Welcome to the HDMI Extension Discussion Thread!
This thread exists to serve several devious purposes:
Public Service Reminders
In my personal experience with all that this thread has had to offer, the most important lessons learned are as follows:
Keep in mind also that these are all generalities and the internet phrase "YMMV" (your mileage may vary) applies greatly to this entire thread!
"Try This First" Tips and Tricks
There are a few things to try first; include results of these tests in your posts to let people know what you've already tried (and how each went). If some tricks kind-of work, let folks know that. All of this information will be useful to those trying to help you solve your HDMI extension problems. Good Luck!
Which is better- HDMI or Component Video?
Let's be clear here with a few things:
So that leaves the unassuming user at a crossroads. 1080i over component video is rock solid all the time and even at absurdly long lengths-- but it's only 1080i. HDMI cables are markedly more feature-rich and much more convenient, with limitations in connector rigidity (bend/tug/weight stress on HDMI connectors generally decreases reliability life) and overall length.
HDMI extenders are trying to bridge the gap. From all we've seen in this unscientific thread, solution "A" will work absolute wonders for some users and be abysmal for other users. solution "B" will be the opposite. It does not look yet like any one single solution is a true "problem solver for everyone."
New HDbaseT solutions are beginning to hit the market. It will be interesting to see how they fare.
Please read this paragraph before posting
The bottom of this first post documents the combinations reporting to this thread as of the last-edited-date. Whether you are just beginning to search for an HDMI extender, or if you're ready to throw your Wii remote at your Plasma because nothing is working, check out the list below to see if there is a combination already tried that may be similar to your setup.No matter what you do -- please contribute to this thread! What worked well, what worked poorly, and everything else in between. If you don't know whether or not your cable is Cat5, 5e, 6, 6, shielded, termination style, etc-- don't worry. Give us the information you have and we'll go from there.
For the list, scroll down to "Products that are being used in this thread and their success"
Good luck!
..dane
Original Thread Post
First Thread Update
Latest Thread Update
Products that are being used in this thread and their success
last updated 10 May 2013
Welcome to the HDMI Extension Discussion Thread!
This thread exists to serve several devious purposes:
- document which combinations of equipment work great/okay/poorly
- civilly discuss the nature and technology of HDMI extenders
Public Service Reminders
In my personal experience with all that this thread has had to offer, the most important lessons learned are as follows:
- Most all extenders will work at 1080i60 and many also at 1080p24 without issue. If anyone is planning on running only 1080p24, 1080i, 720i/p, or less, then they shouldn't stress and instead just go try any of the LESS expensive extenders first.
- 1080p60 is a much different beast with double (or more) the data rate for full 1080p60 than other formats (1080i, 1080p24, 720p, etc). Doubling the data rate for full 1080p60 is a pretty daunting task and is where most extenders differentiate themselves or flat out fall apart.
- All the wireless extenders that I have researched (as of mid 2011) add compression. Whether or not the compression will bother the viewer, of course, can only be decided by the viewer. My recommendation is to always buy-and-try (whether wired or wireless), but make sure you have a good return policy, covering even if you simply and SUBJECTIVELY do not like it. Many retailers will only exchange and only in the case of a faulty unit. Others charge obscene "restocking" fees. Still others make you pay for shipping both ways and only refund the pre-shipping purchase price. Don't expect a full refund plus shipping charges both ways- few offer such generous policies. But be aware of what you WILL be charged should you not like your choice or it not work out as you hoped.
Keep in mind also that these are all generalities and the internet phrase "YMMV" (your mileage may vary) applies greatly to this entire thread!
"Try This First" Tips and Tricks
There are a few things to try first; include results of these tests in your posts to let people know what you've already tried (and how each went). If some tricks kind-of work, let folks know that. All of this information will be useful to those trying to help you solve your HDMI extension problems. Good Luck!
- Try turning off your "bandwidth increasers--" deep color, 3D, etc. If the link is unstable because you're pushing too much water through the proverbial pipe, then reducing the flow can help.
- Try to go down a resolution notch or two.. try 1080i, try 720p, even try 480p. There is always a chance that the adapter is DOA (dead on arrival). Rare, but it happens. Likewise, there is a chance that the adapter simply doesn't work with your source hardware. Some boxes require HDCP that the source (like a PC) might not provide. Other adapters don't support HDCP that the far-end display requires.
- Try a short pre-made patch cable. DIY terminations can and have been causes of some people's problems in the past. If you have a 6' premade Cat5e or Cat6 patch cable, try it first. Caveat to that statement is that some extenders are expecting to run over a longer distance and sometimes "overdrive" the cable on the signal, meaning that if you use a short patch cable, it may overdrive the receiver and not work, where a longer cable would. (After all, if you have a short run between adapters, why use the adapters in the first place?) Along those lines, if you have access to long pre-made patch cables (50' or more), try it too. Even if you only need 15', if a 50' cable works, find a place to coil up the remaining 35' and just leave it!
- Try other sources. You're PS3 is having problems? What about a Bluray player? DVR? DVD player with HDMI out? AVR?
Which is better- HDMI or Component Video?
Let's be clear here with a few things:
- As far as physics go, triple run RG6 for Component Video (5x run if you also want L/R stereo sound with each wire on its own RCA connector) *beats the pants off HDMI*
- RG6 / RG6QS can carry a much higher bandwidth signal, much farther, with much less loss (or skew). It's not RG6 that's the problem, it's the industry and the content producers. In short, it's content protection that is the problem.
- Content producers lobbied hard (and quite successfully) for TV equipment makers to restrict component video inputs and outputs to 1080i60, and in many cases, even less than 1080i. So even if you WANT to run component video- often you can't. At least, not a full 1080p signal.
- HDMI does work well- when it works. But it was never designed to span long distances, or chain through a dozen different devices. It supports 1080p60 and higher, with embedded audio, CEC, audio-return, Ethernet, and said content protection, all in ONE multi-conductor cable. For what it is, it's a remarkable creation! But for what it is, it's also wrought with problems from implementation differences (interoperability problems between devices from different manufacturers) to signal glitches over longer runs, to strange, unexpected random problems when a cable starts going bad. It's technology at it's peak- remarkable when working properly; a nightmare when it's not.
So that leaves the unassuming user at a crossroads. 1080i over component video is rock solid all the time and even at absurdly long lengths-- but it's only 1080i. HDMI cables are markedly more feature-rich and much more convenient, with limitations in connector rigidity (bend/tug/weight stress on HDMI connectors generally decreases reliability life) and overall length.
HDMI extenders are trying to bridge the gap. From all we've seen in this unscientific thread, solution "A" will work absolute wonders for some users and be abysmal for other users. solution "B" will be the opposite. It does not look yet like any one single solution is a true "problem solver for everyone."
New HDbaseT solutions are beginning to hit the market. It will be interesting to see how they fare.
Please read this paragraph before posting
The bottom of this first post documents the combinations reporting to this thread as of the last-edited-date. Whether you are just beginning to search for an HDMI extender, or if you're ready to throw your Wii remote at your Plasma because nothing is working, check out the list below to see if there is a combination already tried that may be similar to your setup.No matter what you do -- please contribute to this thread! What worked well, what worked poorly, and everything else in between. If you don't know whether or not your cable is Cat5, 5e, 6, 6, shielded, termination style, etc-- don't worry. Give us the information you have and we'll go from there.
For the list, scroll down to "Products that are being used in this thread and their success"
Good luck!
..dane
Original Thread Post
First Thread Update
Latest Thread Update
Products that are being used in this thread and their success
last updated 10 May 2013
- user: audiodane
try #1
- Source-end: DVDO Edge Video Processor
- CatX Adapter: Arkview HDMI-EXTC HDMI Extender (Amazon,