Wireless Audio Video Streaming setup for new Home

@Doremonn - I'd highly recommend Onkyo HT-S7705 for the ground floor. Hard pressed to find anything else with so many features. Or you can consider Onkyo HT-S5700 too.

For the first floor, if budget is a constrain then check out Bluetooth speakers or sounddocks. The top tier ones sound very good and are 100% wireless in that they can be carried anywhere and also run for hours on battery. Also, the sounddocks will have radio stations and with apps on smartphones and tablets you can pretty much stream all the free music you want.

I'm not sure you would need a Blu-ray player unless you have a ton of Blu-ray discs. On that front I'm a huge fan of PS3/PS4, it will play Blu-ray media, gaming and works very well as a media server too.

NAS like @haisaikat said don't bother. You can simply connect an external HDD to a smart router or use an old PC with an internal HDD of 3TB or 4TB connected to the router and you are all set for streaming all over the home.

Depending on your content requirements do consider adding in a Roku. You will need to spend on a VPN service monthly and also pay for the likes of Netflix, but hands down Roku is the best for streaming content and in terms of the channels it offers. I believe Kodi too works on that front, but I've never used it... but either a Roku or a HTPC with Kodi will offer a lot of freemium and paid content and will beat just about all cable and satellite TV services in India.
 
Reply:1/2. For musicbee post....

For the first floor, if budget is a constrain then check out Bluetooth speakers or sounddocks. The top tier ones sound very good and are 100% wireless in that they can be carried anywhere and also run for hours on battery. Also, the sounddocks will have radio stations and with apps on smartphones and tablets you can pretty much stream all the free music you want.
This is good idea. Is this channelized/stream along with ground floor 5.1 speaker? Sounddocks (Bose) priced @19,000 INR too high for me.
I'm not sure you would need a Blu-ray player unless you have a ton of Blu-ray discs. On that front I'm a huge fan of PS3/PS4, it will play Blu-ray media, gaming and works very well as a media server too.

NAS like @haisaikat said don't bother. You can simply connect an external HDD to a smart router or use an old PC with an internal HDD of 3TB or 4TB connected to the router and you are all set for streaming all over the home.
I have had selection of DVD but blue ray disc. PS3/PS4 option pretty attractive but don't want to give up hands to my teenage son for wasting time on gaming as he's fan of it.

For NAS, yes i can use my old home PC but need to upgrade 250gb to 2-3 TB internal HDD. Which router I should consider? How many required? Where to place it in ground and first floor?
Depending on your content requirements do consider adding in a Roku. You will need to spend on a VPN service monthly and also pay for the likes of Netflix, but hands down Roku is the best for streaming content and in terms of the channels it offers. I believe Kodi too works on that front, but I've never used it... but either a Roku or a HTPC with Kodi will offer a lot of freemium and paid content and will beat just about all cable and satellite TV services in India.
That's it. It really flaunting me.:clapping: Awesome and very useful input. :signthankspin:But while checking Roku site, there is stick and player - both option available. Which 1 would be best fit?
Here, I go...
Ground Floor
~LED TV (4k/3d), 42" - Sony
~Roku (stick or player-to be decided)
~AVR
~NAS (my old PC with router). This PC requires to keep ON 24 hours with net, am I right?
~Wire connected 5.1 speakers
~Wire connected BD player or PS3/4 - to be decided. Is PS3/4 offers wireless streaming?

First Floor
~ Wireless speakers Rasberry Pi or BT/Sounddocks - to be decided
 
Last edited:
Reply:2/2. For haisaikat post....
I would not recommend wireless speakers for the ground floor 5.1 setup since in that case your AVR potential would not be used to the fullest which you are paying for. This is because wireless speakers transmit the signal only over wireless but not the amplified power and hence every wireless speaker needs to be connected with receiver modules that have the amplifier or have in built amplifier to make you hear the sound from the signal. Your AVR on the other hand also has built in amplifier so I would never recommend wireless speakers on ground floor for the 5.1.
noted with thanks.
For LED TV please also check LG and Samsung since (I know of LG for certain) they might provide extended warranty on additional cost (check with customer care thoroughly). Are you looking for 3D or 2D or 4K?
Going for 4K or 3D. What should it to be?
Regarding the first floor wifi speakers, on low cost there can be a composite solutions. Here you can chose any speaker of your choice that supports 3.5mm / 2 RCA jacks as inputs (you may start with 500 INR computer speakers and later on upgrade to better speakers) like and with that attach a micro-computer board called raspberry pi following this project Raspberry Pi as low-cost audio streaming box - CodeProject which should cost you no more than 4200 INR. You need to club this DIY device with every wireless speaker that you place on 1st floor.
4200 INR option is really VFM. Does this stream with ground floor audio input or as separate ? whats different between these speakers v/s bluetooth speakers/sounddocks, as suggested by friend-musicbee. Hows sound quality compare to it?
On NAS, for now do not worry and use your laptop or old desktop for centrally storing the media and later on upgrade to a NAS. Off the shelf Home NAS is a Network Attached Storage which is a dedicated device (read computer) that is optimized for low power consumption and adequate cooling solution so that you can use that for long hours (read non-stop run for days / weeks) and can also help with built in features for torrent downloading, acting as music server, add more drives to increase storage in future, backup features with the ability to control some or all of these through a web based UI using any browser on the same network. Some NAS also support installing custom apps and also provide mobile apps for better remote control.
I assume you also suggesting same as our friend-musicbee. I indent to use my old home PC with upgrading HDD to 2-3TB to use as NAS. But question is on router? where to put? how much required? --No idea.
Now the remaining parts, like AVR / 5.1 Speaker/etc do you have any plans for auditioning? Do you know if your city which AV dealers have outlets?
Ahmedabad dealers of Onkyo & Denon & Direct Bose Show room. On coming Sunday. I'll audition both Onkyo s7705/s5700 & Denon as suggested in post above.
 
Last edited:
Bose Company Executive Recommendation Putting as it is....

Dear Sir ,

Kindly share the PDF copy if received.Also check the Below Products when you go to the Bose Store today :

1. Bose Lifestyle 535 III Home Theatre 5.1 System

2. Bose Videowave 55

3. Bose FS 51 Garden Speaker

4. Bose Cinemate 520 Home Entertainment System.

Rest all product details I will share it with you when I come to Ahmedabad in the Next week.

Regards ,
 
Doremon if your budget is open please hire consultants and AV / System integrator. Onkyo and Bose is not end of the world. These integrator work number of brands and vendors and understanding your need and budget can give perfect solution.
 
I am not that much of an expert on either 4K or 3D so you have to look up on this forum or other members suggestions in that regard.

For the Raspberry-PI option it is complete on wifi so it can access from your primary source on the ground floor and you do not need AVR or speakers to be kept on, it is like direct from your NAS / streaming PC over wifi. Just one recommendation is that you should definitely plan for a wifi repeater or a 2nd router as discussed in earlier posts on the first floor unless you are okay with the range and performance of ground floor router. I am saying this because although you might install a strong router on ground floor the wifi dongles on your receiver end might not always be powerful enough to throw the return packets over a vast distance.

If you go for 2 separate routers look at any N 300 router with gigabit port on either floor and that that should be good. Make your pick from this list per budget
Routers - Buy Routers Online at Best Prices In India | Flipkart.com

Otherwise if you intend to try with single router setup then you will find lot of guidance on this forum on AC routers.

On this front your BSNL internet of 100kbps definitely needs upgrade and I suggest a cable broadband (>1 Mbps at least and preferably unlimited) might be more cost effective for streaming purposes as suggested by @musicbee.

However if you do intend to keep the BSNL open, then it requires ADSL modem which you must have as a separate device since the routers with in built ADSL modem aren't that feature rich generally.

The router can be placed ideally near to the HT AVR / TV on the ground floor so that you have easy wired access to TV, AVR, PC. If you intend to have a second router on 1st floor then place it on the opposite side of the house w.r.t the ground floor router location to ensure maximum dead-spot coverage

The PC to start with can do just fine with additional 1 - 2 TB storage for you to complete your setup first and then you may add more but you certainly do not need to keep that 24/7 on unless you have a need to do so. For 24/7 on scenario a dedicated NAS device is recommended and normal PCs have desktop grade hardwares which are not meant for prolonged 24/7 usage and moreover consumes more power.

Regarding wireless speakers, I think you can buy any 4 - 7 K bluetooth speakers that have Audio input option from external source through 3.5mm jack or RCa jacks and there you can feed raspberry pi output to make it wifi in just half the price of sonos as a future upgrade. Which one sounds better is a tricky question but definitely soundocks are more feature rich and bluetooth can be a plus to directly stream from phone without turning on router / NAS at all.

PS3 is wifi enabled but not sure if it can be DLNA controlled externally, research please :)

Lastly regarding Bose, how much quote did they make, seems to be a 3 - 4 lakh package for sure :) for Bose they are not that feature rich and does not have much compatibility with non-Bose systems, most importantly the last I knew they do not have HDMI input to connect BD player and their inbuilt players supports no higher than DVD.

I agree with @hemantwaghe that if you have Bose budget then hire consultants to suggest you much better and upgradeable non-Bose setup in the same price bracket
 
@haisaikat & hemantwaghe :-Bose is out of reach. Blowing price - 4 lakh.

Lets wait on our friend musicbee reply..
 
@musicbee, haisaikat, hemantwaghe: Last few doubts asking before going for audition on Sunday in Ahmedabad......

(1) Finally, Pl correct me if I perceived anything wrong in *setup concluded below
(2) Roku - should I opt stick or player?
(3) Need more options on first floor speakers (brand?) in addition to sound docks (most desirable but costly too)
(4) Not clear on PS3/PS4 function and benefits over BD player? This query gobbling mind coz my son is approaching 14 years and fan of hi tech games. Presently his hands on PSP though.

*Setup Assumption:-
Ground Floor
~LED TV (4k/3d), 42" - Sony
~Roku (stick or player?)
~AVR (onkyo & Denon)
~Wire connected 5.1 speakers
~Wire connected BD player or PS3/4 - to be decided.
~NAS (my old PC with router)

First Floor
~ Wireless speakers with Raspberry Pi DIY project (as hisaikat suggest)
or
~ BT speakers/Sound docks (music bee recommendation)
~ 2nd Router/Extender [/QUOTE]
 
Last edited:
Your understanding is correct for the setup.

However if your primary intention is gaming then apart from the motion gaming concept I love PC games any day over PS3 especially 1st person games. But note that PS3 and PS4 are costlier than the standard blu ray player and in that cost you might very well get a decent Blu-Ray playr which can upscale your DVDs better like the Oppo Blu Ray players. Also note that new games on PS3 / PS4 are costly to a large extent and you cannot download and play full versions for free like it happens easily for PC. But no doubt the experience on PS3 / PS4 connected to home theatre is a separate experience all together.

For now I suggest park aside 1st floor and concentrate on auditions for ground floor so that you know how much it actually costs for the ground floor setup to live up to your expectations and liking
 
Regretful friends on late updating as the time passing through I am.

Lost my job and that's put me on jeopardize to spend single bucks.

Now, what set up I should looking to at cheaper solution?
 
If you lost your job, put the brakes on buying gear [emoji2]

Better to wait and buy good gear you will use for years than buy a compromise now and swap out later

Hope you find your feet soon !!
 
Regretful friends on late updating as the time passing through I am.

Lost my job and that's put me on jeopardize to spend single bucks.

Now, what set up I should looking to at cheaper solution?

If you lost your job, put the brakes on buying gear [emoji2]

Better to wait and buy good gear you will use for years than buy a compromise now and swap out later

Hope you find your feet soon !!

Sorry to hear that :sad:. Surely more opportunities will come your way soon.
Hold on to your money until it happens.
 
I bought Sony W700B smart led Tv.
Would like to acompain deep bass wireless speakers to feel home theater.

Wish to place it in drawing room only.

After having job option, I will go for complete 5.1HT installation as suggested above by musicbee and haisaikat.

Pl give some VFM option between 6-10k budget
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Walnut finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
Back
Top