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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: White Bear Lake, MN ----- CUSL2C, P3/1.0, 256Mb, HiPix, A2496, D50Q, Stewert 1.3g, Denon 3801,
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Local Apple TV's vs Crestron or ProConnect Matrix ?
We are building a new house and trying to decide on numerous AV/HA/Network/Security bits. Our likely AV provider is recommending either a Crestron HA + Crestron Matrix or Elan HA + AV ProConnect AC-MX88 matrix. Both Matrix systems get quite expensive w/ frame, $1000 i/o cards + $995 HD-BaseT extenders at each location. I think each is about $20k when all said and done.
The sources we currently use are mostly cable (Comcast), Apple TV and Surveillance System. We'd like BD players in Rec & Family rooms but rarely use hard media anymore so we'd likely not miss these and could just do one locally in the LL Rec.
Locations include; LL Rec Room (pseudo theatre), LL Exercise (can be combined w/ LL Rec Room), Family Room, Kitchen, Master Bed, Master Bath, Wife Office, My Office, Guest 1, Guest 2, Studio.
I'm thinking that some or all locations can maybe just have a local Apple TV and use Hulu or similar for cable channels. A Surveillance/NVR app that works on Apple TV might be an issue though. For an office with audio from the TV or a small local audio system this shouldn't be a problem. For others that s/b part of a whole house audio system we could perhaps backhaul the audio from a local Apple TV to an audio matrix for redistribution so that whole house audio sources can be mixed in and more easily controlled?
I think an AV matrix made sense when cable companies were charging quite exorbitant monthly fees for each cable box and video was VGA. I'm not sure how much sense these make these days.
Thanks,