Soon the keys to the kingdom will be mine...

[RowdenCO]

Still waiting to move into new build Redrow Home & I should have the keys 27th Nov and its about bloody time.

And so in the mean time I've been sat here viewing the forum, while planning and plotting my own setup. I've seen some excellent stuff & only hope I can come up with something just as good as the quality of the work from AV Happy & Albriscoe, these guys really do pay attention to detail.

I've finally managed to setup a test rig so that 1 Xbox360 & 1 PS3 can be connected to 2 Televisions in different rooms, saving me from disconnecting cables or moving consoles, just cus SWMBO is watching Holby City on the main one. Just need to save the cash so another forum member I've been communicating with can make me up a proper one.

Im thinking of taking the floating wall idea in another direction & once I begin building it I'll upload pics and explain the idea. I wanna get in there first before I share the idea.

Pics are of main house, the dedicated adult lounge room (the kids have their own lounge they share with us adults) & finally SWMBO, my own personal NHS nurse to patch me up from all the DIY mishaps I may run into.

[RowdenCO]

No comments on the current setup.... Well its not really a setup as most has been boxed and now it's just fiddles.

[spocksbeard]

Hi Rowden, good luck with the move!

Just wondering, how do you get the xbox on two TVs? Is it through a reciever or is it more simple than that?

[RowdenCO]

Much more simpler than an expensive receiver.

The Consoles are plugged into a 4 into 1 component cable.
4 in 1 Component Cable for PS3, PS2, Wii & Xbox 360 - buy online from Blue Unplugged

On the back of the 37" TV where the component plugs I've used 3 of these connectors.
Gold-Plated 2-into-1 Phono Adaptor : Phono Adaptors : Maplin

I could have used 5 of these connectors and split the sound, but didn't bother as both xbox and PS3 are connected 5.1 Dolby in living room.

From there a component cable is then run to the 2nd TV (Once I've moved this cable will be going through a wall). The xbox is able to display on both monitors at the same time, with no visible degradation in the picture quality, this even works for games. This is more of a side effect as it wasn't what I was trying to achieve.

The PS3 only displays on one monitor at a time, and will only display on my main tv if the green connection (the one that carries sync information from PS3 to displays) is disconnected from the little TV (I plan to put a simple switch here to solve this). If I wanna use the little TV the main TV can either be off or using another input, but If I select component I get a picture on neither screen.

Xbox & PS3 controllers work through walls (I tested) and my lounge and study will be next to each other so its a short run. This solution works for me, and switching one little switch when I move rooms is no big deal.

I hope this makes sense.

[albriscoe]

really looking forward to you moving in and gettings things sorted

give us a shout as and when

[signs]

That's a great idea about the xbox running off two Tv's (think i would just get another for the sake of £150 tho )

Good luck with it ,and nice to see you have got the Mrs fitted out in the right kit

[RowdenCO]

I thought about that, but then I'd need a second PS3 aswell and then one console will have games saves on it the other wont and I'll be continually swapping hard-drives about.

The PS3 also has the PlayTV module so it does all my Freeview recording and this way I can also access this from either room. Trying to keep track of which console recorded what I cannot be arsed with, so all in centralised was the only way to keep me happy :-)

Plus this way in the evenings when SWMBO is watching crap on TV, I've got a reason to visit her cus I'll need to change a disk.

[RowdenCO]

Got to visit the house today, nothing's really moved on since last week, but I'm told the move in date is still the Nov 27th. Found out where the Aerials ports are and I'm annoying they are on the wrong side of the living room. My study next door has an Aerial port near by so I've decided to take a cable from there and run it through the same module system im using to put component & RJ45 through the wall. A quick trip to wickes and attached is what im gonna use.

There are no plans to install Sky or Virgin Media, just good olde freeview. We had sky a year ago and got rid after realising weren't watching the stuff we were paying for and in the southwest we get a very good SD signal.

Lounge will contain

Main TV, PS3, Xbox360 & Wireless Surround System all on a custom AV unit designed and built by me.

Study will house:

Smaller LCD, Computer & a component feed from the PS3 and Xbox360 in the lounge.

[alz2605]

Congrats on the new house! Nothing like the excitement of planning a new set up to house all your kit in. Oh and I suppose living in a new home with your partner may add to the excitement too

Thanks for confirming that the console controllers work through walls. I've been toying with idea of moving my consoles and sky box into the dining room and feed the TV in the lounge with them. My aim would be to cut down on the noise and heat generated by them.

All the best with your project and I'm intrigued to see your take on the floating wall!

[RowdenCO]

Thanks, the only thing I can say about the console and wireless is test first!

My parents live in a new build townhouse as well, so I did a little test at theirs. A console in the centre of the house was able to be controlled from any room in the house.

Bonus today is that there is a stack pipe, middle of the house top to bottom boxed in. Perfect for running Cat6 for my gigabit network, with it all converging on my study.

[RowdenCO]

Spent the evening designing the desk for the study. Been looking at a Ikea Malm chest of drawers I've got with a badly damaged top (leaky fish tank), so I've decided to build the drawers into my new office desk after removing the top.

Its gonna be wall mounted on 2 sides, drawer mounted on one and unsupported on the front, there is going to a printer shelf above, which will also house my external hard drives. There will be a monitor support, which will also act as a place to hide the wires going to the monitor and to the printer and accessories above.

Plus its time my 6 foot x 4 foot Megatron picture to get back on the wall.

Image of drawers copyright Ikea UK.

[RowdenCO]

Today at work I picked up a rather nice Philips Streamium base stations & 2 wireless stations. I love my job . I work for an insurance company and we replaced a stolen set , but unfortunately for the crim the police caught him and the item was recovered . As we had already replaced, the original set became property of the insurance company & I bought it as salvage £5.00

I think one will be going in the kitchen, the other the kids lounge/playroom and the base station in the main livingroom.

Got the photos of the kitchen off the missus's phone today, its the best of a bad choice, but should do us a few good years until we have silly money to invest in my dream kitchen. I wont be replacing the kitchen any time too soon, but painting it will be on the list, as me and magnolia don't get on.

[alz2605]

Originally Posted by RowdenCO

... the original set became property of the insurance company & I bought it as salvage £5.00

No wonder our insurance premiums are so high

[RowdenCO]

You try and prise the new replacement from the filthy mitts of a policy holder when its been sat in their house for a month. Admittedly the company I work for could put more effort into selling the items on properly, but then people want warranties & guarantees. Long story short I get it for £5 as is, if it there is a problem with it boohoo that's for me to deal with.

[RowdenCO]

on with the packing.... consoles all packed and ready to go

Finished the design for the desk to go in my study , its half AV related. AKA the gaming room. Let me know what you think, good and bad. Consoles wont be in the room, but there will be feeds.

This will be the first project, the AV unit for the lounge is a bit bigger & complicated & so will take longer so this ones first.