HDMI Baluns

S

Steven Barnes

Freshman
Feb 21, 2012
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I am looking for an HDMI Balun Solution for some permanent installs and possibly some production use. I have tried various HDMI to Cat5e Baluns with no success. Some units use 1 cat5e others use 2, none of them have worked over more than 50ft of cat5e.

Anyone have any luck with HDMI Baluns? I would like something that will use either Cat 5, Cat 6, or Coaxial RG6. It must work up to 300'. Would also like to get 1080P if possible, but lower resolution might be an option. Loop outs for multiple "Receivers" would be a huge plus as well.

The first project is to extend a Mac Mini (1920x1080) to 2- Samsung 55" LCD screens approximately 250' apart.

Thanks in advance.
Steven
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Steven,

Extron does seem to have a Cat5e extender set out that may work for your needs, but I've never used it. With the specs you stated, methinks you're headed into fiber optics territory…

I've used something similar to this in the past, except with a 300' reel of fiber…surely there is an HDMI version also. We made sure that there were no tight bends and that the cable was kept out of foot traffic areas. For installed work, that's beyond my experience thus far, so I'll leave that up to those with more knowledge than myself.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

I can't remember who makes it but I saw an ad for one that uses a single RG-6, and was rated for 1080P/60 to over 300'. A complete send/receive set will cost you more than that mac-mini though! (will research it for you)
You are better off sticking 2 mini's to the back of the TV's and just remote controlling them using standard networking. (Networked media players work too -AppleTV?)
Other than that the fiber rigs are the way to go, or HDMI over I/P digital signage setups (definitely gives you the one-in multi-out concept)
-The extron units I dealt with once choked-out at 225' -even with that really-expensive Extron Cat-7 they recommended.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Craig,

Those aren't hardly as expensive as I thought they would be and they look like a great option for both install and road use. The only caveat the manufacturer mentions in using such the device is that it must ONLY be used between the image/video source and the actual display. A switcher, etc. in-between could (apparently) result in the device burning out. :-(
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Craig Hauber said:
Here's the one I remember, looks like prices have come way down.
-says it has a cascade port for multiple outputs too.
HDMI Over Single RG6 SDI COAX Extender Expandable Set | Part # 90-12024

(ymmv)
Click to expand...
Hey Craig,

I thinkRG6 is going to be the route for the time being. I am going to order a set of those baluns to test them out. I ordered a set of these http://www.libertycable.com/intelix/IntelixFlyer_DIGI-HD-COAX_1.pdf about a month ago, but I am still waiting on the backordered receiver to test it out.

Fiber is out of the picture at the moment due to price, but I know this is the way we will end up going eventually.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Steven Barnes said:
I am looking for an HDMI Balun Solution for some permanent installs and possibly some production use. I have tried various HDMI to Cat5e Baluns with no success. Some units use 1 cat5e others use 2, none of them have worked over more than 50ft of cat5e.

Anyone have any luck with HDMI Baluns? I would like something that will use either Cat 5, Cat 6, or Coaxial RG6. It must work up to 300'. Would also like to get 1080P if possible, but lower resolution might be an option. Loop outs for multiple "Receivers" would be a huge plus as well.

The first project is to extend a Mac Mini (1920x1080) to 2- Samsung 55" LCD screens approximately 250' apart.
Click to expand...
You are getting near the limits of HDMI over UTP but you should be able to get well over 50' and up to 300' for 1080p over CAT5e/6 cable, although you are probably looking at Extron and Magenta Research type products to do so.

Their may also be other potential issues such as EDID and HDCP involved, especially with a Mac Mini or any protected content. Did you try different sources or content or look at those factors? Did you try it with just one display? Did you check if any of the products you tried worked at lower resolutions?
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

One of my many issues with apple and their products is the fact that they require a full HDCP handshake to occur with every display they are connected to via digital output. Even if there is no protected content displayed, they still require it to output anything. I discovered this when I could get a macbook to output to my switcher over VGA, but not over DVI-D or HDMI.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Charles,

What switcher are/were you using? We've got a new switcher/scaler coming (Analog Way Pulse) and I'd like to see if there are any issues like yours. It touts HDCP compliance with the DVI I/O, so I'm hope everything will be okay.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

the best solution is Crestron DMtx201c to Crestron DMrmc100c

next best is Extron HDMI201 rx/tx

next best is Atlona hdmi40srs

After using all known solutions, the only one I trust is the Crestron option. BTW-- you may not use any 110blocks or have any breaks in the cable if you are running 1080 60, it has to be a full straight cat 6 with no breaks and shielded connectors.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Tim Duffin said:
the best solution is Crestron DMtx201c to Crestron DMrmc100c

next best is Extron HDMI201 rx/tx

next best is Atlona hdmi40srs

After using all known solutions, the only one I trust is the Crestron option. BTW-- you may not use any 110blocks or have any breaks in the cable if you are running 1080 60, it has to be a full straight cat 6 with no breaks and shielded connectors.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the heads up, I will be looking into the extron stuff, I have always had good luck with their stuff.

In the meantime, I received the receiver end of the Liberty AV intelix RG6 baluns. They worked great. I tested them between a Mac Mini and our screens, as well as a blue ray and our screens, both worked great. I used a 360' piece of Plenum rated RG6 with good BNC Compression ends.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Related to your search ... I can report that I have used these in permanent installs, at lengths of about 150 feet (I realize you're trying to go 300). But because of the price...who can beat Monoprice. These have successfully transmitted 1080p reliably, without ever having an interruption, or glitch, over two Cat5e cables. Maybe they'll come out with an active version that can transmit farther.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CO3i74i0obMCFW-CQgodvEQAeg
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Lee Douglas said:
Another option maybe HD modulators, which would allow you to add additional monitors for that source very inexpensively.

ZeeVee.com | Distribute HD video over coax with our encoder / modulators
Click to expand...
It appears that the ZeeVee boxes only support analog sources. When you start dealing with HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort you start dealing with HDCP and EDID and that can get tricky if you are doing anything more than a single source direct to a single destination. You can encounter issues such as mixes of different supported EDID, mixes of HDCP compliant and non-HDCP comliant devices, intermediate devices that address EDID differently, sources that enable HDCP whenever they are connected to an HDCP compliant device regardless of whether the content calls for it and so on.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Brad Weber said:
It appears that the ZeeVee boxes only support analog sources. When you start dealing with HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort you start dealing with HDCP and EDID and that can get tricky if you are doing anything more than a single source direct to a single destination. You can encounter issues such as mixes of different supported EDID, mixes of HDCP compliant and non-HDCP comliant devices, intermediate devices that address EDID differently, sources that enable HDCP whenever they are connected to an HDCP compliant device regardless of whether the content calls for it and so on.
Click to expand...


I have yet to find (at ANY cost) a matrix switcher for HDMI that works as quickly and troublefree as analog (either YPbPr or RGBHV) It's always exactly because of what what Brad refers to above.
My go-to solution has been the HD-Fury for that one HDMI device that every client insists "has to work" alongside evrything else in an already happy matrix setup.
Meanwhile I'm waiting for the so-called "Analog Sunset" to wreak havoc on thousands of perfectly good working HD restaurant and sports-bar rigs worldwide :)
 
Craig Hauber said:
I have yet to find (at ANY cost) a matrix switcher for HDMI that works as quickly and troublefree as analog (either YPbPr or RGBHV) It's always exactly because of what what Brad refers to above.
My go-to solution has been the HD-Fury for that one HDMI device that every client insists "has to work" alongside evrything else in an already happy matrix setup.
Meanwhile I'm waiting for the so-called "Analog Sunset" to wreak havoc on thousands of perfectly good working HD restaurant and sports-bar rigs worldwide :)
Click to expand...

Hdmi is not a professional standard. I believe the professional Hd/digital standard is sdi?

Sent from my DROID RAZR
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Steven Barnes said:
I am looking for an HDMI Balun Solution for some permanent installs and possibly some production use. I have tried various HDMI to Cat5e Baluns with no success. Some units use 1 cat5e others use 2, none of them have worked over more than 50ft of cat5e.

Anyone have any luck with HDMI Baluns? I would like something that will use either Cat 5, Cat 6, or Coaxial RG6. It must work up to 300'. Would also like to get 1080P if possible, but lower resolution might be an option. Loop outs for multiple "Receivers" would be a huge plus as well.

The first project is to extend a Mac Mini (1920x1080) to 2- Samsung 55" LCD screens approximately 250' apart.

Thanks in advance.
Steven
Click to expand...

My current tour package includes some Magenta HD-One DX extenders. I haven't used them often, but had reliable results sending a 1920x1080p at 60Hz using 200' of generic 100' Cat5e. I've used multiple "receive" units but only by using multiple transmit units and a DVI-DA driven by the output of our switcher/scaler. It also hasn't mattered which of my four displays are communicating in the EDID conversation. They just work. I can't comment regarding HDCP handshake but their website says yes.

For using RG6 you're probably looking at HDSDI, and my understanding is that it's bandwidth is tapped out before achieving the throughput you desire.
 
Re: HDMI Baluns

Silas Pradetto said:
Hdmi is not a professional standard. I believe the professional Hd/digital standard is sdi?
Click to expand...
That depends on what you mean by "professional". SDI (SD, HD and 3G) is greatly the current standard in the broadcast and production world but for the presentation and computer markets HDMI has pretty much become the standard.

One of the major reasons for that is that SDI does not support HDCP, so you won't see many latops, Blu-Ray players, TV/cable/satellite tuners, etc. with SDI outputs. And stripping the content protection while converting from HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort to HD-SDI would be illegal so converting HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort outputs to SDI only works if the content is not HDCP protected.
 
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