Do i need a HA controller?

[pjwinstalls]

This is what I want to do..

Four rooms:

Each room will have a denon avr-2807 that will control the video switching to the tv in each room. I will have a russound cam6.6 with xm2 and ipod ibridge dock connected to it. The cam6.6 will output via rca cable to each denon receiver. I will also have four samsung q1's umpc for each room.

I would like to have CQC installed on each umpc. From there, I can turn on the tv, put it on the correct input, turn on the denon amp switch to the correct video input and control the cable and satellite receivers. Also control the Blu-ray dvd player in each room. Not looking to share video between rooms.

In regards to the audio, from the umpc I can turn on xm or ipod through the russound but outputing the audio through the denon.

My main question is do i need a automation controller (elk) to do all this?

Does this all seem feasible with CQC?

I guess the tv, satellite, cable, has to be controlled with IR? How do i go about this?

Thanks again

Philip

[ellisr63]

The Elk would be used for security, lighting etc.. not for Audio/Video routing and def doable with CQC. Some things you may have to control via IR but the Denon and Russound could be controlled via RS232 (If the CAM can use thecurrent CQC driver).

[IVB]

Sorry, a bit confused - Is the question "Do you need a hardware controller ie Elk", or "Do you need a software controller ie CQC" or "Do you need both a hw and a sw controller"?

[pjwinstalls]

the question was do i need a hardware controller? I want to use CQC for the software. If i dont need a hardware controller, then how do i go about connecting all the serial cables (i.e. russound, denon receivers etc....)

Thanks

Philip

[IVB]

the question was do i need a hardware controller? I want to use CQC for the software. If i dont need a hardware controller, then how do i go about connecting all the serial cables (i.e. russound, denon receivers etc....)

Thanks

Philip

Ah. IIRC from cocoontech, at this moment you *cannot* control the russound from the Elk.

To control boatloads of serial devices from CQC, you should get a cheap 8way PCI serial card, ie off eBay. I got an 8way MOXA for $40. Actually I got 2, just in case one dies. Then you can connect directly. For equipment in another room, you can use CAT5 and RJ45->DB9 adapters. I have my irrigation controller roughly 30' away and wired that way.

For your IR stuff, you've got a few options. Hopefully someone else can chime in with experience - if not, i'll ping back with the theoretical stuff I've heard.

[pjwinstalls]

i do need the elk though with the setup i am talking about right? CQC does directly control and receive info through the serial to the cav6.6 correct?

How do you turn your tv on and off with the fujitsu tablet that you use?

[IVB]

CQC directly controls the CAV, so i'm not sure what you'd need the Elk to do.

I don't control the TV via the fujitsu, the local display device is pretty much the only non-controlled item. I use an MX850 in the H/T room, so I just use that.

I know others are doing IR blasting for TV control though.

[pjwinstalls]

I just needed to know if i needed the elk for what i was doing. If i understand you correctly, I do not need it. Just need to figure out how to get IR to the tv, satellite, and cable boxes.