vAutomation Example 1 : Medium Scale Installation

This particular design is focused on whole house/multiroom audio & video distribution, where the customer needed simple, easy to use controls. Pressing multiple buttons to turn on, switch to, and then watch a program or movie simply wasn't acceptable.

With these basic requirements in mind, VidaBox vAutomation was chosen and a design was developed, with the following components of interest:

- 6x6 HDMI matrix switcher for whole house video distribution (RS-232 control)
- ADA Suite 16 for multiroom audio distribution (RS-232 control)
- LG TVs for video, which are controllable via RS-232 (w. 2-way feedback)
- A surround sound receiver, also controllable via RS-232

By using these core components, you can deliver & your client can enjoy:

- 1-touch AV source switching for up to 6 video and 15 audio zones:
  - From any video (VidaBox, Cable/Sat) or audio (iTunes, radio, etc) source...
  - ..to any location with a TV/speakers, or listen to video feeds in areas without a TV
- Using the same set of speakers, provide
  - Multiple streams of synchronizable ("party mode") video in any number of zones
  - Support surround sound and analog 2.0 stereo sound by simply adding a receiver

Particular points of interest on this design are:

A. The ability to use the same set of speakers in the 5.1/7.1 surround sound zone for 2.0 and S.S. sources.

By using a surround sound receiver, we can program vAutomation to automatically switch between the line-in, 2.0 analog audio source and the 5.1+ surround sound source coming from HDMI.

For example, if the client is watching a TV show or movie, the receiver is simply tapping into the 6x6 HDMi matrix switcher for both audio and video. When a multi-room audio sound source is selected, the video portion of the feed is left alone, but the audio is now coming from the 2.0 analog line-in from the ADA Suite 16 system, so that the same set of speakers can be used for 2.0 or 5.1/7.1 sound. No need to install additional sets of speakers.

As an option, if the video output device is a projector, we can also program it to turn off automatically when a non-video source is selected for that zone, to conserve and help maintain the projector bulb's longevity.

B. True integration with lighting, climate, and other subsystems

As an option, you can integrate and provide '1-touch' control for movies, allowing your client to simply hit a touch panel and:
- Launch a movie
- Switch to the appropriate audio and video sources
- Preset to a comfortable volume
- Dim the lights
- Change the thermostat settings
- ...and more!

Need more (or less) audio or video zones? It's easy to scale the design with VidaBox systems -- simply expand upon the design by implementing additional hardware as follows:

Audio Distribution:
- Shrinking the design: For smaller projects, we may not need all 16 inputs and zones that the ADA Suite 16 provides - making the Suite-8000 series of multiroom receivers very attractive. For example, if the Suite 16 is replaced with a Suite 8200, you can still provide 8 sources + 2 internal radio tuners, plus 8 independent outputs. The RS-232 drivers remain the same for this exchange.

- Enlarging the design: For larger projects, adding more audio zones is easy with the ADA Suite 16 - simply add a P-16 card onto the ADA to quickly provide 32 zones, or add in additional Suite16's to support up to 96 audio output zones (by using a total of (12) P-16 cards). For a more detailed view of this implementation, please check out design example #2, which provides 16 video and 32 audio zones.

Video Distribution:
- Shrinking the design: To cut back on the number of TVs, simply scale the HDMI matrix switcher down from a 6x6 into a 6x6, or even a 2x2. Ideally, the scaler should have RS-232 port capabilities and a well-established, proven protocol for control.

- Enlarging the design: To grow the number of video zones, simply upgrade the HDMI matrix switcher into a larger 8x8, 18x18, or 36x36 system to support additional TVs. At the same time, the HDMI matrix switcher can be replaced by a conventional component and L/R RCA audio or digital audio switch.

For other unique scenarios, please contact us for future suggestions and technical assistance!

Simply give us a call at:
516-730-7500 (Choose Sales & Customer Service: Option 1)

..and we'll be happy to answer any other questions that you may have about our complete vAutomation™ solutions!