[kurilukd]

Ok, here is my set up, I've got a few questions on how to configure everything, there is just so much information on this site, I'm not sure where to start. I'm currently deployed to the Middle East, and I return in September, all the stuff has been ordered and will arrive right as I get home. It will be set up in my living room in a tile floor condo. The living/ dining/ kitchen area are all one long room, about 20 by 40 feet, I would like to be able to listen to music in the whole area with this set up. I'm good at following directions, and somewhat computer literate, my old roommate, now neighbor, has a computer science degree and is very computer savvy (if that helps), so the two of us can tackle most of this as long as we have the right directions.


TV: Sharp 60 inch lc60le835u

Receiver: Denon AVR 2112CI

Speakers: Infinity Primus 363 front/ 153 rear / C351 center

Sub: Velodyne Impact 12

BluRay: Samsung BDD5500

NAS: Synology DS411J RT w/ 8TB


So here are my questions: Am I missing anything? (IE boxee box, media server? ) I have an old Linksys 80211g router, do I need to upgrade to an 802.11N capable? I can put the server next to the whole set up if needed to hardwire, or I can put it in a closet in another room.


TV: For calibration, can someone point me in the right direction for a tutorial? Or should I have it professionally calibrated? I assume I should plug everything into the receiver, does it matter if I have the ethernet enabled HDMI cords? I know the blu ray player is internet enabled, and the TV comes with wireless. I plan on streaming most of my media from the NAS, but I will probably use some of the apps on the tv


Speakers: Can anyone point me to a good tutorial on how to calibrate/ set up/ integrate with the receiver? Should I go with 12 guage wire? The wire will be run across the floor about 15-20 feet. I've read a little about the rocketfish wireless adapter, is this a good idea for the rear speakers?


Universal remote: Any suggestions? I've looked at reviews for the logitech harmony series, but there are tons of models out with differing reviews, not sure where to start. Also, I've read about the HDMI CEC capability, will that allow me to not need a universal remote? I think the big thing is macro/activity functionality for this for me. Also, every component will be line of sight from the couch.


Sub placement/ calibration: Any good tutorials?


Networking: I've got a macbook pro that I planned on running the network through, any tips on how to integrate everything well together?


Any help would be greatly appreciated, I've spent hours combing through posts, and I think I'm more lost now than when I started. Thanks again!

 

[mayhem13]

You mind if we break this down a bit and go with one setup/issue at a time. Some of the posted questions are dependant on how other solutions are implemented so....


Lets start with the server. Your going to want to hard wire it to whatever media player you choose and the MacBook. Sounds like you probobly should upgrade the router to an N Dualband and locate it next to the gear. Utilize the ports to connect the TV/BD/Media player. That'll soak up all of the four ports.


Now as far as HDMI cables go, good ol Monoprice and save a penny. No special protocols required.


The Media player. From what you want to do and what you have already, the Dune Players running a nice front end such as Zappiti, yaDis or MyMovies should have you covered with all the latest Codec/container support and connectivity. Take some time to research some of what i've mentioned first. The ethernet connectivity has to be prioritized first.

 

[Matt L]

Since this is a networking forum you should focus on that here and post in the various other forums for more specific help. That said I will comment that you will need a fair amount of room conditioning, carpet, drapes furniture to tame the sound in that size of a room with all hard surfaces. I'm a big fan of pro calibration for displays, and if you can afford it audio. I have no idea where you are going to be located, but in the Midwest I can whole heartily recommend Chad B. for both.


Back to networking, what do you intend to stream? If you plan on ripping movies and music to your computer you will need a large amount of storage and something to stream it to. The stuff built in to displays and Blu Ray players is poor at best, do a little reading here and pick up a streamer that will meet your needs. I'm not a fan of wireless connections so if at all possible hard wire as much as you can.


when you get things nailed down a bit more I'm sure all the knowledgeable people here can help.

 

[kurilukd]

Thank you for the very quick reply, I looked into the Dune players, and I was wondering how familiar you are with the Synology diskstation? Here is the little blurb that they have from the website:

Download Station functions as a 24x7 torrent, FTP, HTTP, eMule, and NZB download center without a PC. The eMule download engine allows search-n-download capability with a web-browser without installing additional desktop applications.


Audio Station supports music, Internet radio stations, and iPod playback with the optional speakers. An optional direction-free Synology Remote allows you to freely enjoy your music. Streaming mode allows your music to be shared with multiple users over the Intranet or Internet.


DLNA/UPnP Compliant Media Sever allows you to stream multimedia files with an UPnP Digital Media Adapter (DMA) to a stereo system or a TV-set. Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox360 are also supported.


iTunes® Server is an easy way to share music with other iTunes clients over the network. Password protection prevents unauthorized sharing.


That is one reason why I bought this model, because I thought it would allow me to bypass a separate media center. I guess I'm having a hard time understanding exactly what my NAS will do for me. The dune players seem extremely capable, but it seems like the other pieces have similar functionality when combined. I know the blu ray player also has DLNA certification and is a "smart player" with internet accessibility, same with the tv. Are you sure I need to buy another box to tie this all together, or could I just download the boxee software from the boxee site and run it from my mac? I've already got a cart full of hdmi cables and stereo wire waiting to be bought on monoprice, I'm just waiting to find out exactly how much I need. Thanks again for the help so far, I can't describe how much I appreciate it.


Just saw the second post: I'm planning on downloading most of my movies, I've got four 2 TB hard drives to put in the NAS, I'm not sure if I'm going to go with a 4 TB Raid configuration, or just use the whole 8 TB, it has 5 bays so I can expand it later if necessary. Would the Dune player or Boxee box be something to stream it to? I plan on branching out to the other forums here once I had a better idea of my networking set up, and to be honest, I really just had no idea where to start asking questions. Like mayhem mentioned, I think getting the network figured out is a good starting point.

 

[pmcd]

Synology makes some very good NAS units. Anyway, if I were you I would get a general media player and avoid the DLNA minefield. PCH, Boxee, etc..


philip