HDBaseT News and Updates

I use this technology as a simple extender to run from my receiver output to my projector. It's been rock solid for 2 years. Excited to see the new functionality coming and the fact that some big players are starting to incorporate it. If they do it right it should beat the pants off of HDMI.

For those of us looking to pre-wire right now, what exactly are the recommended wires and quantities of runs to pull to anticipate greater use and functionality of HDBaseT in the future?

I understand the philosophy behind running more than you need, but HDbaseT can pass HDMI, IR and network on a single cable, which is the appeal of the technology. So the minimum would be 1 to support the functions VinnyS describe. Pulling 1-2 more would be your futureproofing overkill.

The price of CAT6 has dropped to the point where it is probably a better choice than 5e in my opinion. Be wary of CAT6A or "augmented" which is a step up from regular CAT6 however. The RJ45 connectors that are CAT6A rated are significantly more expensive and trying to terminate 6A with a regular RJ45 connector is not recommended (trust me on this one!). Multiple runs will allow for multiple options at install (for example: segregating your data network, or using 1 cable for data and 1 for voice, etc.). In hindsight, I would recommend 3-4 CAT6 and 2 RG6 to each drop. This is coming from someone that just ran 10k feet in a 3700 sq ft new construction project as an owner builder.

If you want to pre-wire and be as future proof as possible for HDBaseT, you need to go with Cat6. I just read up on the HDBaseT protocol on their website, wikipedia, and some blogs. It appears that version 1.0 of the protocol will currently run at 1Gbps on Cat5e and allocate 100Mbps of it to normal network traffic. If I read between the lines of this comparison chart, it looks like a future version of the protocol will run at 10Gbps (given that the right equipment is present) and allocate 1Gbps to normal networking traffic. You can't currently use Cat5e for Ethernet speeds greater than 1Gbps. You can do 10Gbps with Cat6. Since Cat6 only costs a little more than Cat5e and you can still terminate it with Cat5e methods, I would spring for the Cat6.

I am not sure, but it seems like some people might be confused about how HDBaseT works. You only need 1 network cable that will carry video, audio, signaling, and data. You do not need to run multiple cables to split those jobs apart like you do when you are using baluns to simulate another protocol (like converting an HDMI cable into a Cat5e cable to overcome distance limitations or physical cabling challenges.) HDBaseT is an active protocol that permits point-to-point connections or allows you to wire all of your devices to a special central hub. With the hub, you can choose which source goes to which destination. That's an incredible feat when you take video clocking into account.

I just want Microsoft to invent a remote receiver for the wireless controller so I can have a couple wireless controllers in each room that has a screen and have 1 Xbox somewhere central.