jayg Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I have directv and am assuming I will need to run cat5/6 throughout for future mrv. What cabling/wiring would you do before the walls are closed up?
Fezmid Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 Actually, the talk about MRV (Multi-Room-Viewing) is that you'll be able to do it over the existing coax. Or at least, that's what was being talked about a couple of years ago. Not sure if that's still true. That said, you can never have too much copper in your house! At a minimum, I'd install 4 runs of RG6 (coax) and 4 runs of cat5 to each location you might expect to have a television at. You don't have to use it all right away, but it's nice to have, just in case. I'd then run 2 RG6 and 2 cat5 (minimum) to other locations in the house - office, behind the sofa, etc. Cable's cheap, and when the walls are down it's easy to run them - so why not? No matter how much you run, you'll always wish you had run more.... I'd also highly recommend installing conduit to a few key locations, so that you can string new cables in the future in case some get damaged, a fancy new technology is released, etc. Even PVC piping is fine. Just make sure you put a string in there, so you can tie it to the new cable and pull it through in the future. It's a lifesaver. I wish I had done that in my theater, but I thought, "Eh, I have enough cables here, I won't need more." Then my HDMI cable broke.
eSJayDee Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 IDK if it's "code", but if it's permissible, I'd strongly recommend installing extra length strings from each (non-electrical) box to and thru the floor below it (& tie them off so they don't get lost in the walls). This way, if you need to add wiring in the future, snaking it will be MUCH easier. This way, anticipating your future needs (& wasting $ on unused wiring) is far less important.
plenzmd1 Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I wish I had done that in my theater, but I thought, "Eh, I have enough cables here, I won't need more." Then my HDMI cable broke. Also, I know it sounds far fetched, but at some point you will need new HDMI cables to carry the 3-D signal. From all that I have read, 3-D is right about where High -Def was in 1999. Still some arguing over formats etc, expensive etc,but its coming, and the killer app is going to be in sports! You will need HDMI cables that can carry more data than what is currently avaialble.
Fezmid Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 Also, I know it sounds far fetched, but at some point you will need new HDMI cables to carry the 3-D signal. From all that I have read, 3-D is right about where High -Def was in 1999. Still some arguing over formats etc, expensive etc,but its coming, and the killer app is going to be in sports! You will need HDMI cables that can carry more data than what is currently avaialble. Not far fetched at all (although I've read that current cables may actually work... But who knows?) http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/09/11/panas...s-on/#continued
stuckincincy Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I'd also highly recommend installing conduit to a few key locations, so that you can string new cables in the future in case some get damaged, a fancy new technology is released, etc. Even PVC piping is fine. Just make sure you put a string in there, so you can tie it to the new cable and pull it through in the future. It's a lifesaver. I wish I had done that in my theater, but I thought, "Eh, I have enough cables here, I won't need more." Then my HDMI cable broke. Great advice, Fez...
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I am gonna get on my pipe pulpit: Don't cut corners... Have everything piped out in EMT (electrical metallic tubing) conduit! EMT It will sound like overkill right now and you might have to get an electrician that actually is an electrician that wants to do it... Or because they will want to only meet the lax code that may be in place. BUT YOU WILL THANK ME LATER ON... It is really not that much more and a good electrician can bend pipe and pull wire FASTER than other methods. Really... Do it up right!!... Even with your telecommunication cables in a separate mechanical system (pipe)... I would actually color that: Really Cool Products Trust me... If all you think about is safety... Don't let an electrician talk you out of this sort of mechanical protection... They are probably too lazy to do it if they talk try to talk you out of using pipe (or they can't bend)... You are building new anyway! /off my conduit pulpit
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 I'd also highly recommend installing conduit to a few key locations, so that you can string new cables in the future in case some get damaged, a fancy new technology is released, etc. Even PVC piping is fine. Just make sure you put a string in there, so you can tie it to the new cable and pull it through in the future. It's a lifesaver. I wish I had done that in my theater, but I thought, "Eh, I have enough cables here, I won't need more." Then my HDMI cable broke. I have a convert... There is a reason why Chicago Electrical Code is the best in the nation! Because it is full proof... I just don't know why more places just don't make it code for residential dwellings. So what if you have to know a little trigonometry to bend pipe correctly... It is really the offsets that give you the most grief... But with the internet calculators out there, you don't even have to remember cosecants for common angles anymore. Here they are anyway: Common angles and their cosecants Angle 10º 22.5º 30º 45º 60º Cosecant 5.76 2.6 2.0 1.414 1.15 From, with calculator: Offsets Trust me, follow it and things will fit to a tee! You will impress your friends too!
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 11, 2009 Posted September 11, 2009 Also, I know it sounds far fetched, but at some point you will need new HDMI cables to carry the 3-D signal. From all that I have read, 3-D is right about where High -Def was in 1999. Still some arguing over formats etc, expensive etc,but its coming, and the killer app is going to be in sports! You will need HDMI cables that can carry more data than what is currently avaialble. Not an engine, but this philosophy holds true with electrical work and a no brainer on a new construction: You can pay me now, or ME later
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 Thank you for all of the responses. So what did you decide... Knob & tube wiring?
Alaska Darin Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 http://www.broadbandutopia.com/bespwrco2ca2.html
jayg Posted September 13, 2009 Author Posted September 13, 2009 Thank you to all to all who replied. Will definitely do the conduit and add more coax and cat5/or 6. I'm going to run speaker wire everywhere for future indoor/outdoor audio.
Corp000085 Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 After doing a summer project dropping data and electrical into existing walls, I'd HIGHLY recommend dropping as much Cat5e or cat6 (whichever you prefer... cat6 is way expensive comparatively though), coax, and speaker wire through the conduits as you can. Also, consider separating out the circuits for your entertainment system, network station, and computer stations from the normal 15 amp household circuits. This will reduce brownouts when printing, or cause voltage incidents when you turn on a faulty lamp or something. On the terminus ends of the coax, just have them go into a big enough splitter that can handle the loads, then run it outside or wherever its going. As for the network/telecom wiring, have it terminate properly into a switch that can be expandable. It's far better to pay more and to connect 8 twisted pairs if you drop a couple lines somewhere then the buy a bigger switch and have to reconnect like 300 wires!
mead107 Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 Make sure that you put in a lot of outlets in places that you may not think that you need them . Like next to the front door or hallways . Even outside front door, garage, deck area, sides of house and if you are planing on landscaping back yard.
Corp000085 Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 an outside data drop would rule... a wifi extender inside a shed in the back yard. That's big pimpin!
ExiledInIllinois Posted September 13, 2009 Posted September 13, 2009 Thank you to all to all who replied. Will definitely do the conduit and add more coax and cat5/or 6. I'm going to run speaker wire everywhere for future indoor/outdoor audio. The nice thing about conduit is... You can have the electricians come in and put up all the pipe and boxes and then have the drywallers come right in and finish up... Then the electricians can come back and pull all the wire... Or Whenever... Even leave the telecommunications vacnat and do what you want later. You never have to worry about tearing a wall apart again... Again, even better if you go this route with telecommunications. Think about it now... The house is going up from scratch, it isn't really that much more. Give enough room for expansion and you will never have a problem. Just think what one little mouse can do to make your life miserable! I equate it like when they are digging the basement... You mine as well go 8 or 10 feet... You won't be doing it later!
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