Not sure who to call...

[Aerovette]

I feel like I have a lot of the needed "ingredients" to elevate the tech level of our home.

We have ethernet outlets in each room.
Wired whole house sound
Cable jacks in each room
A central location where all of the wiring all comes together (in the alarm box)
TVs all over the place including outside.
The box where all of this comes together was all done by the builder and NOTHING is marked.

I just don't know who to call to come in and refine and reconnect it all in a way that gives me more control over all of it and kind of links it all together.

For example, I'd like the option of sending the same signal/channel to every TV OR having them work independently.
I'd like to connect all of the ethernet jacks to a router so I can stream TV in each room.
I'd like to control the sound from my phone or tablet
I'd like to tie the doorbell into the sound system so I can hear it anywhere
and more things like this.
I just don't know who to call and I don't want a sales guy who is going to give me every reason why I need to replace everything I have.

I want someone to tell me what I can and can't do and what it would take to do it anyway.

[Milton Fox]

Is there a comic book store near you? Post your name and phone number there. :cheers:

[DukeAllen]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/Ghostbusters_logo.svg/1200px-Ghostbusters_logo.svg.png

[Aerovette]

5000 comedians out of work and you guys wanna be funny. :slap:

:lol:

[DukeAllen]

Seriously, it's beyond my pay grade. I studied networking but my education is decades out of date and I'm rusty as hell :funny:

I'd find some local computer/electronics nerds (NOT the Geek Squad) and let them go crazy.

[LATB]

Geek Squad.

Or Sheldon Cooper :D

[69camfrk]

5000 comedians out of work and you guys wanna be funny. :slap:

:lol:

And you expected what?????:rofl:

[Barn Babe]

And you expected what?????:rofl:

:lol:

[Stangkiller]

It sounds like I've got a similar set up at my house. A junction box in one of my closets with all the cable ends and networking cables. My house had some sort of splitter on the networking cables, but I could never figure it out or get it to work properly for data, so we cut all the ends off and put the proper connections on them and ran all the cables for the house into a 24 port switch. That switch is connected to my router. That's pretty easy/straight forward.

Now as for getting the same cable signal to all the tvs OR all the channels available. that shouldn't be too bad as long as you're ok moving cables to switch between the two options. What do you plan on using for internet connectivity on all of your TV's? Rokus, apple tvs, chromecasts? Honestly have you considered just setting up a robust wifi network? Add a few access points througout the house and keep most of your entertainment stuff wireless.

As for the audio, I've got no experience with that, sorry!

[simpleman68]

Jeff, feel free to give me a shout anytime. I can definitely make your situation at least a bit worse. :D

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/simpleman68/Vette%20Stuff/20141104_102056_zpsh1awnnkq.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/simpleman68/Vette%20Stuff/20141104_102205_zpsbplb7sla.jpg


On a serious note the original owner/builder of this house went nut crazy with Cat 5, component RGB and speakers in almost every room of the house.

It's a total nightmare of wires to trace as he didn't mark any of them. I'm beginning to trace the speaker runs so I can run a multi-zone amp to all channels.

Forget the Cat 5+ wiring and stay wireless wherever you can.

Give me a shout if you want to knock around any ideas. I'm no pro by any stretch but I'm no slouch either. :Jeff '79:
Scott

[MrPeabody]

Call someone who installs sophisticated AV systems in homes. Only deal with one who has a contractor's license.

It won't be cheap.

[Aerovette]

It sounds like I've got a similar set up at my house. A junction box in one of my closets with all the cable ends and networking cables. My house had some sort of splitter on the networking cables, but I could never figure it out or get it to work properly for data, so we cut all the ends off and put the proper connections on them and ran all the cables for the house into a 24 port switch. That switch is connected to my router. That's pretty easy/straight forward.

Now as for getting the same cable signal to all the tvs OR all the channels available. that shouldn't be too bad as long as you're ok moving cables to switch between the two options. What do you plan on using for internet connectivity on all of your TV's? Rokus, apple tvs, chromecasts? Honestly have you considered just setting up a robust wifi network? Add a few access points througout the house and keep most of your entertainment stuff wireless.

As for the audio, I've got no experience with that, sorry!

My thought was an A/B switch off of a robust signal booster to distribute the same signal (we'll just call it what it is...a football game) to every TV. That is probably more trouble than it is worth and I can see that. Just a wild thought.

I would like to get the TV sound of the game to go through the whole house system at least.

[NotSlo]

http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI_Matrix_HDbaseT_HD4xSTPMX_over%20CAT6.html

[simpleman68]

Octava HDMI Matrix over CATx with HDbaseT enabled outputs. Switch and route video, audio, IR, RS-232 and PoE over single CAT 6 cable. Configurable and upgradeable enables you to customize from 1 to 8 zone outputs. (http://www.octavainc.com/HDMI_Matrix_HDbaseT_HD4xSTPMX_over%20CAT6.html)

Very :cool: link. :cert:

I wonder what upgrade will be necessary to pass a 4k signal. I think I'm only a year off from this as prices come down and more source material becomes available.

Netflix has been making substantial claims about expanded 4k libraries by 2015.
Scott

[Thunder22]

Any electrician can trace and diagram your wiring plant for you. Once that's done, you call a home audio/theater/automation company in your area.

Where do you live? if you were local i could do the entire thing for you

[NotSlo]

Aero, I have a telecom tone tool I could send to you to use. You clip it on one end of the wire and turn it on, the take the 2nd part of the tool , press a button and touch the wire, if you hear the tone you have found your match. Should make quick work of figuring out what wires go where. Let me know.