Wireless A/V suggestions

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meatman

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Mar 21, 2005
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Hello everyone,

I could use some guidance here. I have two home stereo systems, one in the livingroom and one in the bar room. What I am trying to do is get audio and video to them both via a wireless connection, by one device. I have looked at a few solutions the past few days, and they may not be what I am looking for. In my mind, I would like the transmitter where my server is, and the two stereos would have a receiver. The livingroom one is about 15 feet from where the server is, and the bar room is about 28 feet, with the server in the middle.

I do not need different sources in different rooms at the same time, maybe just a broadcast that either receiver would pick up on if I were to swicth the input on the stereos.

Any ideas? Or am I going about this all wrong?
 
I'll say this once.

Any reasonably priced wireless video system will give you subpar performance

Heck..I saw a HT shot once of a guy who hooked once of thos cheapos up to a 60" plasma. I would have broke his neck if I could.

Video requires BANDWIDTH and unfortunately and video of quality requires ALOT of it. The best wireless ones i've seen for home use only do composite video and run at a 2.4 GHz carrier..this means fuzz city. Video should always be wired unless you are willing to spend big bucks.

Audio is something that is dooable since any $0.01 Chinese 49MHz transmitter can do it well. Heck even the wireless boxes from Linksys for MCE say you have a limit of "1" for the network.

BTW...post your "links" for the things you have been looking at.

-tReP
 
My first guess would be to do something based on this type of technology:

http://www.prevelakis.net/Papers/inc2004.html

Combined with a normal 802.11G Router/Bridge system, like a WGA54G LInksys, connected to some sort of receiving device.

IE, find a cheap device that is network aware and has a client to receive audio streams from some sort of server (like shoutcast). Then make that device wireless with a simple 802.11g bridge.

I, personally, would run wire. Hi-Fi Stereo sound does really well on long copper.

I would think your next concern would be phase shifts and echo effects (similar to when you're at the ballgame between two loudspeakers and timedistance for sound becomes an issue). It wouldn't be that bad at 40ft, but if you add in the delays of wireless.. it might be bad.

Maybe this would work without the video?
http://www.dlink.com/products/resource.asp?pid=318&rid=1097&sec=1
 
Run wire. If you don't know how or feel uncomfortable doing it, pay someone to do it for you. Will cost a LOT less than a quality wireless A/V setup will.
 
First, thanks for the replies.

That is what I figured, it would be too much for a wireless connection to handle by putting it all through it, unless I pay a lot of cash for some high end stuff.

Trepidati0n - The things I have been looking at are just the run of the mill wireless solutions by Linksys, D-Link, Netgear etc. Although some lesser known names seemed a heck of a lot more expensive (but had more inputs/outputs, and supported more media formats) and I would have to buy 2 of them at around 500 bucks each to receive the signal. That is a little out of my leauge at the moment.

TechnoButt - That looks interesting, I will look into it more before I make a final decision.

On that note, I have been looking at baluns to transfer audio and video over cat-5. A couple of questions about them, if any of you have used them.

1. Something that really does not matter, but I wondered if they use the entire bandwith to transmit it, all eight wires? If so, would it be of any benefit to use Cat-6? The reason I ask is that a fatter pipe usually makes us happier...

2. All of the baluns I have seen are point a to point b, do they make one that has one input from the pc, and two outputs to the stereos?

Thanks again
 
meatman said:
First, thanks for the replies.

That is what I figured, it would be too much for a wireless connection to handle by putting it all through it, unless I pay a lot of cash for some high end stuff.

Trepidati0n - The things I have been looking at are just the run of the mill wireless solutions by Linksys, D-Link, Netgear etc. Although some lesser known names seemed a heck of a lot more expensive (but had more inputs/outputs, and supported more media formats) and I would have to buy 2 of them at around 500 bucks each to receive the signal. That is a little out of my leauge at the moment.

TechnoButt - That looks interesting, I will look into it more before I make a final decision.

On that note, I have been looking at baluns to transfer audio and video over cat-5. A couple of questions about them, if any of you have used them.

1. Something that really does not matter, but I wondered if they use the entire bandwith to transmit it, all eight wires? If so, would it be of any benefit to use Cat-6? The reason I ask is that a fatter pipe usually makes us happier...

2. All of the baluns I have seen are point a to point b, do they make one that has one input from the pc, and two outputs to the stereos?

Thanks again
Click to expand...

ROFL...sorry need to laugh a bit.

Audio is a 20 kHz tops per channel (unless digital...then maybe a bit more..but not much). Cat5E is capable of 250,000+ KHz if terminated properly per pair. I think you have enough bandwidth sir!

-tReP

P.S. Baluns are nothing more than overglorified transformers. I love it when an industry applies a "special name" to a common item.
 
If you are going to run some Cat 5e between rooms, there are a few manufacturers that make RCA audio/video and S-Video keystone jacks that have a 110 block on the back for Cat 5e.

I use several of them in my house and they work very well. S-Video and RCA for audio.

I got mine at Home Depot, Smarthome.com and partsexpress.com have them as well.

check them out here: http://www.smarthome.com/8557.html

scroll down to the RCA 110 jack dealies. I fyou have a Home Depot they are cheaper there.
 
As I sat at work today watching our switches blinking away...

How would an audio/video signal fair going through a normal run of the mill ethernet hub *or switch*? I have looked on Google groups and found a few that said it works, and a few that had problems with possible voltage issues.

I would be going from the pc (with an s-video and a 1/4" jack to rca for audio), to one of the "baluns" or transformers (as Trepidati0n pointed out), which would go cat-5 to a 4 port hub, which would then go to two rooms by cat-5, then two more "baluns" on either end....

Any input?
 
meatman said:
As I sat at work today watching our switches blinking away...

How would an audio/video signal fair going through a normal run of the mill ethernet hub *or switch*? I have looked on Google groups and found a few that said it works, and a few that had problems with possible voltage issues.

I would be going from the pc (with an s-video and a 1/4" jack to rca for audio), to one of the "baluns" or transformers (as Trepidati0n pointed out), which would go cat-5 to a 4 port hub, which would then go to two rooms by cat-5, then two more "baluns" on either end....

Any input?
Click to expand...

Won't work.

Digtal = 1/0's AND Analog = Continuous
Therefore Analog != Digital

Funny idea though...you are not the first non-electrical engineer to come up with that idea. However I have met many a person who though a digital inverter could make +5/3.3 into -5/-3.3 :p

Note though...CABLE IS CHEAP. Stop working this problem so hard. ;)

-tReP
 
Trepidati0n said:
Note though...CABLE IS CHEAP. Stop working this problem so hard. ;)

-tReP
Click to expand...

Trep is right. If you're willing to actually run Cat5 cable, make it easy on yourself and just run co-ax. Problem solved. If you want to make it really slick, and future-proof yourself, run a combo-wire setup: co-ax, cat5, audio and phone. One cable pull, and lots of hook-ups. Believe me, you'll thank yourself later on.
 
When I get a house of my own, I plan on have one super outlet in each room - phone/cat6/coax/speaker l+r/etc and all wiring will go to one master connection box somewhere in the house, probably in the living room area.
 
k1114 said:
... and all wiring will go to one master connection box somewhere in the house, probably in the living room area.
Click to expand...

Just a side note to those thinking of doing a wiring closet that also have kids: put it in YOUR bedroom closet. Kids need grounding, unplug their patch cords. :D Also, put a lock on that door.
 
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