Well 7.1 is very limited in the application. Currently only certain BluRay players and then only certain BluRay disks support it. But I guess wiring for it is not going to change the price much.

I'm still smarting from the purchase of the 3D TV a few years back that there is next to zero content for (we had ESPN 3D for a while but that died and a few 3D video games on the PS3 that came with the thing). It's right up there with my investment in the slightly-less-popular Beta format VCR.

4K content seems pretty lean these days as well (I was amused by the disclaimer on the ROKU box that said while the unit supports 4K streams, there may not actually be any such content to view).

Frankly, if I already was running Cat5 (or whatever) all over the house for data, I'd not put a plug nickel into additional wiring for CCTV. You can get quite nice units for either WIFI or your Cat5 networking.

Essentially, the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 is two additional side speakers (7 total). It's where the world would like to go (and does in theaters) but requires more hardware on the part of the consumer.

4k standards are still evolving. The 4k set I bought 16 months ago does not meet the newest 'standard' (not enough brightness). The 4k BluRay players have only been out a few months. The sound formats are also evolving. 8k is in the works, some projectors support it. 4k streaming is available now on Amazon and Netflix, it will take some more time to get more titles.

CCTV vs Digital, which is better? Depends on your definition of 'better'. In today's world, I'd stick with digital. There are good quality camera's out there to be had.

Going from 16ga to 14ga for speaker wire? Wouldn't bother, unless I was running large electrostatic speakers that required the amperage.

For sure save the $95 and go with just Cat 5e for the cameras - CCTV is older technology, and IP cameras are good and getting better and cheaper. Based on the fact you are asking the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 I'd say go for the 5.1 - it means you don't feel a need for the latest and greatest.

For whole house audio, you do have the option of just getting local bluetooth speakers, or something more expensive (and much better fidelity and whole house features) like Sonos which doesn't require pre-wiring or a central amplifier. The downside to that is that you'd need to find an obvious, good place for the speakers. In the game room or media room that might be easy, but in the kitchen, master bath and lanai that may be more difficult. We did a combo - we put in ceiling speakers for the kitchen, master bath and family room, and connected them with Sonos amps. Then if we want to add to it, we can add the Sonos separates. I ended up picking up a good deal on an open-box one over black friday time for my office, and it was easy to add to the existing system.

If you are planning to have high volume sounds, then use 14 GA wire if that is not too difficult. I ran 14 GA wire from my attic sound system to the basement, and then along the basement ceiling. I use a shorter length of 16 GA wire for the actual speaker connections. Remember, this is not a safety issue, but just a need to minimize the resistance for the low impedance speakers.

I was also considering the Sonos speaker/amp combinations but was wondering if they are really considered state-of-the-are in audio quality. After all, people are spending thousands of dollars for high-end amps which I don't think Sonos has. Any opinions?

Why not cat6 wire rather than 5e? The cost difference is small (even smaller if you put 5e ends on cat6 cables) and there's a tiny bit of futureproofing and potential speed if you have any high bandwidth uses.

I'd run plastic flex conduit between key points and leave a pull string in it. Chances are very high the wire you install today other than the cat5/6 will not be whatever is in use in a decade.

I don't know how old you are, but it's been a couple decades for me already since I could hear the difference between my wonderful audiophile speakers and Bose junk--superb highs at 23khz aren't much use if your hearing tops out at 8500 hz. You might get a hearing test (especially if you're a rock fan or work with loud machinery) to see if higher end equipment could actually make any difference to you. Confirmation bias works wonders to let you convince yourself that exotic and expensive setups work better, so real data is an interesting addition to the mix.

I run a Sonos Connect through a mid-grade amp and it works quite nicely for me-- but again, I no longer have the audiophile-grade ears I had decades ago. I don't know how they manage heat dissipation with such a small box for the Amp, if you drive it at high levels I could imagine that it's lifetime might be short. Most folks don't drive power-hungry speakers with them though.

16 ga speaker wire seems fairly skimpy, especially of you have runs longer than 10-20 ft. and any speakers that want to draw a lot of amps. I'd bump it up to 12, again there shouldn't be a significant cost difference. (the quote you have to go from 16 to 14 seems absurd, the price difference for the material is maybe a dime a foot) Going to 6 or 8 as was the fad a few years ago is overkill. Any plenum rated cable should be fine (I don't know if code even requires that for home use), exotic cables are a rip-off.

I always hardwire whenever possible. Much less opportunity for glitches and interference. Wireless is great for things that move around, but for fixed installations just run a cable and be done with it.

7.1 was interesting when Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio came out as they were the first seemingly lossless audio codecs that came out for movies. Practically speaking only about 3-5% of a typical movie soundtrack uses these surround back speakers as they are called so you won't miss much if you don't put them in. Those were back in the days before video streaming really took off. Once it did, high end multi-channel audio has taken a back seat to the convenience of downloading video ever since. 5.1 surround sound is all we put in the majority of spec homes we wire up, and honestly it is more than enough for most folks.

There are new audio Codecs out there like Dolby Atmos, DTS X and Aura 3D that are most commonly found on 4k discs. They add a few more height and/or overhead channels to the surround sound experience, immersing you in sound. If you did want to be completely current on your home theater setup and use it all the time, these new codecs would be worth exploring. Otherwise stick with 5.1.

It's a good idea to wire back your audio, surveillance, structure wire, network wire and whatever other low voltage wiring you have in your home to one central location regardless of the system you ultimately chose to hook up. That gives you the ability to repurpose wiring as your needs change. Beware of ABUS audio systems-- they are tempting as they are cheaper than traditional audio systems. However the speaker wire is run to and powered by the keypad instead of an amplifier so once you install one, you can only go with other ABUS systems in the future. That will severely limit your equipment choices.

Don't spend much on speakers for distributed audio zones (a.k.a. , zones where you are listening to music while doing something else) as you will be distracted when you are listening most of the time. Additionally, unless you are the type of person that will sit down and absorb an entire album of high-res multi-channel audio, you won't notice the difference.

On the cameras you do have to define what you mean by "better." For example, both analog and HD cameras have 1080p offerings for an HD picture-- is that what you mean?

For all locations between equipment location and TV location, run conduit for Low voltage cabling-- 1"-1.5" in size. AV cable types and standards do change so running the conduit will allow you to easily fish in new cables when they are needed. It is tough to bury a cable bundle between equipment and TV that will last awhile.

16AWG is fine for most contractor grade distro audio speakers unless you have a huge house. I would run 14AWG just for the theater as it will give you more options for speakers when it comes time to install them. Given this, running a bigger gauge wire is not going to hurt anything and will likely marginally improve performance. The main downside is that it costs more. However, a $600 increase based on what you described is excessive-- the labor is the same to install either.

Also I would also spend a bit more on your home theater speakers than you do on your distro audio speakers if you are into the surround sound thing. If not then +1 on the Sonos Playbar and Wireless sub. Sounds great, easy to setup and easy to control.

Sonos certainly doesn't compare to a high end 2 channel stereo setup, but that's apples and oranges. For wireless speakers they have great fidelity, and for ease of use in a distributed audio system and for access to multiple streaming services it is still the system to beat. It's going to be much better than any bluetooth option for those scenarios.

5E over 6 makes sense for cameras because 5E is much more flexible, and those tend to be the longest runs in the house, so it's easier to pull and less likely to kink. Highly unlikely you'll need to upgrade that. For regular internet spots like AV areas and offices you are better going with the 6.

Good info, great post.