How to create media home and not to loose the last dime? A lot of companies "are proud" to suggest us very different, but very expansive multiroom systems. But necessity of these multi-thousands spending is very moot. Ask yourself – do you need Dolby Digital 5.1 sound in your garage? And can you imaging yourself seeing DVD or BlueRay Disk in the bathroom? I tell you more – a lot of elements of comfortable "home, sweet home" you've already bought, but don't know about it.
     Let's begin from the main blocks of Media Home. To my opinion, it's enough to speak about 4 of them:
     Devices that receive & save signal (PC with tuners, satellite radio, set-top box);
     Devices that transfer the signal (wireless routers, LAN wires, etc.);
     Devices of power amplification of signal;
     Devices of signal reproduction (TV screen, acoustic system and so on).
     Try to virtually create workable project of rather cheap Media Home on the base of absolutely usual house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and garage. In my article the core element of system – personal computers united in the home net. I suggest you the system that can be called MultiCore+MultiZone.
     What are the pluses of this scheme? With the help of internal or external expansions such as DVD drive, TV tuner, FM or satellite radio tuner your computer can receive different types of information. Play mp3 – it's easy; see your collection of digital photos – now problems. It's easy and cheap not only to produce audio & video information but to save it. Today's price for 1Gb on hard dive is smaller than 30 cents. You can have the image of your favourite DVD for $2.5 only. Through your local home network in can be playing anywhere you want.
     Computer is also the easiest way for receiving media information from the WWW. Terabytes of video and files are waiting for you. If you have an interest you can hear & see everything from the other parts of our big world through web-radio and IP-TV. Broadband access has given us really broad horizons.
     The main elements or "Cores" are 3 or 4 computers. One – in master (usually parent's) bedroom, one or two in 2nd & 3rd bedroom (usually children's) and the last – in the family (or living) room.
     The first three roles can be played by usual computers. The only necessary hardware add-ons – wireless cards to every subj & wireless router for more comfortable and defendable network. 802.11g is "on border" for wireless transferring video signal, so I suggest you to buy rather 802.11g hardware with acceleration extensions (such as MIMO for example) or be a pioneer and use 802.11n draft hardware. For the total cost $200-$300 and a few minutes for tuning the net you'll receive free access to the information and hardware possibilities without wires.
     The basic element – computer in the family room close or under the biggest TV screen in your house. Silverstone, Lian Li, Thermaltake produce a lot of desktop cases which look rather cool in the "neighbourhood" with other HiFi components. 4 or 5 400Gb (the best variant for $/Gb correlation) hard drives in such case let you forget about the lack of free space for a long time. Windows Media Center Edition is useful and easy "software jacket" for media needs for every person of your family from grandpa to young schoolgirl. You don't need to buy a monitor for this computer. Every not-small TV let you start & work with system with the help of DVI, HDMI or Component video-in.
     For the every computer you have to add their "power brothers" – AV receivers. The most powerful – in main room, less powerful – for others. Compulsory condition for all receivers – their possibility to work with acoustic systems in the second sound zone. Don't be afraid, the price for them (usually working with 5.1(A zone) + 2(B zone) acoustic) begin from only $200. Their second zone are necessary for you because you will use them for "secondary" rooms of the house (bathrooms, kitchen and garage).
     In garage and bathrooms it'll be better to use specially protected (usually selling as Outdoor) acoustic. In these rooms you can choose the source of signal (mp3, satellite or web radio, podcast or anything else) and work with it with the help of different variants of PC remote from Logitech, Microsoft or anybody else. In kitchen I suggest you to use protected LCD monitors (from Shuttle for instance in combination with waterproof keyboard (may be with touch screen in it) plus trackball OR use sensor screen. It expensive than usual LCD monitor but can much wider functionality.
     If it's no doubt that in family room you have to enjoy full 5.1 system of acoustic and big HDTV, in other "main rooms" you can choose what acoustics and what screens will be used for better balance between spending & result.
     Let me give you an advice. Today's prices for big computer monitors (20"-24") is so low and their quality of picture is so better than the same diagonal LCD TVs suggest you, that it's more safety both for your bank account and your eyes to use monitor + TV tuner instead of LCD TV.
     As a final result you'll receive Media Home with a minimum cables and wires between different rooms but with a wide access to different sources of audio and video information everywhere in your house, with a possibility to record, save & protect all digital information that your want.
     And not paying too much!

© Dr D & Dilby.com