS ports and each phone plugged into eachother, they all are treated like their own phone line.  You could call your kitchen phone from your office phone and your kitchen phone would ring like an outside caller was ringing in.  

Another option is to have IP phones.  IP phones can either be soft or hard.  I belive the phone system will turn your Media Directors into soft phones.  Soft phones are phones that are not stand alone dedicated phones.  They are software running on multipurpose hard ware.  So all your computers can be registered as soft phones.  Hard phones are IP phones, like this phone  
http://www.amazon.com/Soundpoint-IP-331-SIP-New/dp/B002Y37QOY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265149510&sr=1-2.
This phone would plug into your network like any computer, and speak to the server through this means and would not require additional cards.

As far as routing your calls are concerned, the sky is literally the limit.  The asterisk system is capable of handling voice mail, transfering calls from phone to phone, and would meld all your incoming lines.  For instance, you have 2 personal phone lines and 1 business line.  If a phone call enters your business line the system can bring on an automated attendant stating that they have reached whatever business you run and to hold just a moment while they find someone to help them.  Then it can ring your office phone, then the rest of the phones in your house if you choose, or if you have outgoing lines available, your cell phone.  The same can happen with your personal lines.  You get to choose what phone lines are associated with what phones, and how they ring.  The setup can get complex, at least for me but that is because I choose to edit the conf files by hand, but the possibilities are truly endless.  I do not know what LinuxMCE does as far as ease of setup.

Sorry for the long response.  I am used to glazed looks and rushes for Tylenol after my explanations of this topic.  Please let me know if you need something clarified.

epsolon77

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #20 on: February 02, 2010, 11:33:41 pm »
They have both modals that sit outside of the case as well as internal cards.  I find that internal cards are more reliable and cheaper, but you can go with whatever system suits you best.  just remember, USB is plug and play.  This means that your cat can unplug your usb tuner while your recording your favorite show without you knowing.

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2010, 12:15:32 am »
your turning into a Godsend of information....thank you as your hitting each subject that i have the  ??? look on my face about....one question, earlier, i was mentioning that  I planned on using the WebDT orbiter, that seems to have speaker/microphone capability? do you think that I could utilize this as a telephony device, ....

you rock by the way Mr.E...

tkmedia

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #22 on: February 03, 2010, 12:57:13 am »
Quote
I planned on using the WebDT orbiter, that seems to have speaker/microphone capability? do you think that I could utilize this as a telephony device, ....

No not at this time.

The best MD phone solution is a Solo USB mic .

Not to take away anything from "MR Rock"
LinuxMce has tight integration with Asterisks and it has its own features and functionality that will not handle separate business lines etc without custom configuration. That may or may not break LMCE functionality.

Some great Ideas here but some seem to be made without a whole lot Lmce experience.

Also adding a Blu-Ray drive with a LMCE is kind of waste  blu-ray under Linux is very new shaky at best) and is not integrated into lmce.

Not that they cant be done "We gladly accept Patches" just don't want your expectations to get off base.


Tim

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tkmedia

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #23 on: February 03, 2010, 01:05:38 am »
Wow didn't realize how bad the problem was.


Please don't buy new hardware with anything other than nvidia video for Lmce .....
If your stuck with it that's one thing but please don't buy new Intel or ATI video based computers

The msi wind uses intel gma as well as one of the mobos suggested.

Please chk User:setups for known working hardware.

The ion based ATOM's are the way to go

Sorry to be blunt.


Tim

« Last Edit: February 03, 2010, 01:10:47 am by tkmedia »
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tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #24 on: February 03, 2010, 01:26:14 am »
you Double Rock...

and that is what I've been picking up, that it seems my first choice on the MD's is the way to go, and I did have the question about the gma intel video if it would work..

I haven't bought equipment ...other than TV's at this point...this is a completely organic install....any suggestions, in other words, if you were doing it, what would you do...and i've been getting some great suggestions here....and much insight...

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #25 on: February 03, 2010, 01:37:19 am »
and on blue ray im not the concerned at the moment, as again, my objectives are to build the system and use it to distribute video/web/telephone/home automation/security ..and add components as it becomes available...i would like it to be stable...

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #26 on: February 03, 2010, 01:41:13 am »
Oh, and by the way, Im intiating all of this, from purchase to install in about 30 to 45 days.  I plan to detail, via video tape, and blog, every step along the way..i figure if i can do it, then ANYONE can do it...and want to show the successes and mistakes along the way....should be valuable to all of us out here, who really love the Idea, but dont quite know how to get it done...can't wait to get to the point where i have some more challenging questions...

tkmedia

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #27 on: February 03, 2010, 02:15:30 am »
There have been some very good Ideas in this thread.

A few Mandates/ Highly recommended from my point of view.

1. Quiet Power efficient Ion/Atom based units for MD's
2. Plus 80 power supplies for any other PC in the house.
3. NAS based storage.
4. Network Based Tuner (Hdhomerun)
5. RS232 controlled A/V equipment.
6. Web DT for control
7. Zwave Lighting/Climate
 
A short list for now I will add to it if I think of something else.

feel free to stop by  IRC #linuxmce
many of us are there to help and discuss various options

Tim
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epsolon77

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #28 on: February 03, 2010, 01:06:55 pm »
Quote
I planned on using the WebDT orbiter, that seems to have speaker/microphone capability? do you think that I could utilize this as a telephony device, ....

No not at this time.

The best MD phone solution is a Solo USB mic .

Not to take away anything from "MR Rock"
LinuxMce has tight integration with Asterisks and it has its own features and functionality that will not handle separate business lines etc without custom configuration. That may or may not break LinuxMCE functionality.

Some great Ideas here but some seem to be made without a whole lot Lmce experience.

Also adding a Blu-Ray drive with a LinuxMCE is kind of waste  blu-ray under Linux is very new shaky at best) and is not integrated into lmce.

Not that they cant be done "We gladly accept Patches" just don't want your expectations to get off base.


Tim



Thank you for correcting me Tim.  You are correct that I do not have a lot of LinuxMCE experience. 

Question though since I do have a fair amount of asterisk experience.  You said you can not integrate business lines.  It is my understanding that the UI allows you to configure multiple phone lines under linuxMCE and select which phones to ring.  How is that different from configuring a business line?  This is a serious question, I'm not trying to be combative.

Also I have never had a problem with linux and an Intel chipset.  Every intel GMA based mobo I have used has worked all but perfectly out of the box, and all sources I can find have not complained of intel compatibility.  Is this something specific to LinuxMCE or is this a specific chipset you are referring to? 

I wholly agree about the ATI cards.  Support for them is flakey at best.  I have configured ATI cards to work in linux, however I would not wish that on my worst enemies. 

Again thank you for bringing some LinuxMCE experience to the table.  I have done a few installs of LinuxMCE on under powered test environments and am working towards a whole house system in the next 30-60 days.  I have extensive experience with Linux, Asterisk and home theater systems as well that I am cobbling information together from.  Just sharing what little knowledge I have.

tridum

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Re: Brand New Home...Brand New Installation 5k (US) Budget
« Reply #29 on: February 03, 2010, 02:19:07 pm »
You guy's are great, and I plan to stop buy that Forum before the initial purchase which hopefully will take place this weekend....I'm even taking off of work for a week just to do the wiring of the house.  And I may have skipped something, as I want to build a bullet proof Core, that can handle all of this.  I do have a bit of a budget surplus just for this. Are there any specific reccomendations?

And Tim you mentioned something, that was on my mind as well; NAS storage.  I've been thinking that this might be the way to go for various reasons, mostly that one stability is reached in the system, I dont want to have to "crack" a case in order to add more storage...as primarily im using the Core for this. So would it be better right from the beginning to simply setup a NAS storage system, that i can simply add a terabyte drive as needed for movies, files, music..etc along the way?

My next source of ignorance, is the Z-wave Modules.  With the house being the size it is, I know this can well eat up my entire budget, but at this point, and from what you've taught me, im willing to only do the downstairs portion of zones first, and wait to add modules upstairs as more funds become available.  What I dont understand though, is how specifically it integrates with LinuxMCE.  Is it all controlled off the orbiter, and are there things i should be looking out for?