Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
N
Special waterproof speakers are necessary for bathroom use, which have sealed cones and baskets so they
can cope with water and humidity. Various models exist, including flush-mounting ones that can be placed in the ceiling.
Note
Provided that you use a reasonable quality of speaker cable, the signal will not dissipate over the distances involved.
N
If you have two outputs on your amplifier but want to control three sets of speakers, then connect the control
box to the second of the outputs and your primary speakers (on which you're more likely to do critical listening) on the
first. There's no point in adding a step in the chain if you don't need to do so.
Note
Wireless AV Distribution
Running cables is not difficult but should be done with care to avoid drilling through power cables, water, and gas
pipes. With this in mind, there are a few pieces of hardware now available, such as the AV video senders you saw in
Chapter 1, built to wirelessly distribute audio signals.
For the most part, they offer a solution of convenience, but landscape speakers, which are built to exist outside
and made to look like rocks (for example), provide the only practical solution. They must also be powered from
batteries.
Matrix Switchers
For most home applications, a standard switch box is enough to control your AV setup. If you have a Blu-ray player or
other high-definition equipment, you will generally plug it straight into the TV using HDMI because this eliminates
all other components from the signal chain. And, alas, none of the reasonably priced switch boxes I've seen support
HDMI.
9
Furthermore, if you want to distribute two of your input devices (such as PVR or DVD) to two different places,
then you'll find that you can't, because the switch only provides a single output.
Both of these limitations can be overcome with matrix switchers. They have a broader range of inputs (often
including VGA) and can send the input signal from any one of (say) eight inputs to any (or all) of the outputs,
which often number four or more. This allows the most powerful AV control method possible, with all your hardware
being located in a single place and the results carried by cable to each room in the house. Also, because this is
professional-level equipment, it usually comes with a serial port, making it easy for a computer to control it directly.
Utilizing a matrix switcher in your setup is a big step, not just financially. To make full use of the device, you will
need to keep your AV equipment in close proximity to the switcher. Furthermore, not only will you have the usual mess
of cables entering the switcher, but you'll have an additional mess of cables leaving it—one set to every room. And, for
the most part, matrix switchers are not small. Consequently, it is impractical to have them in the living room. Instead,
you need to consider a room or a hidden cabinet into which the switcher and AV equipment can be placed. With the
equipment now hidden away, the purchase of an IR relay or gateway to retransmit IR signals to the devices inside the
cabinet is essential. It will be needed for the matrix switcher and may come as part of the package,
so buy it second!
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