Home HMusicCentre Setup

HMusicCentre is wired through my house and can display audio and visual output simultaneously to a number of amplifiers and screens. From the HMusicCentre Server, I have a VGA out going into a high-quality 4-way splitter that then feeds a 23" LCD TV via a 2 metre VGA cable, a Panasonic overhead projector via a 5 metre VGA cable and a Hitachi 42" plasma TV via a 25 metre VGA cable - the sound goes via phone to my surround sound amplifier and via a 25 metre optical cable to my X-DAC. Everything is controlled by a Philips Pronto remote control that uses radio frequencies so I can perform operations around the house and from the garden.

This page has several pictures showing HMusicCentre working on my home setup - the pictures are pretty high quality - 2592 x 1944 pixels and 2mb - so beware if you decide to download - they are scaled down on this page.

Apart from making direct connections to hardware, HMusicCentre can also work in a Client mode, where the program executable has UNC network pointers to the data files, i.e. [\\HTPC\H\Audio\] instead of [H:\Audio\] for things like AudioRoot, CoversRoot etc. and a number of HMusicCentre Clients can then stream music and video from the same server storage.

I have successfully tested with the Server running HMusicCentre and three laptops all connecting as HMusicCentre Clients to the same MP3 files over an 11b wireless network and everything worked fine. If I had more laptops I would test more! To make sure that all was well I even set all four HMusicCentres playing the same song - at slightly different times - and it worked a treat - there was no jumping or loss of audio quality. When I upgrade to a 11g or MIMO wireless network I will perform these tests with more Clients if I can borrow them.

In the front room I have HMusicCentre feeding a Sony STR-DB940 amplifier driving some Mission 780s - the screen output can go to both the LCD TV or the overhead projector. Seeing HMusicCentre's Lyrics displayed on an 8 foot wide screen is pretty cool.

HMusicCentre running on an overhead projector - main screen - download here.

HMusicCentre running on an overhead projector - full-screen Lyrics - download here.

In the dining room I have HMusicCentre feeding my Musical Fidelity setup - X-DAC, X-TONE, X10-D, X-PSU and XA-200R... with an X-CANS on the side. The speakers are mere Mission 782s but they do nicely - no need for any kind of sub-woofer anyway.

HMusicCentre running on a plasma - main screen - download here.

HMusicCentre running on a plasma - full-screen Lyrics - download here.

The music is good to me.