[mclb01]

Hi all,

this is my first post so please forgive my lack of knowledge.....

I am near completion of renovating my house from top to bottom and have decided to set up my first home cinema and I really need some advise on which cables to install in my wall before plastering as I'm doing all of the work myself. I am about to purchase the following:

-Samsung 40" F86
-Sony STRDG910 or Onkyo 605 (decision not relevant to this thread but please feel free to comment)
-Sony DVPNS78H DVD player
-Jamo A102 or Wharfedale Diamond 9 (again not relevant here but don't hold back)
-PS3 (eventually)
-Sky HD

I have chased out the wall where the screen will sit from the ground to the screen level and then up to the ceiling for the speaker wire. I have already laid the speaker wire to each corner of the room (under the floor boards upstairs).

My question is what cables will I need to install in the wall before plastering over (rest of the house already plastered) to run the above equipment and be as future proof as possible in case I wish to add to it. I'm assuming a lot will run through the AV amp and therefore reduce my need for cabling to the LCD although the screen has 3 HDMI inputs so should I just run 3 cables and be done with it? I don't have any restriction on what I can run to the LCD as I channelled a big old strip out of the wall but obviously don't want to run cables I will never even use.

Based on conversations with people in hi-fi shops I have all of the following flying around my head to install:

-Speaker wire (already done)
-3 x HDMI (because the f86 has 3 inputs - do I really need 3 though?)
-Scarts? (a guy in a Sony shop said to run a couple up but I can't think why I'd need them)
-Component? (what are these for?)
-Phono? (do I still need these?)
-Optical? (again, not sure what this is and how many I'd need?)
-Anything for PC if I ever decide to hook up laptop?
-Anything I've missed?

Sorry for the long list of questions but I'd really appreciate the advice and am grateful in advance. I've only discovered this site about a month ago and seem to spend an awful lot of time on it which has helped me chooose the above list of goodies but this is where I'm stumped.

I promise to post pics when I complete my install.

Many thanks

[davepuma]

Common sense would say to install one of each type of cable plus cat5/6 for future networking use. However, if you go for the Onkyo 605, it will upconvert all sources to HDMI so in theory you could get away with a single HDMI cable from the amp to the TV. I'm not sure if the 910 upconverts all sources to HDMI. You will also need to install an audio cable from the TV to the amp, which will either be a pair of RCA phonos (red/white analogue) or an optical cable. As amps don't accept SCART or VGA, it might be an idea to install one of these as well but as you have Sky HD I wouldn't bother with the SCART. The VGA would be a good idea (they're not expensive anyway) for connecting up a laptop etc.

[laserdave]

To Your screen it is worth running

1. Speaker Cable for centre speaker duties

2. Hdmi x1 if your AV amp is doing all the switching

3. Have just done a rewire (signal level) myself , If you can run some CAT 5e cable along the same channels do so, there are many baluns/adapters for almost every video/audio format, plus with more content held on computers either at home or over t`internet it makes sense to have at least 1 cat5 available.

Optical, into your AV amp not your TV
Scart, your kit list would be wasted forget it
PC Are you Interested in running an HTPC? if its a new build get an HDMI vid card,and run thru the AV amp if its DVI get an adapter to HDMI and run thru the AV amp, if its VGA get a new card its a LOT better than running a bulky VGA cable

Component, your kit list all have HDMI connections dont bother.

Basically if you are starting with new late model gear SCART,Component,VGA are not worth bothering with, I am in the process of removing all these cables to replace with Cat5e and HDMI.

Hope this helps
Dave

[mclb01]

Hi laserdave,

thanks very much for replying so soon. Do you mind if I picl your brains a bit further on a couple of your points?

-Speaker Cable for centre speaker duties (to tv)
is this preferable to letting the amp drive this centre speaker?

-PC Are you Interested in running an HTPC?
sorry mate, what is HTPC?

-Component, your kit list all have HDMI connections dont bother.
Thanks for this, what is component cable used for anyway?


Many thanks again in advance.

[mclb01]

Hi davepuma,

thanks also for your quick reply and advice. On the point you make re: audio cable from tv to amp (below), which is the best option of the 2 and what is the difference please?

"You will also need to install an audio cable from the TV to the amp, which will either be a pair of RCA phonos (red/white analogue) or an optical cable".

Thanks again in advance.

[davepuma]

It will depend on what the audio connection on your TV is. As freeview/analogue terrestrial TV outputs in 2.0 stereo, in theory there shouldn't be any difference, although some would argue that optical would be better as it is digital but as TV's have one or the other, it would be hard to clarify. Have a look at the rear of the TV or the manual and it should tell you what the audio output is.

[mclb01]

Cheers Dave, much obliged mate.

[MarkTaylor]

Having been in your position 6 years ago I'd say the best way to be 'future proof' isn't so much about the cables you put into the wall as how you do it.

If I was doing this again I'd make sure I put decent quality trunking into the wall and left a few spare pull wires in there as you can be sure that once we hit HDMI 3.0 or whatever comes eventually anything you can currently buy to put in the wall will be out of date.

The ability to run new cable types without pulling the wall apart each time is priceless.

[mclb01]

Thanks for the sound advice Mark, hadn't given that any thought. Do you recommend any kind of trunking in particular?

Many thanks

[MarkTaylor]

I'd rather let Joe or one of the other experienced installers suggest specific products, but if you have access to the floor space above it could be a really simple solution as you don't need anything more complicated than a straight run up from the amp position and a run down to the screen position.

[mclb01]

Luckily I do still have access as I've just run speaker cables above living room ceiling under bedroom floorboards. Carpets not in yet upstairs. I've found a couple of other threads on trunking a few minutes ago and will look out for the guys you mentioned.

Cheers mate.

[mark_bickerdike]

Hi,
Some interesting reading on this thread as I'm thinking of doing something similar.
I'm interested in why the suggestion is to run under the floor of the room above rather than the living room itself though - I was considering running speaker cables etc from the amp (which will be in the corner at the front of the room then running to/from it to each corner and to the front centre of the room.
Is it easier doing it from above for some reason that I'm missing?
Don't want to get started doing it the more difficult way if I can avoid it!
Thanks,
Mark

[MarkTaylor]

Depends entirely on floor/ceiling construction and where you are planning to put things.

In my case for example we had a concrete floor to contend with and a lot of lighting work being done to the ceiling so it made more sense to go up there with the speaker cables as well, especially since 2 speakers were going to be ceiling mounted as well.

[steve1224]

Make the conduit bigger enough to handle more cables and attach a piece of string/rope to the last cable you pull, this will give you the facility to pull more cables if need in the future without too much trouble.