Without a central location on AVS for information on HDBaseT I thought it would be a good idea to gather information, reviews and thoughts on one of the most exciting prospects in the A/V world. I decided to post this in the HDMI forum since it seems most applicable here but hopefully soon there will be a forum dedicated solely to HDBaseT.
Background:
HDBaseT was created to right many of the wrongs of HDMI. HDMI has become one of the most hated formats in the history of audio and video. While the passage of HD audio and video was welcomed, the difficulties with the HDCP handshake, loss of signal at larger distances and lack of termination options made HDMI a difficult cable to work with.
HDBaseT uses a proprietary version of Pulse Amplitude Modulation to pass the HD video and audio (and more) up to 100 meters or 330 feet without any loss of quality over a standard Cat5e or Cat6 cable.
HDBaseT can pass:
Uncompressed High Definition Video including 3D and 4K resolution (up to 10.2 Gbps)
Standard HD audio formats
100Mb Ethernet
Power over Cable (up to 100 watts)
Various control signals including IR, RS232 and CEC
As of early 2012, HDBaseT is mainly being used as a way of sending HDMI over a single Cat5e/6 cable and in HDMI switchers but will hopefully one day be included directly into A/V devices using the standard RJ-45 connector.
Important Links
HDBaseT Homepage
HDBaseT on Wikipedia
Valens Semiconductor
HDBaseT Technical Info
AVS Threads
Support an HDBaseT forum on AVS
2 Cables vs. one
Central Rack HDBaseT setup
HDBaseT Hopes to Take on HDMI in the Living Room
FAQ
What is HDBaseT?
HDBaseT technology is a consumer electronic (CE) connectivity technology optimized for whole-home and commercial multimedia distribution. HDBaseT can connect all the entertainment devices in a setting through its 5Play feature set, converging uncompressed full HD digital video, audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, power over cable and various control signals through a single 100m/328ft CAT5e/6 cable with RJ45 connectors.
Why is HDBaseT necessary when we have HDMI?
HDBaseT is can send uncompressed video and audio (and more) much longer distances than HDMI over cables that are probably already run throughout your home. It should also work better with the HDCP handshake if you are using devices such as AVRs and switches.
Is HDBaseT very expensive?
Like all new technologies cost is initially fairly high but should come down regularly. While Matrix Switches are still priced out of many individuals budgets, HDBaseT extenders have recently gone below the $200 price point which considering the price for long HDMI cables is actually quite reasonable.
HDBaseT sounds exciting, what can I do to help quicken its adoption?
The best way for HDBaseT to catch on is to spread the information about it and pass on the excitement to more people. Start by requesting an official forum dedicated to HDBaseT at AVS by responding in the Support an HDBaseT forum on AVS thread. If you have the need to send HDMI over a long distance purchase an HDBaseT extender and report back with your review.
Will HDBaseT work with patch panels and wall blocks?
Yes, according to this post , this post and this post , HDBaseT should work through patch panels and wall blocks without issue.
Will HDBaseT work better using Cat6 than Cat5e?
From Colm, "The difference between the two is that Cat 6 has to meet tighter specifications for crosstalk and other things that affect performance. So, all other things being equal, Cat 6 might work in some cases where Cat 5e might not. That said, if Cat 5e works, replacing it with Cat 6 won't improve the picture. If the options are installing Cat 5e or Cat 6, it is pretty much a no-brainer to go with Cat 6 because there is little difference in price."
This is all great in theory but will HDBaseT ever really take off?
While none of us know for sure the future of HDBaseT it certainly has the potential for being the new standard for connecting devices in the home. Looking at the Membership List you can see that three of the four original members were Samsung, Sony and LG, the top three TV manufacturers world wide (source) . With that type of muscle behind the technology we have every reason to believe that HDBaseT is here to stay.
What is HDBaseT-Lite?
See Post #3.
Background:
HDBaseT was created to right many of the wrongs of HDMI. HDMI has become one of the most hated formats in the history of audio and video. While the passage of HD audio and video was welcomed, the difficulties with the HDCP handshake, loss of signal at larger distances and lack of termination options made HDMI a difficult cable to work with.
HDBaseT uses a proprietary version of Pulse Amplitude Modulation to pass the HD video and audio (and more) up to 100 meters or 330 feet without any loss of quality over a standard Cat5e or Cat6 cable.
HDBaseT can pass:
Uncompressed High Definition Video including 3D and 4K resolution (up to 10.2 Gbps)
Standard HD audio formats
100Mb Ethernet
Power over Cable (up to 100 watts)
Various control signals including IR, RS232 and CEC
As of early 2012, HDBaseT is mainly being used as a way of sending HDMI over a single Cat5e/6 cable and in HDMI switchers but will hopefully one day be included directly into A/V devices using the standard RJ-45 connector.
Important Links
HDBaseT Homepage
HDBaseT on Wikipedia
Valens Semiconductor
HDBaseT Technical Info
AVS Threads
Support an HDBaseT forum on AVS
2 Cables vs. one
Central Rack HDBaseT setup
HDBaseT Hopes to Take on HDMI in the Living Room
FAQ
What is HDBaseT?
HDBaseT technology is a consumer electronic (CE) connectivity technology optimized for whole-home and commercial multimedia distribution. HDBaseT can connect all the entertainment devices in a setting through its 5Play feature set, converging uncompressed full HD digital video, audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, power over cable and various control signals through a single 100m/328ft CAT5e/6 cable with RJ45 connectors.
Why is HDBaseT necessary when we have HDMI?
HDBaseT is can send uncompressed video and audio (and more) much longer distances than HDMI over cables that are probably already run throughout your home. It should also work better with the HDCP handshake if you are using devices such as AVRs and switches.
Is HDBaseT very expensive?
Like all new technologies cost is initially fairly high but should come down regularly. While Matrix Switches are still priced out of many individuals budgets, HDBaseT extenders have recently gone below the $200 price point which considering the price for long HDMI cables is actually quite reasonable.
HDBaseT sounds exciting, what can I do to help quicken its adoption?
The best way for HDBaseT to catch on is to spread the information about it and pass on the excitement to more people. Start by requesting an official forum dedicated to HDBaseT at AVS by responding in the Support an HDBaseT forum on AVS thread. If you have the need to send HDMI over a long distance purchase an HDBaseT extender and report back with your review.
Will HDBaseT work with patch panels and wall blocks?
Yes, according to this post , this post and this post , HDBaseT should work through patch panels and wall blocks without issue.
Will HDBaseT work better using Cat6 than Cat5e?
From Colm, "The difference between the two is that Cat 6 has to meet tighter specifications for crosstalk and other things that affect performance. So, all other things being equal, Cat 6 might work in some cases where Cat 5e might not. That said, if Cat 5e works, replacing it with Cat 6 won't improve the picture. If the options are installing Cat 5e or Cat 6, it is pretty much a no-brainer to go with Cat 6 because there is little difference in price."
This is all great in theory but will HDBaseT ever really take off?
While none of us know for sure the future of HDBaseT it certainly has the potential for being the new standard for connecting devices in the home. Looking at the Membership List you can see that three of the four original members were Samsung, Sony and LG, the top three TV manufacturers world wide (source) . With that type of muscle behind the technology we have every reason to believe that HDBaseT is here to stay.
What is HDBaseT-Lite?
See Post #3.