HDMI Extender

John

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Hi folks,

I have come across an HDMI extender solution on Ebay India

eBay India: Brand New HDMI EXTENDER OVER CAT.5e / CAT6 LAN CABLES (item 120371049007 end time 06-Feb-2009 10:22:56 IST)

This is from the manufacturer's website Products - CMI GROUP
Basically it allows you to use cheaper Cat5 cables (used in Computer networks) to extend the HDMI signal (useful when your projector is far away from the source, DVD player/HD media Player). One has to use two short HDMI cables at both ends.

Googling about this brought me more links like:

Gefen CAT-5 HDMI Extender: EXT-HDTV-CAT5



Product Review - Gefen HDTV Extender

Anyone used this kind of extender? How is the quality ? Is there going to be signal loss?

Thanks in advance,

John
 
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Re: HDMI 1.3a or 1.2a

Hi,

I am also dabbling the option of going for a long HDMI cable. I came across a good quality 1.2a HDMI cable and another no-so-good 1.3a HDMI cable.

Does the 1.3a give any difference in the real-time situations?

I need to connect a 720p Projector to the dvd player.
 
Re: HDMI 1.3a or 1.2a

How long do you want to run the cable?

If you plan to use an extender, do so judiciously by getting a quality component. Many junky ones are sold in the market that degrade the video signal.

I personally would look for an extender with a booster built into it.

I came across a good quality 1.2a HDMI cable and another no-so-good 1.3a HDMI cable.

what makes you think this way? Is it the visuals or the brand?

Does the 1.3a give any difference in the real-time situations?

The 1.3a version supports larger bandwidth to support the high resolution audio and 1080P video signals. So even if you connect to 720P monitor, if you go for a high res supporting AVR down the road, you will want this.



Hi,

I am also dabbling the option of going for a long HDMI cable. I came across a good quality 1.2a HDMI cable and another no-so-good 1.3a HDMI cable.

Does the 1.3a give any difference in the real-time situations?

I need to connect a 720p Projector to the dvd player.
 
Re: HDMI 1.3a or 1.2a

How long do you want to run the cable?

If you plan to use an extender, do so judiciously by getting a quality component. Many junky ones are sold in the market that degrade the video signal.

I personally would look for an extender with a booster built into it.

what makes you think this way? Is it the visuals or the brand?

The 1.3a version supports larger bandwidth to support the high resolution audio and 1080P video signals. So even if you connect to 720P monitor, if you go for a high res supporting AVR down the road, you will want this.

Thanks Marsilians. The 1.2a one is from Monoprice.

The 1.3a version was from Rosewill

The distance that I need is 25 feet. 30 feet would also do, just some extra cable at one/both ends.

The Monoprice cables, as you will know, are supposed to be good. This is also tin-plated so that is a plus point. I wish I could get the silver-plated ones, but they are not in stock right now. The AWG is also 24, compared to the Rosewill's 26.

Also, AFAIK the 1.2a cables can do 1080p. Of course, the 1.3a have a lot more bandwidth, support deep color, and the like, but with my current applications I think 1.2a should be more than enough. Do correct me if I am wrong. When I go for my future upgrade for the projector and source (?BluRay), then I plan to go for Silver plated 22AWG Monoprice 1.3a cables.

With cables, I don't want to go with QED ones costing 13,900/- or Monster ones for 21K something when I can get Monoprice ones for much less. For example, the Monoprice one listed above, I can get it for 3500/- shipped to my home.

Do you have any idea as regards the Cat5e HDMI extender? I have heard the Gelfen ones are good, but the one I have posted above - that is one from CMI.
 
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hi john!
i dont have much idea about the monoprice or the rosewill. just make sure that the cables are good enough because in the case of video cables i have seen that improper cables tend to give very bad picture quality. especially in the case of long cables, if the quality is not good enough, the picture tends to crack along the edges, the colors tend to be unnatural, skin tones might be orange-ish, reds might bleed etc.
make sure that the cables have good shielding too.
probably it makes sense to go for a good cable once for all, so that later when you upgrade other equipment you dont have to change your cables.
as for the cat5 extender, i feel the more breaks you have along the length of a cable, the more detoriation you will have in quality. so a longer length cable might be better than extenders unless they are very good ones.
 
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Re: HDMI 1.3a or 1.2a

Monoprice is excellent brand and amazing VFM. The one thing that you need to keep an eye out for is the weight of the HDMI connector. They tend to be heavy. When I used to connect to my previous Oppo, they would fall out easily. HOpefully you wont have that situation but something to think about.

No experience on Rosewell.

Re: the distance. I would not invest in an extender if you can stick to 25ft esp. if you can getter a lower gauge cable. The rule of thumb distance where people have observed degradation or issues with video is around the 30 ft range. So 25 should be alright. YOu can always purchase the extender if you think there is a degradation.



Thanks Marsilians. The 1.2a one is from Monoprice.

The 1.3a version was from Rosewill

The distance that I need is 25 feet. 30 feet would also do, just some extra cable at one/both ends.

The Monoprice cables, as you will know, are supposed to be good. This is also tin-plated so that is a plus point. I wish I could get the silver-plated ones, but they are not in stock right now. The AWG is also 24, compared to the Rosewill's 26.

Also, AFAIK the 1.2a cables can do 1080p. Of course, the 1.3a have a lot more bandwidth, support deep color, and the like, but with my current applications I think 1.2a should be more than enough. Do correct me if I am wrong. When I go for my future upgrade for the projector and source (?BluRay), then I plan to go for Silver plated 22AWG Monoprice 1.3a cables.

With cables, I don't want to go with QED ones costing 13,900/- or Monster ones for 21K something when I can get Monoprice ones for much less. For example, the Monoprice one listed above, I can get it for 3500/- shipped to my home.

Do you have any idea as regards the Cat5e HDMI extender? I have heard the Gelfen ones are good, but the one I have posted above - that is one from CMI.
 
Thanks Krauss, I think the Monoprice ones are reputed ones (going by the discussion on the AVS Forums). I am going to stick with it. I have shelved the Cat5e HDMI exender option for now.

Also, Krauss, I live in a rented place and my own house is only just being planned, with home theater room et al, so for the moment I really can do with an inexpensive (but nice) Monoprice cable.

Monoprice is excellent brand and amazing VFM. The one thing that you need to keep an eye out for is the weight of the HDMI connector. They tend to be heavy. When I used to connect to my previous Oppo, they would fall out easily. HOpefully you wont have that situation but something to think about.

No experience on Rosewell.

Re: the distance. I would not invest in an extender if you can stick to 25ft esp. if you can getter a lower gauge cable. The rule of thumb distance where people have observed degradation or issues with video is around the 30 ft range. So 25 should be alright. YOu can always purchase the extender if you think there is a degradation.

Yes, no extender for me. I am going with Monoprice 25 ft vis-a-vis the 30 ft as I had originally planned, mainly because I was not sure of the signals at the extra 5 feet.

Regarding extenders, and this is only for future planning, which ones are good VFM?

I am also looking for a 25-foot or so long composite cable (this is to connect the Dish TV to the Projector) - to be used at times only. Any idea how much this will cost and which brands?
 
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I think you should be alright for the length. I have run it at these distances and did not noticed perceivable drop in quality. When I used calibrators as well, it showed very slight variations that one cannot see with the naked eye. These mostly impacted darker colours but again nothing that you will observe.

Re: composite. This will have a more perceptible impact on your viewering. So dont go for it.

Can you try s-video or component? Monoprice carries both



Yes, no extender for me. I am going with Monoprice 25 ft vis-a-vis the 30 ft as I had originally planned, mainly because I was not sure of the signals at the extra 5 feet.

Regarding extenders, and this is only for future planning, which ones are good VFM?

I am also looking for a 25-foot or so long composite cable (this is to connect the Dish TV to the Projector) - to be used at times only. Any idea how much this will cost and which brands?
 
I think you should be alright for the length. I have run it at these distances and did not noticed perceivable drop in quality. When I used calibrators as well, it showed very slight variations that one cannot see with the naked eye. These mostly impacted darker colours but again nothing that you will observe.

Re: composite. This will have a more perceptible impact on your viewering. So dont go for it.

Can you try s-video or component? Monoprice carries both

Marsilians, unfortunately, the blessed Dish TV STB has only got composite out. :mad:

BTW, does anyone know if the new Dish TV STBs come with S-video or component out? I have one of the earliest STBs these guys launched.

Second thoughts: I can have composite out from STB to my Denon AVR> Then Component out from AVR to the PJ > Yes, this should work.
 
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