My Home Theater/Home Automation PC setup

[Note: I am an end-user. I'm not making any $$ anyhow, anyway, by doing anything in this post. I am not affiliated with any of the companies that I reference, I am posting this for the same reason people blog - to let others know what I do in case it will help them].

Everything I say here is also on a personal website I just finished,

If you want details, post here or go there.

I'm controlling a variety of HA & HT stuff for my 3 zone system[H/T, LivRm, Patio]. I started down this path a few years ago for just HT, but I've recently realized it was going to be dang cheap for me to extend some HA fxnlty. Frankly, everything I've ever done has been in the most inexpensive route that I thought was responsible. This doesn't mean I've focused solely on price, rather that I haven't "thrown" $$ away on silly solutions. You'll see the prices on the site - you'll see that my stuff is really rather cheap. I bet I could rebuild the whole thing now for much less than indicated there.

I've currently got:

- 2.5 TB in space for DVDs, TV, CDs. This is all controlled via the HA/HTPC.

- I'm also controlling that XM, FM, and soon irrigation & heat.

- I created an integrated front-end myself as I realized that all integrated front-ends suck as they try and build for the mass market, which means they please no one. I used CQC,

to create my own screens with the buttons for both the s/w control as well as device control [my denon receiver, etc], so I got something that I think works well.

- I'm focusing on usability & using real art as the backdrop so it's aesethically pleasing and approachable by non-techies as well.

I've got CQC screens for:

- Main Menu (startup)

- FamRm H/T Music Controller

- LivRm Music Controller (can set to same as F/R or different source)

- TV Main Menu

- Recorded TV Shows

- DVD Selection

- Weather

- House Furnace Control

- House Irrigation Control

You'll notice nothing for lighting or drapes, that's intentional. I hear the next-gen of zWave PC controllers is due out in March, so I'm going to wait for that to do anything there.

I can also use my Siemens Cingular PDA Cellphone to control the music in any of the 3 zones. Those screens are also CQC fnxlty - I just have to paint the correct UI, and CQC takes care of all the networking communication required to make it go.

Again, for details on what the system can do, the particular equipment I've bought, either post here or go to

And again, i'm not going to make any $$ doing this; i do this only to give back to the community. Seriously.