Control Hubs: Bringing It All Together - Smart Home Automation with Linux and Raspberry Pi - page 269

In all cases, the generic term of AV is used to refer to audio and/or video data, according to your needs. You will
notice that distribution among the rooms upstairs is easier, since the cables can be run up into the attic, across the
attic space in any haphazard manner you please, and down into the other rooms. Here there is a single set of AV cables
running down the downstairs, giving full control to the living room.
The primary limitation with this setup is the single AV channel coming from the Node0 server, meaning that
any media not held on Node0 cannot be distributed or used elsewhere. The PVR, for example, can be controlled and
viewed only in the living room. This is solved in Figure 7-12 .

AV Signal

AV Switcher AV Distribution

To House...

Node0

IR remote
Control

DVD player
VCR
PVR
etc...

AV Signals

Figure 7-12. Placing all the AV in Node0

In this environment, all the AV equipment is placed physically within Node0, making for short cable runs and
easy-to-install IR transmitters. And there is still only a single AV cable to lay into each room wanting media. This
is both a benefit, because the installation is much cheaper, and a hindrance, because only the same media can be
experienced in each room. This is solved with a matrix switcher, shown in Figure 7-13 , which allows any input to be
sent to any room.

AV Matrix
Switcher

AV Signal

Node0

To House...

IR remote
Control

DVD player
VCR
PVR
etc...

AV Signals

Figure 7-13. The benefits of a matrix switcher

Notice that in all cases, the placement of the particular amplifiers will be determined by the amps themselves.
Some provide two power outputs, allowing all speakers to be passive (that is, unpowered), while others provide
only a line-out level requiring an additional amplifier (and therefore power socket) for each room in which they're
installed.