[o2bnme]

First, let me admit that I didn't do a search to try to find info. I've had a long day.


I'm in the process of building a house and am starting to think about the home theatre room wiring. We're turning the bonus room (22x14x8) into the TV room.


I've started to visit web sites like www.smarthome.com and haven't found the exact answer I'm after.


I'm planning on putting the A/V equipment on the back end of the room (away from the RPTV). This means I'll have a long run for my video connection points.


Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'm going to need to run an S-Video and Component wires to the RPTV right? For HDTV, should I be doing some other form of cable instead of component? Meaning I need to run three types of cables forward?


So, with this assumption, I have NOT seen any info to help me get a wall plate for component video.


From what I've read I don't need to worry about the S-video run length... 10 up, 24 over, 10 down = 44 feet is short for s-video using CAT-5 right? Do I need to worry about this for component or whatever other cables I need to run?


I'm not fretting over the speaker wire installation. I've done that one before. The video stuff is new though.


Thanks in advance.


Bill

 

[Glimmie]

I have suggested this many times here and a recent post by a fellow member echoed the same. Run conduit instead of wire. You are in a perfect situation with a new house to do this before the drywall is up.


For a basic to medium complexity HT setup I would run 2" PVC conduit terminated to 6" pull boxes behine the TV area and equipment area. Just go over the ceiling and down both walls. This will make a clean easy to pull run. This is less than $50 in materials that your electrician can eassily do. BE sure to use electrical schedule 40 PVC pipe. Water pipe is fine except that water 90degree elbows are too sharp to pull cable. Electrical 90degree elbows have a much larger radius. Plus using PVC water pipe for this may violate local codes even though this is a low voltage riun.


As for wiring, if you have a drill press (deesired) or a hand drill and vise (will work) you can fabricate your own wall plates out of blanks. Most electronics stores (not radioshack) have feed through connectors of any combination. In fact last week I just saw some SVHS feed through jacks. Leviton and many other wiring device companies also make modular snap wall plates and a host of connector modules. RCA, BNC, and F type jacks are very commen.


For cable, to keep it simple I would run standard RG59 cable for everything. For composite you need one cable. For Svideo you need 2, and for HDTV you need 3 (or 5 for VGA). Adaptor cables are available to transition from standard BNC or RCA jacks to SVHS connectors. I.E. from the wall plates to the equipment.


Some may advise here to run CATV RG6 instaed of RG59 as it has much lower loss, especially at HDTV. While that's true, be careful of solder type connectors with RG6. Most CATV RG6 cable has an aluminum shield with aluminum drain wires. Can't be soldered. RG59 traditionally has a copper braid shield. But there is nothing wrong with using RG6 and F connectors between your wallplates. An F connector is much better than an RCA at video frequencies but not as good as a BNC.

 

[Reed W]

I couldn't agree more with Glimmie, run conduit. The only thing you can be sure of is things will change and you will need to pull additional or different cable at some point. This has happened to me so many times I have lost track.


Don't forget cable for side speakers or center rear in case you go to 7.1 surround.


Since your home theater will be in a bonus room, have you considered a smaller direct view tv and a front projector Go to the projector forums and you will learn how easy it can be.


Reed.

 

[o2bnme]

Conduit it is. I'll run out and get some this weekend. I'll plan on running one pipe down the side wall (where the A/V equipment will be) and one down the center behind where the RPTV will be. This should do it for me. Then I can head across the attic to get to the junction box for the home distribution system etc.


I was planning on dropping wire for all speakers by way of the attic. I may change my mind on that one. I am thinking about running wires behind the molding at the base of the wall as I have in past houses. I can always snake a wire down the wall with a stiff wire guide if necessary.


Thanks for the advice!


I close on the house in January. I'm planning on talking to the site manager to see if he'll mind me doing this sort of thing. Insulation is going up this week (including the walls/floor of the HT). Next week is drywall. So, I don't have much time to get this fitted in. I'm hoping he'll be cool about this and let me set the piping in the wall after the insulation guys finish. {finger's crossed}

 

[Shag]

Doesn't anyone have ducting runs in their ceilings?


I would love to be able to run conduit in my basement for my media room, but I have several ducting runs traversing my ceiling, making a conduit run impossible. Can't go through the wall, either, as it's load-bearing...

 

[o2bnme]

I guess I lucked out. I can run along the back side of the house pretty much unobstructed (in the basement). All the ducts end a few inches from that edge. Also, my basement ceiling is 9+ feet, so I have enough height to put in a dropped ceiling (in most places). And the builders already started out by putting a conduit that runs from the attic to the basement for me.