Whole House Audio System

In my house I've put together a DIY whole house audio system. I have music in each room and also in the back yard. I can listen to my complete CD collection (over 6000 songs!), over the air radio stations, or XM Radio in any room of the house using voice commands, touchscreens, or by remote. The only drawback is that we can only listen to one source at a time. But for us, this hasn't been a problem. Let's see how I do this.

Hardware
Yamaha 550W 5.1-Ch. Digital Home Theater Receiver	XM Radio Digital Commercial Free Radio	40-244 Radio Shack Speaker Selector
8262 Stereo Imp Matching Spkr Vol Control	LU43PB Dual Outdoor Speakers	8166753 Garden Rock Speakers
Bookshelf Speakers Variety of Bookshelf Speakers	PM5900 PowerMid IR Extender	HR12A X10 Remote Control
USB-Uirt USB-equipped PC to Transmit and Receive IR	Click to enlarge

Now I'll try to explain how it all works! To get sound into each room I have the Yamaha receiver and the XM Radio next to the HomeSeer computer. HomeSeer has learned all of my IR codes from the remotes using the USB-Uirt. The USB-Uirt is pointed straight at the XM Radio and Stereo receiver. I then run a line out of the receiver through the floor into the basement. From there I have a speaker selector box that runs all the other rooms in the house. Each room has it's own volume control switch and set of speakers, including the one's in the back yard.

Now let's say I want to listen to XM Radio. I simply click a button on a touchscreen or use a X10 remote to tell HomeSeer what I want to do. HomeSeer fires a script based on my input and sends the correct IR signal through the USB-Uirt. Changing the channel on the XM Radio SkyFi and setting the correct input on the Yamaha Receiver. I then just turn on the volume within the room I want to listen to the music in and adjust the volume.

Also in each room is a seperate speaker for when Trinity (my computer) has something to say. I use the Pillow Speakers, powered by the Sonic Impact Portable T-Amp Digital Audio Amplifier, to send all of her updates or warnings. Everything she says is run through the ROC-Randomizer plug-in, so it's always fresh and most of the time pretty funny.
Some of the things she says:

1. Hey, the washer machine lid is open
2. Yoo hoo, people are sitting pretty still around here in the livingroom
3. Are we heating the outside, please close the backdoor

Screenshots of my Touchscreens for Media Control

If you use Homeseer, you need Blade's Plug-in's!

bptworld@comcast.net