Distributed AV info needed...

[S_M_E]

(Feel free to move this to another forum if this the wrong place)

I'm fine with computers and networking but I'm fairly AV ignorant and I'd like to plan out my AV system too. Currently, my stereo receiver is broken and I'm still using an analog SDTV over cable so I pretty much have a blank slate. I've been running sagetv for years but I only watch on my PC, via a sage client, because I don't even have an HDTV nor an extender...yet.

I recently ran structured cabling for network/phone/coax to several rooms in my house and garage but I that's as far as I've gone so far. I'd like to put all of my AV equipment in a closet or other centralized location but I have no idea how to wire it, control it or switch from room to room (rfid/home automation maybe?) or even how that kind of setup works. I'm not even sure where to start looking for that info, so here I am. I know I'll be going with bluray and getting 1080P tv's and 5.1 speakers (so more structured wiring will be needed, I assume) for each room but beyond that I'm pretty lost and I have a million questions because I'd like to go pretty high tech.

Any ideas/suggestions or resources is appreciated...

[CollinR]

My suggestion is to do a combination of centralized and distributed hardware. Sure have a nice rack with your Sage server, cable boxes and misc other goodies but loop wire strategically elsewhere too. When you wire for the AV I would loop the wiring through a closet or built in, this will allow you the option of having all your amps in a single area or have some local to the speakers/display that they work with.

This come into play when you wind up with cooling issues because all your stuff is packed together in a closet. A small setup is no big deal but there comes a point where your residental HVAC unit is getting a run for it's money.
Although the heat load is the same either way when you have all the stuff in one closet/floor whatever you will feel the load.

Definately use extenders and build a stout server, use good hardware if you want it to last.

[S_M_E]

Thanks for the input.

I'd prefer, as much as possible, to be centralized. Obviously speakers and displays can't be but I can't think of a reason I'd want other equipment distributed though.

I can handle the heat. If need be, I'll install a HVAC zone just for the "closet" as home automation is part of this project too.

My server is not an issue, it's on my WHS box that was overbuilt because I knew it would also become a HTPC/home automation server and more too. I plan on using motion detectors, microphones, RFID and X10 (or whatever) to control lighting, HVAC, home security and hopefully some media control but I really don't know how extensive I can make it.

One of the things I'm not sure about is wiring limitations. I know I can make speaker wire runs as long as I need just by using thicker wire but how long can I make HDMI cables or do they make HDMI/component/s-video passthrough "repeaters/amplifiers" for long runs? I'm also not sure about controlling the AV equipment from multiple rooms, through walls, etc. Sage Extenders would take care of the TV portion but what if somebody in one room wants to listen to AM or FM radio through the rooms built in speakers and somebody in another room wants to watch a bluray movie while somebody in the garage wants to do something else? A single remote is out, people fighting over which remote they need is out, multiple $1000.00 dollar remotes is out but there must be a way. Is there a way to use the TV to control the various equipment? Perhaps they can tune to a certain unused channel that has an AV/home automation menu? How do people control their systems? I might be able to use voice commands for much of it too, I'm just not sure how people control complicated AV systems. Perhaps it's easier than I'm imagining too...