RE: [KAT5] Matrix Switcher

["Keith Doxey" <kat5users@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Peter,

Thought you were a bit quiet in your previous post :-)


> I've finally managed to persaude SWMBO to let me have a projector
> However, in order to conform to SWMBO guidelines
> all cabling must be invisible.  Because we're knocking the living room
> about at the moment anyway this might not be so bad because I'm
> allowed to
> get any cabling chased into the walls as long as it gets done now. 
But
> this means I've got to get the cabling in now.  I'm trying to cable as
> flexibly as possible but I've tied myself in knots trying to
> decide what to put in where.
>

Definately the right time to install cabling

> This is what I have right now:
>
>     * Lounge:
>         *         TV
>         *         DVD Player
>         * Node 0 (Garage):
>             * Cat5 Patch Panel
>             * TiVo
>             * Sky
>             * DVD/VCR Combo
>             * RF Distribution to all Rooms.
>             * Cat5 to all Rooms
>
> To which I want to add a projector, which of course is on the
> opposite side of the lounge to the TV.  I also want to use the
> Yamaha YSP1
> vitual surround speaker which will sit a meter or 2 from the TV when
the
> projector is on.  This just takes straight audio inputs (analogue and
> digital) and does its own amplification.

> I currently have a RGBS Kat5 pair which at the moment are just
> relaying IR from the lounge to Node 0.

> I don't know where my PC might go in the future so that makes it
> hard to know where to lay a DVI cable.

DVI is the most difficult as cable lengths must be kept reasonably short
with as few connectors as possible. There are extenders available for CAT5
cable (not from me) but these are expensive and also need 2 cables.

>         Then it suddenly dawned on me that if I had Cat5 laid on to
the
> projector site (on a wall near the ceiling) I could potentially patch
> anything into the projector with the right sort of Kat5 pair.  So I
could
> patch through a DVD from under the TV back to Node 0 and then
> back into the
> projector.


> Can I use my RGBS Kat5 pair for component video?

Yes. An RGB set can be used for RGBS, Component+Composite, 2 lots of
S-Video, 4 Composite Video, Component+SPDIF etc.

> I would also have the problem of how to get audio from Node 0 to
> the YSP1 - I could use a Kat5 pair for Stereo or Pro-Logic
> (you can tell from the YSP-1 that I'm
> not obsessive about cinema sound anyway) but how would I get
> multi-channel audio over Cat5?

A normal set of KAT5 could carry Stereo Audio (giving prologic) and the
video circuits can carry SPDIF to handle 5.1 etc. If you only have Optical
connections on your kit you will need to use Co-ax/Optical converters.

> It also struck me that although right now I might have to
> do a bit of patching if I wanted to change sources, that using Cat5 to
the
> projector would be the ultimate choice as and when the Matrix Switcher
> appears.  If I  understand correctly this would allow me to have
multiple
> sources simultaneously going to one or more outputs, all controlled by
> IR.  Have I got the gist of the switcher right?

Exactly right.


> I also want to allow for future developments (Sky+, HDTV, Computer).
> Will Cat5/Kat5 satisfy my short- and long-terms requiremnts?  Any
> hints, tips will be gratefully received.

KAT5 will be able to handle any analogue video requirements. At the moment
I
cant develop products for DVI/HDMI because I am concentrating on getting
the
switcher finished and I also dont own any digital Video kit yet!

Hope that helps

Keith