Long HDMI runs

Rob Spence

Rob Spence

Senior
Jan 11, 2011
897
4
18
Boston Metro North West
www.lynxaudioservices.com
I have an event this weekend where we project the running of the Kentucky Derby on a large screen during a fund raiser.

In the past, we have used the venue's satellite service for the source. We would disconnect the receiver from the dish, connect up 100' of coax and move the receiver to the hall where the projector was located. Pretty straightforward.

I went by the venue this week to check on some details and noticed that they had replaced the receiver and tv and they were now "buit in". That is, the power cords disappeared into the wall. I now cannot unplug the receiver and move it. Yikes!

I have 2 ideas for solving this and I wanted to pass them by folks who may have some experience in this.

1) Find someone near the venue with the same satellite service and borrow their receiver. Will connecting up another receiver from the area work? I have no experience this this (I have cable). Does it have to be the same model?

2) Get a long HDMI cable to run to the projector. It is about a 100' run. Just in case, I ordered an amplified 125' HDMI cable this morning for overnight delivery but I don't have that "I know this will work" feeling that I like to have going into a gig.

Thoughts?
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

We have had good luck with the long amplified cables in install applications. 2 things I would say though:

- The amplified cables are usually directional and have an end that needs to go to the projector and one that needs to go to the source

-Bring a long composite or S-Video cable as a backup. Sometimes HDMI just doesn't want to play nice with various projectors, etc. Composite won't look as good, but it should work very reliably.
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

any satellite receiver will work if it is as you say from the same service. the dish will be pointed at a specific satellite so will only work with that one, but the receiver won't know the difference from one dish to another.
This would be my preferred solution for the reasons others have mentioned. sometimes HDMI just doesn't work, and if you don't have a chance to go there with your amplified cable and projector to test it out then I would try to show up with another receiver.

Jason
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

Rob Spence said:
I never thought of running 100+ft of S-VIdeo. Composite too?

Anyone in the greater Boston area got long S-Video or Composite cables I could use (borrow, rent)? It is getting late to order stuff.
Click to expand...

For a long backup run composite might be the better choice. You can probably scrounge up 100' of regular TV coax and use an F > RCA adapter on each end for your composite video run. It should work just fine.
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

Rob,

I've been impressed with the DVI-over-Fiber Optic extenders - you can adapt to HDMI from there, if necessary. Just don't bend them too sharply or put them in an area of high foot traffic...
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

There are many things you could do and that might work but maybe we could start by addressing the outputs available on the receiver and the inputs available on the projector. Thaen also address factors such as the cable path and whether any of it requires plenum cable and so on. Perhaps we could also identify whether it needs or is expected to be an HD signal as your using HDMI suggests that may be the case but the receiver may not output anything other than SD 480i if it is not connected to an HDCP compliant device.

I would generally avoid a 125' HDMI cable, it may work but that depends on the cable, the output of the receiver, the input of the projector and so on, not to mention having to deal with that cable. Did you consider using video over CAT/UTP cable devices?

Not directly relevant, but can you expamd on the comment regarding the power cord running through or into the wall? It sounds like you might just tear the power cord out of the wall and explain that you were fixing the code violation that existed before you tied into the receiver.
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

Update etc.

First, I was able to get a 125' amplified cable and test it from my Tivo to the projector. However, my Tivo isn't enabled for HD so was just running SD. The cable is from Aurum. It seems well built with a nice fabric sort of covering. Not so good in the dirt though :). It has a USB connector at the source end to power the amp which appears to be about midway on the cable. It claims "3D" support and 1080P and with return channels.
Next up to go over the venue today and try it there.

The Venue box is an HD box (Dish VIP 211) and has an HDMI cable to the flat screen TV on the wall. This is a Country Club and the TV is in the men's locker room.. I suspect they watch golf on it :)

I have no plenum requirements. We will run the cable out the window and up one floor to the function room and around the horn to the projector.

Both the receiver and projector have composite and component. Receiver has HDMI and projector has a M1-D (DVI + USB) with a M1-D to DVI cable supplied. I used a HDMI to DVI adapter. I have lots of coax so I plan to pick up a pair of "F" to "RCA" adapters today as a fall back.

While it was tempting to pull the cable out of the wall, I am not going there. They are nice enough to let me use the satellite connection.
Also, since there is a bezel covering over the wall there as part of the shelf holding up the receiver, I can't tell if there is actually a duplex hidden in there which would be legal. Near as I can tell, it is simply awkward to remove the trim due to screw locations so I could not check that.

I did research video over CAT(5,6) cable and noted that there seemed to be 2 ways they did it. One used to cables to get the conductor count and the other only used 1 so they must do some conversion at each end. In the reading I did I did not get a warm feeling about it working.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I will report back after I test at the venue.
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

FWIW...

One guy I know around here made up some composite to XLR adapters, and simply used some long mic cables for a one off deal. It worked (simply using for SD video, nothing fancy...).
 
Re: Long HDMI runs

Good news.

I brought the projector over to the venue today and verified that SD over the composite video coax worked fine. I also hooked up the long HDMI cable and got HD through it fine as well. One glitch in my plans showed up though and that was I planned on getting the TV audio out of the satellite box at the projector location and since the projector is DVI, it doesn't get the audio over the HDMI cable (there is a HDMI - DVI adapter at the projector).

So, I need to reroute the audio feed. Not too big a deal though I need to figure a path that will work (and add 50' of XLR to the pair of runs). I am using a Radial PCDI to take the RCA audio out and put it on XLRs for the trip to the desk.

Thanks again for the help and encouragement.
 
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