Sanity check... switching a PC for A/V amp & projector to monitor and headphones

["Jeremy Aston" <jeremyaston@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Just looking for a sanity check really...  I have a customer who has
the following request.

They want to site a PC in a cupboard which will also contain a/v
equipment for their home cinema.  The PC will be connected to the
projector and ideally the surround sound system via the a/v reciever.

They want to be able to use the pc whilst sitting on the settee and
viewing the PC screen on the main screen.

They also want a seperate monitor on a desk elsewhere in the room so
they can use the PC whilst the projector is showing a DVD or Sky TV.

The first bit is pretty easy - a wireless k/b with touch pad or track
ball.  I would probably go RF to remove any potential IR issues.  Of
course the keyboard could also be used on the desk (+1 for RF again)
and I am assuming if they wanted to use a standard mouse then if one
was plugged into a USB port in the PC you could use either the
touchpad/track ball or the mouse just as you would with a laptop when
a mouse is connected.

I am assuming the video is not a big problem. If I use a 2 way VGA
splitter I can plug the PC vga output into both the projector vga and
the monitor.  If the user is looking at a DVD/TV then the source will
change from VGA to component or DVI (dependant on how the sources are
connected to the projector).  I would assume the PC would need to be
set at a resolution the projector can support.

Audio again is not a big problem.  If the PC audio is fed into the a/v
amp then if they are using the pc they will get sound from the PC
through the main speakers.  If they switch sources to watch a dvd/tv
or play an XBox game then there is no need to switch the PC audio to
another set of speakers, merely to get them to plug some headphones in
if the PC user wants to continue listening to the PC audio.  On that
note does anyone know of a set of headphones with an inline switch
that would allow them to be permenantly plugged into the PC but only
switched on when needed?

Other than that it all seems straightforward but I am doing this at 4
am so lack of sleep could be simplifying the scenarios in my head and
making me state the bleeding obvious!

Many thanks in advance.

Jeremy