Complete XBMC Setup Home
#1
Sorry if this has been covered, but I can't seem to find it through search. I am setting up a complete XBMC household system for a friend who is having a house built. I intend to have a file server that manages torrent downloads from RSS so it constantly has new media. This will connect via LAN to 4 small pc's connected to LED tv's in various rooms around the house. These small PC's will run XBMC with a network share as the main AV source. I have run speaker cable to 5 audio zones (4 for the TV's and 1 seperate audio only zone) back to the electric room. I have also ran speaker cable from the audio room to each of the 4 PC's. I want to be able to achieve multi room AV that can be controlled by one remote, hopefully, ipod touches or something similar.

Can anybody provide me on the best setup for this, how it should be wired? it appears that XBMC multi AV support doesn't work too well, has anybody had sucess with this, if anybody could point me in the direction of a good guide setting something up like this it would be much appreciated, or any troubles that I might run into, or, maybe XBMC isn't really suitable for this purpose, maybe there is another media centre solution that is suitable.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

I actually moved this post here on advice of another member from another forum, below is some extra info on my setup requirements.

Thanks for your responses. The way things are setup, I have 3 bedrooms, and one living room with 5.1 audio planned. The audio only zone will be outside around the swimming pool area. I would like to control all zones from each of the ipods. I could install xbmc on the media server to act as the xbmc source for the audio only zone, if this would help. I have tried the ipod remote and it does handle deifferent xbmc installations so I could choose between bed 1, bed 2 and living room ect. The info I really need, is, what hardware is required for the audio zones, the video is quite easy as I understand it because I can select from the ipod remote what movie will play in what zone (room). This will be delivered to each thin client which will request from the library of xbmc for that zone, this is all delivered over LAN, but, how do I setup the speakers so each zone plays the correct audio? just a little bit lost on this part. Thanks again for your help.

Badgerboy123
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#2
I'm aware of Amps/Receivers that can play audio from the same source to one or more zones.

I have not heard of any AV equipment, however, that can send out audio from essentially more than one source to one or more zones.

This seems to be what you are asking for - correct me if I misinterpreted it.
If I helped out pls give me a +

A bunch of XBMC instances, big-ass screen in the basement + a 20TB FreeBSD, ZFS server.
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#3
Basically, the video zones should be managed by the Thin Clients connected to the TV's, this will be done via a HDMI cable between the thin client and the TV, but I would also like the audio from the TV to play through the speakers in that room. I was hoping that I would not have to have an amp in each room connected to the speakers from that room. Then as for the audio zones, I would like the main media server in the electrical room to supply audio on demand to any of the rooms on request. Not sure if this is possible. So for watching movies shouldn't be an issue but the way I have it wired the audio would leave the thin client then go back to the electrical cupboard then sent out to the correct speakers for that room. Is this possible or am I going to have to start pulling wires through again. Thanks for all of your help.
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#4
I have no idea what your budget is, however, a little googling brought up this outfit which I have heard of before, but have no hands-on experience.

A simple TV audio --> in-room 2 channel amp --> speakers solutions could be done with something like this:

http://www.crestron.com/resources/produc...62&id=1050

It's 2.0 not 5.1 obviously.

Also, as far as the multi-in to multi-out receiver I never heard of - here it is; ;-)

http://www.crestron.com/products/adagio_..._audio.asp

Again, I don't know if you are looking for more roll-your-own solutions or buy what you need to get the job done.

Personally, I think a simple amp per room would give you most flexibility since no proprietary control scheme to use - which I think Crestron would be pushing.

Anyways, have a look. Good luck.
If I helped out pls give me a +

A bunch of XBMC instances, big-ass screen in the basement + a 20TB FreeBSD, ZFS server.
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#5
Thanks for your reply, I have decided to make things a little bit easier, the 4 zones in the bedrooms and outside will all be audio only, and the TV will produce the sound for XBMC. The only system which I would like sound from Audio zone and TV zone is the living room where the 5.1 will be, so, the thin client will have the audio cable going back to the amplifier which will then play the sound through the 5.1. But, this also has to have the option of a standalone audio zone. I think this will simplify matters somewhat. We will wait and see, are you aware of any multi zone software for the server that will work seperatly to XBMC?
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