I've been living with wireless speakers for my home automation PC for the last few years. These have not been too bad for the price, except the occasional blast of noise/interference at night. But lately they've been had more trouble staying locked to the source and the neighbour's Porn viewing has become more frequent. :)
My first thought was to just wire up two speakers. I also considered getting a couple of voice modules for the Ocelot, but they seem a little pricey for the benefit. Although I imagine my lag time should decrease substantially. Any better ideas that would offer more functionality, without breaking the bank? Are the new wireless speakers any better/more secure?
I'm hoping you mean that he's got wireless speakers, too, that walk on your speakers. (-:
As for your problem, even wired speakers can pick up interference. For months I picked up truckers on what were probably illegally amplified CB radios on my Sony ES receiver with hard-wired speakers. It freaked me out when I awoke to two good ol' boys jawboning away. I had fallen asleep with the volume turned up from listening to CD's earlier and forgot it was on. It went on for a while and then, thankfully, stopped.
First question is whether you can install 'hard' wiring. If so, wired is almost always more dependable than wireless especially for the long term because the electrical/electronic environment changes and what kinda sorta worked OK when first installed is prone to get broken as new sources of interference emerge.
Second question is what do you mean by "functionality"?
Listed below are some common uses of audio in home automation. In general, the challenge is integrating the various audio functions with each other and with other HA subsystems in a way that actual users find helpful rather than distracting.
Which of these functions are you asking about? Most can be related in some significant way to "Audio di[s]tribution for security purposes".
1) Emergency announcements a) Sirens, bells, buzzers b) Static recorded messages (voice, dog bark, etc) c) Synthesized audio messages
2) Voice control (eg of HA controller) a) Input only b) Input with audio response
3) Music a) Background (mono/stereo) b) Foreground, often with video
4)Intercom (w/ and w/o video) a) Announcement only (aka 'doorbell') b) Two way c) n-way
5) Telephone a) As portal for HA control (i) voice control (ii) keypad control b) Extension of telephone functions (voice mail, ring distribution and control, recording etc )
6) Environmental sensing a) Security (including vibration detection) b) Monitoring (barking dog, HVA noise, etc) c) Recording
7) Device/Function feedback a) Confirmation of security system functions (eg, Napco's "EVA". b) Feedback on HA control status (eg Homeseer, Elk MG1)
Which of these functions are you asking about? Commercially subsystems are available for most, although not necessarily "without breaking the bank".
IME, the challenge for the DIYer is the interrelationship and dependency of functions and subsystems especially those that are not readily distilled to a binary trigger or outcome (Event/NotEvent).
In this context of comprehensive and interconnected input, output, and distribution subsystems, matrix mixers (audio and video) become very useful if not indispensable. (I recently posted in comp.home.automation about availability of relatively inexpensive, surplus Ivie brand automatic mixers).
The original message and your responses never arrived on my server, so I'm doing a cut and paste job.
I'm hoping you mean that he's got wireless speakers, too, that walk on your speakers. (-:
Yes.
As for your problem, even wired speakers can pick up interference. For months I picked up truckers on what were probably illegally amplified CB radios on my Sony ES receiver with hard-wired speakers. It freaked me out when I awoke to two good ol' boys jawboning away. I had fallen asleep with the volume turned up from listening to CD's earlier and forgot it was on. It went on for a while and then, thankfully, stopped.
LOL. I'd be thinking I'd been taken.
I've ordered some Bluetooth speakers, we'll see how they do.
The original message and your responses never arrived on my server, so I'm doing a cut and paste job.
Marc Hult's Reply
[decrease/increase] substantially.
First question is whether you can install 'hard' wiring. If so, wired is almost always more dependable than wireless especially for the long term because the electrical/electronic environment changes and what kinda sorta worked OK when first installed is prone to get broken as new sources of interference emerge.
REPLY: Yes, I can wire it up. But I get tired of opening up the walls and repairing the drywall.
Second question is what do you mean by "functionality"?
Listed below are some common uses of audio in home automation. In general, the challenge is integrating the various audio functions with each other and with other HA subsystems in a way that actual users find helpful rather than distracting.
Which of these functions are you asking about? Most can be related in some significant way to "Audio di[s]tribution for security purposes".
1) Emergency announcements a) Sirens, bells, buzzers b) Static recorded messages (voice, dog bark, etc) c) Synthesized audio messages
2) Voice control (eg of HA controller) a) Input only b) Input with audio response
3) Music a) Background (mono/stereo) b) Foreground, often with video
4)Intercom (w/ and w/o video) a) Announcement only (aka 'doorbell') b) Two way c) n-way
5) Telephone a) As portal for HA control (i) voice control (ii) keypad control b) Extension of telephone functions (voice mail, ring distribution and control, recording etc )
6) Environmental sensing a) Security (including vibration detection) b) Monitoring (barking dog, HVA noise, etc) c) Recording
7) Device/Function feedback a) Confirmation of security system functions (eg, Napco's "EVA". b) Feedback on HA control status (eg Homeseer, Elk MG1)
Which of these functions are you asking about? Commercially subsystems are available for most, although not necessarily "without breaking the bank".
IME, the challenge for the DIYer is the interrelationship and dependency of functions and subsystems especially those that are not readily distilled to a binary trigger or outcome (Event/NotEvent).
In this context of comprehensive and interconnected input, output, and distribution subsystems, matrix mixers (audio and video) become very useful if not indispensable. (I recently posted in comp.home.automation about availability of relatively inexpensive, surplus Ivie brand automatic mixers).
REPLY: I'm currently doing 1 (Motion Announcements), 6 (Temperature sensing), 7 (Monitoring Security PC Health), also recording security video on this box. 2 and 5 are also possibilities.
REPLY: The Bluetooth speakers I'm about to try, offer voice input, so #2 could be very close Scotty.
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