I'm building a new house and will meet with the electrician on Saturday, Nov. 1st. Here's the deal. My wife would like a tv in our master bath. I will be using an Alienware Hangar 18 in the great room. I have a computer running media center in the Master bedroom hooked to a dish network reciever and our bedroom tv. The computer has audio outputs for surround and digital out as well. It also has video outs and 2 vga outs. Here's my question. Rather than buying a flat screen tv for the bath and spending more money, I thought about using a 20 inch flat screen monitor I already have. Mounting it to the wall in the Master bath. My idea is to have a vga connection ran through the walls to the computer in the bedroom, then have two in-ceiling speakers put above the tub. The speaker wires will be ran to the computer in the bedroom as well (regular audio out on the back of the computer) this way she can watch tv in or access all media from the hangar 18 through media center. WILL THIS WORK?????? It needs to look nice (wall plates for all vga, speaker connections, etc.) for the wife. Does anyone see any problems in this configuration? Basically the tv in the bathroom will be a second monitor, with the tv (which is also a 20 inch monitor) in the bedroom being the other. So I know that both would have to be watching the same thing. However, this shouldn't be a problem. I would love some feedback!!

It sounds to me like all you need is a VGA splitter and a long VGA cable. Maybe a cheap stereo receiver to accept the computer audio output and amplify it for the bathroom speakers. A very inexpensive project.

Monoprice has a VGA splitter for less than $13.00

Awesome! That's what I was hoping to hear! The amp sounds like a good idea. I was worried that the audio might be too soft running straight from the computer. any ideas on a cheap one that would fit the bill?

thanks again!!

Awesome! That's what I was hoping to hear! The amp sounds like a good idea. I was worried that the audio might be too soft running straight from the computer. any ideas on a cheap one that would fit the bill?

thanks again!!

There are innumerable choices. Suffice it to say, I would personally not spend more than $100 to accomplish what you are talking about, especially if this is new construction, wires are easy to run.

On further review, you stated your video card has two video outs, so this makes it even easier.

I'm not sure this even qualifies for "home AV distribution and networking." ;)

The only problem I see is that once in the tub, there won't be any changing of channels. Not that it's a good idea to be doing so anyway while sitting in water. The point being, I don't see any method of remote control in the bathroom.

For future proofing running just VGA would not be upgrade friendly.

If you can run a couple additional pieces of CAT5e, you will give yourself many more options if you would like to expand on video and control down the road.

Depending on the length of the VGA you are planning to run it may actually be less expensive to look into a video Balun for the VGA; this will allow you to use a piece of CAT5e between the computer and bathroom TV to carry the VGA signal and the other piece of CAT5e for an IR repeating system for changing channels and volume on the media center.

If you change the plan down the road and get a regular flat panel you can purchase a Component video Balun and hook that up to your CAT5e.

Depending on the distance between the bathroom and you media room you could consider a RF remote but they tend to be a little pricey.

I like the idea of using the balun. We're running cat6 throughout, and I think it's going to be too long of a run for vga anyway. I love the fact that I could then use a repeater for control. That would come in handy!! I would need a Balun for each end correct? Anyone know where to find them cheap?

thanks again for all the great ideas!!

For VGA search for KVM Cat5. You can usually find them in abundance on ebay under the name Cybex Longview.

I agree, run cat5 or cat6 for future proofing, but you will not beat the price of a long VGA cable, probably. I would run both.

I just checked Monoprice.com - they have some long VGA cables rated for in-wall installation. 50' cable for $15. 100' for $26. (be sure to check gender before ordering).

I think you will find the VGA baluns cost a lot more.

All this to use an old monitor? Ask your electrician how much he's going to charge for this wiring. My guy was $50/drop flat rate. Plus $250 for your IR repeater, plus amplifier, plus complexity, plus Windows Media Edition will be obsolete in 5 years (as will VGA). Why don't you spend $350 and buy your wife a 20" TV that will work for 10 years?

Just my opinion.

went ahead and just bought an lcd tv and wall mount (Sanyo $200 from Wally world). Probably cheaper in the long run. The tv has a vga connection as well so I could still connect it to the computer if I wanted to use as a second monitor to play media from the computer. The speakers on the tv are not great I'm sure, but I won't have to worry about buying in-ceiling speakers either.

thanks again!

Smart move.