Is there anything available on z-wave to interface with my tv? I suspect there should be something out there that would let me send an IR beam to my TV to mute or lower the volume or switch to another input (such as a outside camera). Anyone know of a solution?

Do you mean to actually control your TV's volume or input setting? From the same room or a different room than the TV?

Why Zwave? You are trying to send IR.... Are you trying to use a Zwave remote control to send IR to your TV? Is a PC in the mix? If so, there are several serial to IR and USB to IR devices including GlobalCache, USB_UIRT and Cinemar's own USBIR6. If you are using a PC, then there are several automation applications that can bridge between ZWave and the IR devices above. I am not aware of a ZWave IR device, though it wouldn't suprise me if someone posts one.

If your TV supports RS232, that would be better than IR.

I just mentioned z-wave because that's what I currently use for my light control and I've already got the z-wave USB stick to interface with the devices. What I want to do is setup a way to control the tv/dvd/etc. from my PC. The computer receives an event and it can somehow tell a device to send an IR pulse to the TV that mutes it - I suspect there's got to be someway to "emit" IR from a device that's mounted in the direction of my TV?

EDIT:

Also, this would be from a DIFFERENT room than my TV (but again, it would be initiated from my PC)

I just did a quick search, found Ocelot Module (IR) - though, I'm not familiar with how it would work. Is it what I would use? If so, how does the PC send requests to it and where do I put it so it can send IR to my tv?

I've also got to say I'm horribly afraid of adding wiring to my house (takes too much time to drill holes and feed the wires... so hopefully I can avoid it where necessary) Plus, I'm a computer nerd and would rather spend my time writting a program to control my zwave stuff than actually getting it physically installed. :)

I believe the only current way to do both IR and Z-Wave together (without a PC) is one of Harmony's Z-Wave enabled remotes.

Both the 890 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=10930) and 1000 (http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=12498) support Z-Wave but they're primarily universal remotes.

They have serious downsides from what I understand, specifically that they are unable to replicate the Z-Wave network and I believe can be the only controller on the network but if you can live within those constraints, they should work pretty well.

edit: Completely glossed over where you said you already had the USB Stick. I don't know of any way to do what you want without running something like CQC, Mainlobby or Girder to perform events in the IR realm as responses to actions in the Z-Wave realm. You may want to look into one of those and see if they'll let you do what you want but it seems like for what little you're trying to accomplish they would be overkill.

Here is one way:
Event:
Z-Wave switch > RF > Z-Wave stick (USB) > PC
Process:
PC running HA software
Action:
PC> USB_UIRT (USB) or Cinemar's USBIR6 (USB) or GlobalCache (TCP) > IR LAN (Cat5 wire) > IR Emitter (like a Xantech) > TV IR receiver eye

I want to do a similar thing...control an IR device from Z-Wave but its all lighting related. I have a Harmony 890 controlling my HT system and the lighting in my living room via Z-Wave. My kitchen adjacent to the room is on a Grafik-Eye system which is IR-controllable. While the 890 is ok at setting the scene in the living room via Z-Wave (I actually have been considering a dedicated Z-wave controller for lights, since the Harmony Z-wave implementation is maddening) I'd like to be able to include one of the four available scenes in the kitchen (i.e. turn down kitchen lights from living room) Grafik-Eye from the living room.

Unless there is some sort of Z-wave to IR bridge (I can't seem to find anything) I think my only option would be a Z-wave and IR capable PC to do this function (I already have IR control wiring from the kitchen to the HT and it wouldn't be difficult to add an IR emmitter in the kitchen for IR in the other direction).

My question is, if I don't mind cobbling together a spare PC, a USB Z-wave dongle and a USB IR emmiter to do the translation, what is my best bet in terms of HA software to do this function?

It seems to me all my options would run around $200 and give me a much larger feature set than I need (overkill). I just want a simple lighting controller (translator at that) for this one function.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Why not get a 2nd zWave controller? Or am I misunderstanding something?