Which Music Server Should I get For My New Home?

I opted to build my own HT/HA system using a HT/HA software platform & a PC, as the pre-canned products were too expensive and offered too little functionality. Plus, this way I could pick the hardware that I liked, integrate them with the HVAC/security/irrigation/camera/lighting of my choice, design my own interfaces to do what I want them to do, in a way that made sense and were attractive to me.


I used a Fujitsu 3400 P3-400 touchscreen tablet PC for $200 off eBay, added a wifi card, and now have a roaming remote. I know folks that have opted to get several 3400's and put them in each room.


here's what it looks like. I haven't yet buried the A/C cable, but that's happening within a few days.

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/image...almostdone.jpg


And, the main screen it renders.


http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/scree...tudio_Main.jpg


I can't seem to find my HVAC screen right now, but here's the irrigation control to show you that this is a live fully functional system.

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/scree...Irrigation.JPG


Here's the DRAFT version of my security controls.

http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/scree...use_Motion.JPG



Here's what another dude using the same software engine is doing for security & music:

http://www.polarjungle.com/images/cq...ity_areas3.jpg

http://www.polarjungle.com/images/cqc/mediaoverview.jpg


Finally, here's a 3rd completely different look&feel that another dude has chosen.

http://www.touchscreengraphics.com/i...ipper-1024.png

I use CQC, Charmed Quark as the software engine on my PC, communicating with all my devices over RS232 or ethernet. It is both a "back-end" controller, directly controlling devices, and a "front-end", allowing me to custom paint a UI that works for me, not some mass-market crap.


Plus, it's CHEAP as heck. $300 for the CQC package, and whatever I personally find on eBay for hardware controllers.


For hardware, I use:

HVAC - Aprilaire 8870 thermostat->Aprilaire 8811 RS232 adapter->COM port on PC

XM - Polk XM->COM port

Concurrent CD streams: Delta 410 multichannel audio card in PC->Xantech ZPR68 preamp (many use the Russound CAV66)

Irrigation: RAIN8 controller->com port on PC

Security: Elk automation panel->ethernet cxn to network

DVDs: all ripped to HD, but if i had to do it all over again i'd get a Sony 777 RS232 controllable changer

TV: Hauppauge PVR250 card->SageTV software->linked within CQC


Future:

Camera: Kodicom DVR card->their software->embedded in a web widget in CQC

Lighting: zWave into Elk automation panel->ethernet cxn as above

Physical location triggering (i.e., when I'm close to home do something): SMS via SMS modem using Cingular SIM Chip

Photos: CQC will handle this natively in the 1.7 version, which will probably go beta in 4-ish weeks.


BTW, In my entirely personal opinion, X10 is quite horrific for my purposes for the following reasons:

- Too unreliable as it's a power-line protocol

- Highly flaky if you have 240V appliances. I have an electric stove & dryer.

- Multiple concurrent X10 signals will cancel each other out, and I have a variety of devices that I want to control.

- House wiring is old, doesn't always have a 3rd pole (ground)

- Too slow [commonly 1second response time on polling, if you had many devices, everything could slow down]