Equipment Rack and Setup

[linuxman]

I thought I would post a picture or two of my new HDTV and the rack that I bought to house everything in.

As part of my Christmas that I got on Tuesday, I also picked up a server rack to organize all my receivers, sound and tv into one rack.

They are all now wired into the HDTV and working, but I need to get some more inputs. I have two HDMI that aren't being used, but have to figure a way to get some of the normal composite video switched to HDMI or a DVD upscaler that has composite/S-Video inputs or something.

Starting from top to bottom:
4DTV 920
Fortec 5400
VBox II/Traxis 3500
Sony Surround Sound
Toshiba VHS/DVD player
Westinghouse HDTV
VBox III, Pansat 3500
Presidian DVD recorder
GI 450i analog receiver
P4 3.0Ghz computer with SkyStar2 tuner card

So that's what I have been doing the last 2 days. Cleaning out the old setup, and installing the new.

It is a lot better than it was. At least now I can roll the rack out and get to everything without knocking something down and tangling up the wires worse than they were.

I will put in another couple of shelves and separate them some more, but ran out of materials yesterday.





If you have suggestions about converting one kind of input to another in any shape or form, please let me know?

Fred

 

[Mr Tony]

VERY NICE!

I still have an old school entertainment system

 

[voomvoom]

I've never seen a TV mounted to a Rack before? I would have never thought of that. Nice pictures Fred and Thanks for sharing.
My main HDTV doesn't have HDMI or DVI, but it has one HD Component input that can be used as either Y-Pb-Pr or G-B-R-H-V. It also has two 480 Component inputs and 4 Composite inputs. It also has three Firewire inputs. I only use the Y-Pb-Pr connected from my Denon AV Receiver to do my switching. It has three HD Component inputs with one output and no HDMI anything. And all kinds of other connections, enough for everything I have, with a couple of spares.
I split the HD Component output from the Denon and run it to my second HDTV in the bedroom. It has one Y-Pb-Pr input (from the Denon), and one HDMI from a JVC D-VHS deck, and one 480 Component input hooked to a Coolsat 5000, and three Composite inputs with nothing hooked to them.

Al

Edit: almost forgot, I have a Mits D-VHS hooked through one of the Firewire ports on my main TV (Mits 73" front projection CRT).

 

[linuxman]

Thanks Iceberg!

I still have an old school entertainment system

I didn't even have that. I started with the old TV on a table, built a shelf out from the wall over it, and had the vhs/dvd player on the shelf, the 4DTV receiver on that, the Pansat on that, and the VBox II on that. Computer was on the floor, analog on top of that, with the Traxis, Fortec, and VBox III on that. I didn't even have the Presidian DVD recorder hooked up. There wasn't anywhere to put it.

I don't envy you when you decide to change over to something like this.

I didn't ever think I was going to get the wires untangled. I hope you have kept yours all separated.

At least I had mine marked so I didn't have to trace down every single wire to the roof.

It was still quite a job.

 

[linuxman]

Hey Al,

I only use the Y-Pb-Pr connected from my Denon AV Receiver to do my switching. It has three HD Component inputs with one output and no HDMI anything. And all kinds of other connections, enough for everything I have, with a couple of spares.

Where did you get the Denon, and how much was it?

 

[voomvoom]

Fred I've had it for three years, it's a Denon AVR-3805. They may not make it anymore, but they have one like it (Denon AVR-3806), and it's made for HDMI. It has all that mine has (I think), plus three HDMI inputs and both a HDMI and Y-Pb-Pr outputs. If I remember right mine was over $1200 new, don't remember exactly, but I've seen some on occassion for sell through AVS Forum for $600 and under? I got mine at Hi-Fi Buys (Tweeter), they have since closed the Macon Store.

Al

 

[linuxman]

If I remember right mine was over $1200 new, don't remember exactly, but I've seen some on occassion for sell through AVS Forum for $600 and under?

Whewie!!

That's more than I paid for the TV.

I'll just have to keep looking. HeHe

 

[voomvoom]

Whewie!!

That's more than I paid for the TV.

I'll just have to keep looking. HeHe

I paid over $6000 for my Mits......... throw in the warranty and D-VHS player and a few other things and it was almost $8000. They did bring it out and set it up for me and (so-called) Calibrated it. Which I eventually re-did...

Al

 

[linuxman]

I paid over $6000 for my Mits......... throw in the warranty and D-VHS player and a few other things and it was almost $8000.

Compared to that, I am getting by on a shoe-string and a prayer!

My wife would keel over if I spent that much on TVs, even if it was two.

 

[turbosat]

Sweet!!
My only question is, does putting the computer on its side hurt it? I would think a hard drive would act crazy on its side, but I've never researched that question.

 

[linuxman]

My only question is, does putting the computer on its side hurt it? I would think a hard drive would act crazy on its side, but I've never researched that question.

Hey Turbosat,

As long as the hard drive itself is vertical or horizontal, it won't hurt a thing. Tilting it off of either of those would be hard on it, but would take a couple of years to tell it.

It doesn't hurt anything as long as air intakes are not cover up. Heat does more damage to anything inside of a computer case.

Fred

 

[Hazelwood]

Linuxman, if you ever have a yard sale give me a call lol.
Nice set up!

 

[linuxman]

if you ever have a yard sale give me a call lol.

Will do!

You and several other SatelliteGuys!!

You don't live too far from me in Hazelwood. We are practically neighbors.

Fred

 

[turbosat]

I know all about the heat problems lol. Guess maybe I thought the OS would load sideways if I had it lying down ! Just never researched it..

 

[Tron]

Very nice setup, Linuxman!

Did you get a good deal on the LCD TV (Black Friday maybe?) I was considering one, but due to other purchases, decided to wait. Did get a 22-inch 16:9 PC monitor (which will also do HD) for $200

 

[linuxman]

Thanks Tron,

Did you get a good deal on the LCD TV (Black Friday maybe?) I was considering one, but due to other purchases, decided to wait. Did get a 22-inch 16:9 PC monitor (which will also do HD) for $200

I actually bought it on Tuesday. I had gone down to just check things out for the Black Friday sales, and saw this one on the display. It was an open box and they had it marked at $579.00. I finally got one of their helpers attention and he turned out to be the inventory control guy. He looked at the tag and it had gone past the time where it needed to be marked down again, so he dropped it another 10% to $521.99.

That is what I bought it for along with the 3 yr extended warranty. (another $100.00)

It has a VGA input with 1366x768 native resolution, so the computer is hooked right in on the VGA input.

It is a monster computer monitor.

Even 8 feet away on the couch, I can read the text and file names etc. without eye-strain.

Fred

 

[Anole]

Linuxman -

When you told me you were putting all your stuff on a rack, I thought maybe you were going to put it in the closet.
There is so much equipment on it (not to mention the TV dominates the view), that it doesn't really look so industrial after all.
Well, I'm sure the ladies still wouldn't like it, but I think it's beautiful. - :up

Couple of things I'd watch, which I'm sure you are already on top of:

1). ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.
With the open sides, back, and front, that's not going to be a big problem.
Just watch the urge to stack hardware one on top of the other.
And if you find anything running warm, consider a fan to keep it cool.
We can discuss how big, how to finger-guard it, low voltage, and how to quiet it, should that become a necessity.

2). My 42" Syntax LCD TV is h-e-a-v-y , somewhere in the 80 .. 90 lbs range.
So, since your rack is mobile, I want to caution you about it being front-heavy.
Your pix don't really show how deep the rack is, but even with one in the 24" range, I'd never risk my TV on the front of it.
If you should ever want to recover the shelf space currently covered by the TV, think about relocating it to the wall.
Here's the bracket I got for mine, but if you look through the TV bracket section, they have many others, of different style, and color.
Enough said.

So, after seeing your HD picture, do you think the kids will be hanging out with you, watching this set a lot?
Maybe you'll have to put in a mini-disco, as this room becomes the kid's hangout for their friends!
You may just get thrown out of your own den!
...and if that does happen, consider some sort of shield for the front of the TV...

 

[lumpkin666]

Somehow, I think that if you installed a "mini disco" the kids would steer clear of the room for certain.

 

[linuxman]

Hey Anole,

Couple of things I'd watch, which I'm sure you are already on top of:

1). ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.
With the open sides, back, and front, that's not going to be a big problem.
Just watch the urge to stack hardware one on top of the other.
And if you find anything running warm, consider a fan to keep it cool.
We can discuss how big, how to finger-guard it, low voltage, and how to quiet it, should that become a necessity.

You are correct in your assessment of the heat problem, but so far everything is doing quite well. I do need to build two more shelves. One at the top to separate the Fortec from the Traxis, and one at the bottom to separate the Presidian DVD from the analog box. I will get to that very soon.

2). My 42" Syntax LCD TV is h-e-a-v-y , somewhere in the 80 .. 90 lbs range.
So, since your rack is mobile, I want to caution you about it being front-heavy.
Your pix don't really show how deep the rack is, but even with one in the 24" range, I'd never risk my TV on the front of it.
If you should ever want to recover the shelf space currently covered by the TV, think about relocating it to the wall.
Here's the bracket I got for mine, but if you look through the TV bracket section, they have many others, of different style, and color.
Enough said.

It is an HP server rack, 30" wide (side the tv sits on) and 24" deep (front to back) and weighs close to 100 Lbs. and 75% of that is on the bottom. The TV sticks out from the front edge 5.5" and only weighs 30 Lbs. The 4DTV is on top and weighs almost that much by itself. The computer and analog box on the bottom are another 40 or 50 Lbs., so I don't think it will tip forward. As I have moved it around, it has never given any indication of being forward heavy.

So, after seeing your HD picture, do you think the kids will be hanging out with you, watching this set a lot?
Maybe you'll have to put in a mini-disco, as this room becomes the kid's hangout for their friends!
You may just get thrown out of your own den!

My son made the statement yesterday that all I needed now was an XBox 360 and he would be glad to take it over.

I was even forced out on Saturday Night so the kids could watch something on my 4DTV. I tried to tell them that it looked just as good on their own in the Living Room with their Sony Wega, but they didn't think so.

But I think that Lumpkin is right. If I install a mini-disco as you suggested, they will clear out.

I might think about a move for the TV to the wall in the future, but I have so much other crap in that room there is nowhere else to put the rack.

Course I guess I could just throw everything else out!

Fred

 

[Anole]

Somehow, I think that if you installed a "mini disco" the kids would steer clear of the room for certain.

- - Well, then... there's your solution! - -

I didn't realize how dated that comment was when I made it.
I really meant, "whatever they call a disco today"... club, maybe??
In truth, the word den is probably outdated, as well, though maybe it's regional.

The TV sticks out from the front edge 5.5" and only weighs 30 Lbs.

Sounds like you've got everything under control.
As long as there is nothing for the edge or wheel of the rack to snag on when you move it around, ya should be good.
You'll be pushing it at half way up, so you'll have a lot of leverage to tip it, should the base snag on anything.

My son made the statement yesterday that all I needed now was an XBox 360 and he would be glad to take it over.

I was even forced out on Saturday Night so the kids could watch something on my 4DTV.

They're already plotting to take over.
Just admonish them with this phrase, that a buddy used to use on his two kids:
"You're not the first, and you can be replaced, too!"