Here in the UK there are a few ways to receive digital TV. Some of them are free (after an initial outlay for equipment) others are based on a subscription model. Here are some of the most common ones: Digital terrestrial, received through a suitable TV antenna (DVB-T) Cable, in most cases through Virgin Media [...]
The brief for this design for Durham University Orchestral Society was something that fitted in with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, composed under the watch of the communist state in which he lived, whilst surreptitiously incorporating musical ‘messages’ that the outisde world could spot. Due to illness and a very busy period at work, the designs [...]
Yesterday I completed and successfully tested the control software for the audio system. The software works with the matrix switcher and the APC MasterSwitch remote control PDU to allow the audio output devices around the house (TV, radio, CD player etc.) to route their sound to any of the 4 audio zones. I’m now waiting [...]
The speakers for zone 2, the dining room, have been installed without much of an issue. They sound pretty good after a test of zones 1, 2 & 3 using the DAB radio in the kitchen. The left-hand speaker helps to hide the cable route from the pantry to the dining room & kitchen.
I’ve listed 2 of the 3 replaced switches on eBay. If anyone wants a bargain, get bidding on them! Planet GSW 400S Gigabit Ethernet Switch (GSW-400S) Planet 24 port managed 10/100 switch w/gig fibre
One of the things that has been lacking in my bedroom is a TV. I can watch recorded TV programs, DVDs and other videos on my PC, but not at the same time as relaxing on my bed. While I had a week off work I was looking around the Dabs website and ventured across [...]
Audio zone 3 is the kitchen. This is one of the rooms that has not been decorated yet, so I can afford to do things without much consideration for any damage to the paintwork and I’m not constrained by the current styling. In the end I opted for some cheap Bose-clone speakers to hang high [...]
There are 4 audio zones in the house, each requiring it’s own amplifier and pair of speakers. I’ve just purchased the last of the amplifiers, which completes the selection of hardware that’s necessary within the cabinet. I took the opportunity to rearrange the order of things in the rack a little to tidy things up.
We recently had our latest electricity bill in, and it was pretty huge. To try to reduce the next bill, reduce the heat output of the cabinet and speed up the network I decided to combine 5 switches into one. Before now all devices in the house have been connected to one of 3 switches: [...]
A recent electricity bill has prompted me to investigate how much power is being used by each device in and around the cabinet in the hope of figuring out what can be replaced to reduce running costs. I’ve had a power monitor from Maplin for a while, but most of the time it’s been monitoring [...]