Hi all
I've been lurking for a while and need a 'second opinion'. Here's why I'm confused...

- built a home 4 yrs ago and installed my own Distributed Audio / 5.1 system in Fam Room
-Family room has (12 yr old - used in prior house but still works) big TV, Denon Rcvr w/ multi source output - etc. I have XM piped in as an input and use it all the time. Antenna is outside, wired thru condiut, terminates at the Denon / tv / entertainment center
-Basement has a AMC 2100 250 Watt 2 Channel/ Bridgeable H T Amp in a rack enclosure hooked to a niles sms-10 splitter
-Denon feeds the AMC as zone 2
-Rack also houses a 'server' computer for my home network (6-160 Gig drives for back-up and file sharing)
- niles sms-10 feeds 8 pairs (2 more available) of ceiling speakers in kitchen, 2nd floor bath, front / back porches, garage, all over...
- plain old Vol Controls at each room (not impede matching)
-I ran cat 5 to each VC when i rough wired while the house was being framed to future-proof myself
-the system works GREAT ...

BUT...

I'm finishing my basement and will have HT there also. It will be in a long room with a bar in back
-so far it'll be onkyo TX-SR705, Panasonic PT-AX200U, and all the peripherals in a middle atlantic Rack burried in a wall
-Built my own Laminate screen thanx to you guys...
- the 'Upstairs' rack is on a wall directly behind the new 'downstairs' rack (both racks in basement)
- I would LIKE to incorporate the network file server into the system at some point
- Also have a 1U Slide-out KMM to use in the 'downstairs' rack to control the server behind it in the 'upstairs' rack as a HT Computer
- Basement is a walk-out and am intaslling a pool in yard and will need (definately) audio and (hopefully) video feed to the pool area
- Basement walls / ceilings are still uncovered so -NOW's THE TIME to do it right - do it once!!

So... are you as confused as I am yet? There's a LOT of stuff going on here!!!

Here's where I need help from the experts that hang out here.......

How can I keep my 'speakers everywhere' but use the XM thru the Onkyo? and control it from 'upstairs'
How can I control the XM from the basement and still play it thru the 'downstairs' system?
will I need to put IR modules in place ov the VC's?
Can I split an XM antenna to use it on both amps? (I'm trying to avoid another subscription - have 5 now!)
I know nothing about IR - where can I learn? or should I hire a PRO to get me started
Do I even NEED IR? Would RF be better for this?
The upstairs Entertainment Center holds ALL my CD's / Videos - If I take 'em all 'downstairs' then my wife will be UNHAPPY
She HATES the Universal Remote the runs the show now - If I make this any more compilcated then ...well - you get the idea :(

So, there's my 'Saga' - put your thinking-cap on and see what you can come up with
If this were YOUR system, what would YOU do to combine all the stuff to make One-Hell-Of-A cool whole house system
I'm sure I missed a detail or 2. Plz feel free to .... PM me or yell at me for being so unorganized or come over and help pull wires (Free Beer!!)

Thanx for any and all help - this is THE BEST site for HT - A/V
Mike

You need to draft up a schematic in Visio (or pen, napkin and camera) to attach so that people can get a better idea of what you're trying to achieve. I used to do this stuff for a living and my head is spinning lol.

Net net looks like you have two independent systems (upstairs and downstairs), one of which will drive a basic whole-home system based on an amp splitter and independent VCs. If you really want to avoid getting another XM, you basically need to decide where it will be controlled most often - because you'll be controlling it blind from the other location. If it's upstairs, the AMC/Niles will continue to be driven by the Denon, the Onkyo will receive it either from an alternate output on the XM or chained from the Denon. If it's downstairs, this situation will be reversed.

Assuming the downstairs rack is visible to the room, and the XM is located there, a standard IR remote will control the local components - the Harmony 880 or H1 is nice for WAF. A second IR remote upstairs to control that system, can be coupled with an IR transmitter assembly to pass signals along to the XM downstairs to work that. Again, this is reversed if the XM is upstairs. Alternately, the floor that doesn't have the XM receiver can use a combo IR/RF unit like the Harmony 890 to control its components locally, coupled with placing the blaster on the other floor to work the XM.

There are more elegant ways, of course, but you don't state how much you want to spend and how elaborate you want to get. This is the quick n' dirty way to get one source doing double duty.

Thanx for the reply Snow
You should have seen it BEFORE I edited it! I'll try to draw it but that may just look like a tangled fishing reel! There is a lot to this but I am trying to simplify it. I think IR is the way to go but have never worked with it. I am interested in the 'chaining' you mentioned. The AMS has only 1 input so would I bring the multi source from the denon into the onkyo and then from the onkyo to the AMS? That sounds like it may work but the onkyo and AMS BOTH will have to remain on constantly - (I shouldn't say this) The AMS has been on for almost 4 straight years without a hitch - I like it!
Thanx again - I'll keep learning. Any others??