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"tech-ing up" my house

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boykster:
The main advice I can offer is to home run all of your wiring and properly terminate it. 

Projects I have done at my house:

* Home run structured wiring (minimum 2 cat5e drops and 5 RG6 drops per zone)
* Distributed audio with in-wall speakers using Sonos
* Centralized IR system
* Distributed HD video using a component video matrix (12 zones / 8 inputs)
* HTPC / storage server based video system (DVD and BluRay titles)
* Centralized component closet - all source video devices are located in a single location

Its pretty cool having a flat panel mounted and a touch screen remote in a room, with no other gear visible, but being able to watch TiVo, movies, AppleTV, etc from anywhere.   :cheers:


vertygo:
When we take possession of our new house definitely going to go for a programmable MP3 doorbell replacement. Haven't settled on one particular model, but I know there's a few to choose from. Hallowe-en should be a blast!

I'm  a laptop/iphone whore, so I like web access for stuff..

-Security cams you can access via the web for when you're away
-Change lighting or temp in various rooms via a web control panel

And tho it falls into the more money than you (or I) want to spend category, there's always alot of "Green" options.. solar panels, etc.

Cheers!

NiN^_^NiN:
I recently brought a brand new how and i am teching it up so to speak as well :)

Here's what i'm doing you might like some of them

Stair Lights
http://alan-parekh.com/projects/stair-lights/

These are leds you can put on your stairs or anywhere you want really and it uses an IR Beam to detect when your at the top or the bottom of the stairs and turn the lights on. The cool thing is that if you walk up or down the stairs then the leds go off one by one based on the direction you first tripped the sensor. Watch the video to understand what i mean.

LED Coffee/Dinning room/ Table
http://evilmadscience.com/majors/46-tables
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkmpIXd9Q90&feature=PlayList&p=9FB3E52B52A663F9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9[/youtube]

This is a interactive led table it uses IR sensors to light up a certain set of leds it also twinkles when there is no movement it's quite cool and you can buy either the tables or the panel kits assembled or save money assembling them (i have assembled one board and it's easy as)

LED under cabinets in the kitchen
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tgmWeNL0SQ&feature=related[/youtube]
Now you can go all out or you can do something simple like i am and just use white leds at night but it's the same as the above video

LED Faucet / LED Shower
Thinkgeek and other places
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p70uqbIw3aI[/youtube]
These are led faucet adapters (altho u can buy new faucet taps that are powered by by a small turbine so no batteries) which turn blue for cold water and red for hot water they also have them for showers and they are powered by a turbine

Backlight for plasma screens
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qETjgcSvQk&feature=related[/youtube]
Philips has one that changes colours depending whats on screen but i myself am doing soft white led lights no flashing no colour changing.

LCD hidden in a mirror
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvaUx66GGcM&feature=related[/youtube]
I got some 2way mirror tint on ebay for $50 and i tested it out with a 17" lcd and it works great im gonna pit it in my bathroom the size i have is 120cm wide and 1.5meters long which is more than enough for a huge bathroom mirror :)

LED Backlighting for bathroom mirror
http://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-Mirror/
The same concept just leds

There are loads more like my own web interface to select movies and watch them
and a touchscreen table for boardgames etc (hard to explain)

V1 http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y279/aussie_ninja/dvdflow.jpg
V2 http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8555/dvdo.jpg

patrickl:
I doubt that TV behind the mirror is that easy. How do you keep it dry? Also, you can't put horizontal lines of glue behind the mirror because that would trap water and you would get fungus eating away at the back of the mirror.

NiN^_^NiN:

--- Quote from: patrickl on August 23, 2009, 04:07:20 pm ---I doubt that TV behind the mirror is that easy. How do you keep it dry? Also, you can't put horizontal lines of glue behind the mirror because that would trap water and you would get fungus eating away at the back of the mirror.

--- End quote ---

All you would have to do is follow the instructables i posted for the backlighting of the mirror it really is that easy the monitor sits inside the frame and the mirror sits over the frame and you just need to make sure there's a vent port for the monitor just to be safe all tho it really isn't needed.

If your bathroom gets steamy when u shower then it possible might be an issue but if your got a ceiling fan to deal with the steam then you wouldn't have to even worry about that possibility :)

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