Home Theater Wiring Options | Audio Video Wiring

I love integrating audio and video technology into my home, from little gadgets like iPODs to big purchases like a big-screen TV and home theatre components.  But in all of these systems, the quality of audio and video is only as good as the weakest link.  If you don’t make the right wiring selections, it’s easy to pick out a home theater system that looks and sounds great at the store and then disappoints when you set it up at home.  

You would think that selecting cables would be obvious: just look on the back of the TV and other components and find connectors that match, right?  Unfortunately, since audio/video manufacturers maintain backward compatibility with older devices, selecting the wrong cabling could make your state-of-the-art setup look and sound like something from the late 1990s.

So, what wiring should you choose to get the most out of your system.  Here’s some help.

High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

For HDTV, HDMI is the best choice.  HDMI transmits uncompressed digital audio and video in one cable. It’s good for video resolutions up to 1080p (Blu-Ray and HD-DVD produce this today) and the full range of audio codecs (Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.).  Even though HDMI cables are expensive, they can be worth the additional cost, especially in high-end systems and systems where you are transmitting the audio and video to the same device.  (The latter is a benefit because you only have to buy one cable). 

Component Video Cables

For HDTV, Component cables are the next best choice. They transmit luminance (Y), and two color signals (Pb, Pr) each on a separate wire.  Component cables are good for delivering resolutions up to 1080i, but you must have separate cabling for audio (usually either optical or coaxial).  While they won’t produce a perfect reproduction like their HDMI counterpart, on most DVD-television combinations you won’t be able to see the difference.  Beware,  RCA-style audio and video wires will fit into the component video jacks, but these wires lack the bandwidth to carry the video signal and will lead to degraded picture quality (or in worst cases, no picture).

Separate Video (S-video)

For non-HDTV, S-video offers the best alternative.  S-video transmits the brightness channel separate from the color data. It is noticeably better than composite signals and a good choice for an old VCR.  S-video is also strictly a video source, so you’ll need separate cables for audio (in most cases, this will be RCA cables).

Fiber Optic Audio

Optical audio cables are a must have for the true audiophile. These cables transmit data using light, meaning the signal won’t degrade over short distances. The only downside is that these cables break easily when bent, and they don’t transmit video.

Coaxial (Coax) Audio

Coax audio is a shielded copper wire used to transmit digital audio signals. Coax carries the same data as optical cables but  sacrifices some audio quality in the reproduction. If you’re like me, you probably can’t hear the difference, and Coax cables are generally cheaper than fiber.  Just like with optical cable, you’ll need a separate video cable to transmit audio.

RCA Composite Audio and Video

Finally, if you haven’t upgraded your TV or VCR in the last 8 years, you’ll probably be limited to RCA cables.  These mainstays of the audio/video world have been with us since long before I was born, and have only recently gone out of style.  These cables carry an individual analog signal and should only be used where newer options are unavailable.

Compatibility and Cable Length

Before purchasing any cables, be sure your equipment has the right inputs and outputs.  Extra coiled wire can also degrade a signal, so be sure to select the shortest length that reaches between the components comfortably.

What do you think? What cables do you use? Any major benefits / downsides I left out?

Before and After: Hanging Hallway Light

This week’s Before and After features our new hallway light. Light fixtures are easy to swap out and can make a dramatic improvement in any room. The hallway hasn’t changed much since we purchased the house.  Now it has a fresh coat of paint and a new light.

After some searching, we found this fixture from Progress Lighting at Home Depot. It’s a standard light with leaf accents that give it some character. It went up with only a few snags. I’d recommend putting the base screws into the ceiling plate first. Then, put the base on (rather than trying to insert the screw while holding the base up). The wires had a nice sleeve which made maneuvering them a snap.

Before:

After:

Now it’s your turn! Link in your own Before and After posts below, and then leave a comment here. Enjoy!

Toilet Wax Ring Review: Bol Wax vs. No Seep

A few weeks ago I wrote about the toilet heck we seemed to be stuck in. We had four serious toilet problems (clogs or leaks) in less than a month. I hate toilet problems. Every one of them required us to pull one of the toilets and reseat it (requiring a new wax ring). The fourth problem was actually caused by a poor wax ring replacement on the third — leading to this post.  Here’s the details:

After I fixed the third problem and reseated the upstairs toilet (see the toilet heck post for details), I decided to go cheap on the wax ring. Home Depot offers Bol Wax as the low-cost ($1.39) alternative to No-Seep. I thought, “one wax ring is as good as another.” I guess I was wrong. The pictures speak for themselves.

This is the toilet I pulled with the Bol Wax ring on the bottom:

You can see that the Bol Wax ring didn’t make a tight seal all the way around the pipe. (Look to the left of the center hole). In this case I think the ring was just too thin and lacked the requisite structural integrity. Water was basically flowing out of the bottom back of the gasket and down into the kitchen!

This is the toilet after I applied the No-Seep ring:

Notice that the No-Seep ring has an integrated black gasket that fits into the drain pipe. This proved essential to making a good seal. Also, this particular No-Seep (a #10) was a little thicker than its Bol Wax counterpart.

Bottom line: since we made the switch we haven’t had any problems.

Now, I don’t think that Bol Wax is a terrible product. In fact, it’s currently in use on my downstairs toilet without any problems. I think it’s more an issue of the range of applications Bol Wax will work for vs. the range No-Seep will work for. The downstairs floor is perfectly uniform and has a small gap between the toilet and the plumbing. The upstairs floor is slightly unlevel with a slightly larger gap. I think the No-Seep just handled the height / level differences better.

The downside is that No-Seep is $3.99, or about 3x as much as Bol Wax. But for me, $2.60 is a small price for added peace of mind.

What do you think? Do you have a wax ring preference?

Drywall Anchors Review

Just about every room has something anchored to drywall. But you don’t always have the luxury of a stud where you need it. So you (and I) turn to drywall anchors. They are packaged with everything from picture frames to towel bars. But some are better than others.

Expansion Drywall Anchors

Expansion anchors are the most common. A typical installation goes something like this. First, you drill a hole and press the anchor inside. Then screw into the anchor. Seems simple enough. Be sure to drill the right size hole for you anchor. Don’t force them as they will break (just like my picture). Expansion anchors can’t hold much weight. Only use them for hanging light objects. One good way to remove them is put in a screw part way. Pull on the screw to remove.

Threaded Drywall Anchor

Threaded anchors are available in nylon and metal. Metal anchors won’t break as easily but nylons have never failed me. They are self starting so you won’t have to bother pre-drilling. Simply screw them into your drywall till flush. Threaded anchors can also hold more weight, approximately 15 – 20 pounds. These anchors have a larger “face” so be sure the item your hanging will hide it.

These aren’t the only wall anchors available but should be enough to tackle most hanging projects. Be sure the anchor can hold the weight and the weight is directed downward (not leaning outward).

What do you think? What anchors do you use?

Wordpress Setup Complete

We finally finished the WordPress migration today, and I expect to resume posts sometime tomorrow. Just like every IT project, this took twice as long as I expected. And, just like every IT project, I’m sure there will be some bugs in the transition. Thanks to Jim @ Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, I was able to redirect the Feedburner feed to source from www.oneprojectcloser.com instead of the blogspot location. For those who had previously subscribed, you should be all set to go.

If you’d like to subscribe, just click the RSS icon on the upper right of the site.

A number of folks have asked me why we switched to WordPress. The reasons are varied (and the subject of a more comprehensive post later), but here’s a few:

1. Total control over the software. WordPress runs on PHP and MySQL. Since I am a developer by trade, WP offers incredible flexibility. I can get into the code.
2. Scheduled posting. This allows you to “queue-up” posts for later release. Google is working on a similar improvement for Blogger (it is currently in draft), but I learned this after I decided to make the jump.
3. WordPress can publish “pages” in addition to “posts.” Pages are like posts except they don’t run in the chronology. This is great for things like Profiles, Disclaimers, Policies, and other information that doesn’t really fit into the post loop.
4. WordPress has an extensive plug-in developer base. Google is still building up a base of developers to write plugins for Blogger. WordPress has many existing plug-ins that offer great capabilities to publishers.

OK. That’s it for now. I hope to get back to home improvement blogging tomorrow.

Welcome to One Project Closer on WordPress!

Welcome to One Project Closer on WordPress!

Well, after about 5 days of playing with WordPress we’ve finally reached a point where we have to go live with the new software.

I wanted to hold out until we could figure out how to convert over the old blogger posts and get all of the links and profiles set up, but unfortunately that isn’t going to be possible. WordPress really likes to be at the “default” page on the domain. Prior to tonight, the default page was redirecting traffic to the blogspot location. In order to get the rest of the setup complete, I had to let WordPress take over the default page.

Since I haven’t been able to get everything moved over, the move isn’t going to be as seamless as I’d hoped. (The plan was to have this site “up and running” before cutting over at all). Well, as of tonight we don’t have the new RSS setup, and a number of other things are missing. But hey, you’re reading this on WordPress, and that’s exciting!

Please feel free to leave some comments on this post. It will help us get the site working better. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail us at oneprojectcloser@gmail.com and tell us! We’d love to hear from you. If you’re running WordPress and have ANY useful tips for us, please don’t be bashful, we need the help.

Thanks again for bearing with us through the move. We are truly excited to get onto a permanent platform.

Make Your Fireplace More Energy Efficient

Indoor fires (built in a fireplace) are a lot of fun. I’ve always enjoyed building them, sitting back and enjoying the warmth. What I didn’t realize was how inefficient fireplaces can be.

The Problems

There are two major problems. The first is where all that heat is going. A typical fire will generate thousands of BTUs of heat, but most of it will go right up the chimney. In fact, just about all of it is lost to the outside world. The second problem is what happens to the rest of your house. As fires burn, they draw air for combustion from inside the house. This leaves other rooms freezing cold. Also, for some reason fireplaces are usually located near the house thermostat. In our case, it’s only about 10 feet away from the fireplace. As our living room warms up (and the rest of the house cools down) the thermostat doesn’t even activate the furnace.

What Can You Do?

Here are a few options to keep the heat in your house:

1. Install a wood stove. It’s not as exciting as an open flame, but wood stoves are much more energy efficient. Newer models produce almost no smoke, little ash, and need less firewood to produce a lot of heat. The EPA has a list of certified wood stoves that provide excellent energy efficiency. Wood stoves come in different sizes and generate various heat levels. Make sure you install the right stove for your space.

2. Provide an alternate source of air. Some fireplaces have a vent in the back to allow outside air to reach the fire. Using outside air for combustion will help reduce the amount of air drawn from inside. This won’t eliminate the problem and isn’t an easy option to install for existing fireplaces, but can be achieved by simply tunneling through the back of the fireplace and adding a vent.

3. Circulate the hot air with a ventilator insert. Often referred to as a heatilator (for the most popular brand), fireplace ventilators pump the hot air back into your house. A ventilator uses the fire to warm the air and send it back into the house using a blower. These inserts tend to be expensive ($500+) but will definitely make your fireplace more efficient.

What do you think? What are you doing to keep the heat in your house?

Outlet / Switch / Wall Plate Sizes Explained

Many folks don’t know that receptacle (aka outlet) and switch plate covers come in three standard sizes. Home Depot, Lowes, and other improvement stores usually offer all three. They are: standard, mid-size (or mid-way), and jumbo.

Most decorative plates will either be standard size, or somewhere between standard and mid-size, while nylon (plastic) plates will generally be available in all sizes.

Which wall plate size is right for you depends on two things:

(1) Most important: how big of a hole you’re trying to cover. Good drywallers won’t leave much gap between the outer edge of electrical boxes and the surrounding wall board. If you’re lucky, the drywall surrounding the box will not only be cut close, it will be undamaged. If this is the case, a standard plate will work just fine. If you’re the victim of a less-than-optimal drywall job, you’ll have to use the mid-grade or jumbo variety. (If the job is really terrible, and a jumbo plate won’t do the job, you’ll need to do a drywall repair).

(2) Personal taste. Some folks, including me, actually like the look of bigger receptacle plates. If you’ve the luxury of choosing which size plates to install, pick the one you like best. I personally like the look of mid-grade white nylon plates with matching white receptacles, especially against darker paint colors (as found in my dining room). I find the standard plates just look too small, and jumbo plates look juvenile, for whatever reason.

Sassy switches offers a dimensional table at the bottom of their site which can save you that trip to the local big box to buy test plates for your job. Of course, there’s no substitute for seeing what you’ll end up with. Sassy also offers a variety of designer switch plates for those of you who need your switch plate covers to make a statement.

What do you think? Do you have a plate size preference? Is it just me, or do the jumbo plates look silly?

Valspar One Coat Primer Review

Jocie and I (mostly Jocie) decided to give some old furniture a new look. We used Valspar Interior High Hiding Primer and here are the results.

The Challenge
We have two pieces of hunter green furniture. One dresser and one end table, typical size. Both will be painted white after it’s all over. We wanted to test out a one-coat-primer and chose Valspar.
Valspar High Hiding Primer claims that it will cover
dramatic paint colors and dry fast (straight from
the website).

The Methods

We started with a quick sanding to remove any hidden finishing layers. This also helps prepare the wood for a new coat of paint. Make sure to clean up all surfaces if you sand before painting. We applied the primer with a paint brush and small roller combination.

The Results
One coat primer didn’t hold up to its name. The primer quickly soaked into the wood and dried. But a light green tinge and wood grain could be seen throughout (middle picture). It took another full application before Jocie and I were confident that no green would bleed

through (last picture). I doubt we will purchase Valspar primer again.

What do you think? Do you know a tried and true one coat primer? Have you used any competitors’ versions (Behr, Duron, Sherwin Williams, Ralph Lauren, etc.)?

Post update: Click here to see how Valspar responded (4/3/2008).

Before and After: Fireplace Ventilator Restoration

Despite the fact that the pictures are outside, this week’s Before and After is brought to you from our family room, and more specifically, our fireplace. I took the pictures outside because the lighting was much better.

When we bought this house 2 years ago, we inherited this fireplace ventilator (sometimes called a circulator, or heater) along with the house. The ventilator was pretty rough looking – a mixture of rust brown and white. It looked like it may have been painted white, but we really couldn’t tell. The relatively deteriorated look of the unit surprised us, since the POs said they only built one or two fires in their 22 years in the home.

In case you’re wondering, the ventilator works by pulling in air through the vent on the right, and pumping it through the metal tubes and out the front of the heater. It works extremely well, and makes the fireplace much more energy efficient.

We toyed with the idea of getting rid of the unit because it was so ugly, but ultimately decided to restore it using a spray paint designed for high heat situations. We found Rustoleum High Heat black spray paint at Home Depot (the subject of a later review). Needless to say, we’re very happy with the results!

Before:

After:

Now it’s your turn! Link in your own Before and After posts below, and then leave a comment here. Good luck with your projects!

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