My quick and dirty CE Labs CAT5RX/TX review - Page 3

I have a similar system: Scientific Atlanta 8300HD, Video-Storm 4x2 video matrix, CE LABS CAT5TX/RX, and a 400 Disc Sony DVD Changer. I would like to add another 8300HD DVR to my video matrix, but I don't know how to solve the IR problem. I use a Xantech IR system and have IR receivers in each room all connecting to a Xantech connecting block. How can I keep the 8300HD's from getting confused about which source the IR signal was intended to be sent to. In other words, if I press pause on my DVR remote, both DVR's will pause which is not what I want. I know that Tivo's have the ability to change their IR codes with a switch on the remote, but how can you accomplish this same thing with the 8300HD DVR's? I know this is a bit off topic, but just saw some similarities in our systems.

I just purchased the CAT5TX/RX combo for my home, along with the Xantech 490-KIT IR system, and am having a few IR troubles. Wondering if one of you could help me.

Media room is where the CAT5TX goes, and I'd like to control the HD-DVR that's located in that room from the Family Room downstairs where the CAT5RX is.

In the family room, I plugged the IR Receiver into the CAT5RX
In the media room, I plugged a 3.5mm stereo extender from the CAT5TX to the IR distribution block, and then an IR emitter from the distribution block to the front of the HD DVR.

No signal

When I do things without the CAT5TX/RX, the IR system works fine (the only other difference being that I don't need the 3.5mm stereo extender). I have a feeling that it's because I'm plugging a 3.5mm stereo into the CAT5TX plug that was meant for 3.5 mono, but I don't know what to do, since I need 3.5 stereo to come into the Xantech block.

Any suggestions?

Never mind...

I was using the "1 CAT5" breakout like R_Willis was talking about, without understanding that that will only feed the video and digital audio. Four extra wires are still needed for IR

Looks like it's time for an RF remote.

I am setting up the CAT5RX/TX setup from my family room to my living room. I will be using 2 CAT5E cables so that I can use the IR capability. I was wondering what type of "patch" cord is needed from the P1205 IR hub to the CAT5TX? Is it a 3.5mm stereo or mono patch cord ??

Darryl

According to Matt at CE Labs when I spoke to him, you need a stereo plug to go from the "emitter out" of the CAT5TX (in your family room) to the IR distribution block, and then of course some emitters (usually mono) to go from the distribution block to the CE components.

On the CAT5RX side (in your living room), you would just put the IR receiver.

Personally, I'm unsure why they even have 3 emitter jacks if you need to insert power from the hub anyway. I asked him why they didn't do that (insert power from the CAT5TX) and he said that that would have involved building a transformer into the system and would have increased both the size and the price to an unacceptable level.

After I connect the IR Hub to the CAT5TX, using a 3.5mm stereo plug, are the three emitters sockets "active" on the CAT5TX?

From what I understand, they are always "active", but do not have enough power to actually emit on their own. So you want to use the emitter ports from the 1205. You may want to confirm with Matt though. He can be reached at 469-429-9200, ask for him.

Just trying to confirm that the CAT5TX will output directly to a nearby display from the "loop" outputs.

I just ordered one TX and one RX to allow me to run HD from a Dish 622 DVR to another room. I would prefer to place the DVR in my basement with older ED Panny plasma and then use the Cat5 connections to output via component to a newer HD plasma upstairs. The older basement display only has component inputs while the new upstairs display has HDMI and component inputs. The DVR will output HDMI and component concurrently but only one output available for each.

Thus, either I locate the DVR upstairs (direct HDMI connection to nearby new plasma and cat5 component connection to basement plasma) or, preferably, downstairs (output via component to CAT5TX with cat5 cabling delivering component to upstairs plasma and CAT5TX loop ports outputting component to the nearby plasma via component cables).

i.e. Does the TX split the component signal and, thus, allow two displays to be connected via component when using only one TX transmitter and one RX receiver?

slowmo: they way you worded it, kind of lost me... but if this is what your asking...

I have a DirectH20 box in my basement.
I have the CAT5TX in my basement home theater rack.
I have a CAT5RX in my master bathroom.

The CAT5TX has component video cables coming from the directv h20 box into it.
The projector in my basement theater is feed from the loop output of the CAT5TX in the basement.
The LCD TV in my master bathroom is feed from the CAT5e component output on the CAT5RX which is on the back of the LCD.

Hopefully this helps you out.

That helps. I was trying to confirm that you can connect the nearby display with the loop output exactly as you have done with your projector in the basement.

Thanks; this has been a very helpful thread.

Hi guys, I just installed a Cat5tx in my basement and 2 cat5rx in my 1st floor TV and 2nd floor TV. Here is the config.

In the basement: Comcast Motorolo cable box hooked up to the cat5tx. My 1st TV is in the 1st floor. Its a sony CRT HDTV. My 2nd TV is in the 2nd floor. Its a Olivia LCD.
After I hooked up everything, My Sony CRT gets a flickering noise, its not loud but it is audible.
My 2nd floor TV gets a constand Hummm...
I tried swapping the cables, to check if there was an issue with a particular cat5e run, but even I swap the cables with all combinations, I keep getting the hum and the flickering sound..
For the IR, I`m using the Xantech Dinky link, it works great.
Can anyone tell me or suggest me how to get rid of this noise..
appreciate all your help..

thanks
Sanjay

Have you tried turning the knob on the back of the receiver that helps compensate for length of the CAT5e run, up or down?

Sounds like you may have a ground loop. There is a lot of information on ground loops and different solutions out there. Do a search and see if any of the symptoms and tests match your situation.

Thank you guys, its my fault, I had the CAT5e cable clipped wrong at each ends. I got a straight cat5e 568A cable and hooked it up. It works great both Video and Audio. But now I'm having the IR problem. I have the Xantech IR CB60 and the dinky link. Everytime I press a button on my remote, one of the red light on the remote blinks, but nothing happens. When I go very close to the dinky link receiver(almost touching the receiver with the remote) and with some 10 pushes the remote works once. Has anybody had this problem. Please suggest me what to do?

thanks
Sanjay

I've got both a Xantech tabletop receiver and a Hot Link Pro receiver connected to my Xantech connecting block via the cat 5 Rx/Tx units with no issues. I would make sure that A) your cat 5 cables are correct and B) that you are using stereo 3.5mm plugs (not mono plugs....the stereo plug has two bands, the mono plug, one band)

Just a FYI, I have 2 cat5Es running from the source cat5tx to Cat5Rx. Its just frustrating me, how come only the IR doesnt work, but the IR receivers blink red light everytime I press a button on my remote. Every thing else works, Digital Audio, Analog Audio, and video works just great.
I'm using the comcast Motorola cable box as my source. This is connected to the cat5tx.

Also make sure your emitter is stuck over the IR area of your motorolla box. Sometimes its hard to tell where to stick them.

Robert, I'm using the stereo cable (double band) from the CAT5TX to the IR block CB60. I checked all the connections.
Just for verification I swapped the cables too. Everything works. Digital Audio, Analog Audio, and video except for the IR. It blinks everytime I press the remote.

I'd keep playing with your emitter location in reference to the cable box's IR pick-up. I'm using the Channel Vision products without any problem. Still sounds like your emitter is not getting the signal to your cable box.

I think there is a problem with the IR. I tried connecting the IR emitter to the cablebox seperately (tried with DVD player too, for which I knew for sure the IR reception area) and then connected the IR receiver from the IR block. Put the IR reciever to the next room and operated the remote. Nothing worked. So looks like there is no power going to the IR block from the 12VDC power cable. I'm returning the whole IR kit and will be getting the new Dinkylink kit. Hopefully this should help. I'll keep you all posted.

thanks for ur help guys.
Sanjay

This is a good thread. I am on a whole house Video/Audio project.

1. Basement Home Theatre with
Sony PS3 , XBOX360, DirectTV box, Sony 400DVD changer, Denon 5805CI receiver and Optoma 1080p Ceiling mounted projector. All of this in a Rack that will supply Video/Audio for 6 Zones.

2. Basement Music Room with VocoPro Karoake DualDeck DVD Player, Roland VS2480 Diigtal Recorder hooked to various Guitars, Keyboard Synths and VDrums, Ipod Deck another DirectTV box, another Optoma 720p Ceiling Mounting projector for Karoake .

3. Basement Bedroom with 46" Wall mounted Plasma.

4. 1st Floor Family room with 720p Pioneer Elite 64" Display, another DirectTV box another Denon 5600 Receiver, DVD Player

5. 2nd Floor Master with Pioneer Plasma, another DirectTV box.
6. Bedroom 2 with TV
7. Bedroom 3 with TV.

I have purchased from SmartHome 500' of bundled 2RG6, 2Cat5e, 2Optical
This will go to each zone from the Basement Rack.
Additionally, I want to take 14/4 (For Audio only Zones) and Component to each Zone MiniRG6 bundle with RGBHV cable.
Question is why is there such a price difference for this bundle.

Blue Jean Cable has 500' (Single run Unbundled) for $1434

Ebay has Atlona 500' Triple RG6 (RGB Bundle) for $210.00

Mountsandmore has 500' Liberty Cable RGB5C-20-CMR - 5 for $2875.00

They all claim similiar bandwidth. What gives?

Is this product from CELabs still considered a decent solution for amplified video distribution over CAT5? I'm asking because the original post was written two years ago.
Thanks for taking the time to write this great review. really helpful!

I am just installing this for a friend and both the cat5rx/tx work great except for IR. I have the Xantech 29815D shelf top IR receiver and 789-44 connecting block (both pictured below). I do not know whether I need to inject power into both the emitter and the receiver or one or the other and don't know how to do it. (Ce-labs tech support are all out for lunch I have been told! Who lets their tech support all go out for lunch at the same time? Or maybe there is only one).

To inject power on the IR emitter side the post above says to use a stereo plug (and wire I assume which I guess I would get from Radio Shack). So I connect the male plug to one of the female ports on the Cat5tx, but how do I connect the other end of the wire to the connecting block? There doesn't seem to be a port to connect it or do I strip the wire and somehow connect the individual wires that might be inside to the +12 VDC, GND, STATUS and IR IN connectors? But that doesn't seem right. Or do I connect the plug at the other end to one of the for EMITTER ports and then an emitter/blaster cable to one of the other of the four ports and attach the other sticky end onto my SA 8300HD PVR?

And then for the IR Receiver side, how do I inject power into it? If I plug it into the cat5rx that won't work as the port on the cat5rx is passive. Or does the fact I have power on the emitter on the cat5tx take care of the power requirements of the IR Receiver on the cat5rx end? Or do I not use the connecting block on the cat5tx side and use it on he cat5rx side? But then how do I power the IR receiver on the cat5rx end? If I plug the IR receiver into the IR RCVR port on the 789-44 connecting block then how do I connect that connecting block to the IR REMOTE port on the cat5rx? Would I use one of the IR EMITTER ports and plug a stereo cable in from there to the IR REMOTE port on the cat5rx and that would then send the IR receiver command to the cat5tx and out through the emitter ports on it?

Any help would be appreciated. This is so confusing!

For IR repeating, think of the CAT5RX as an "emitter extension cord". The emitter plugs in on the CAT5TX side, so you need to feed the RX side with an output-to-emitter IR signal.

So yes, you need to provide power to your 789-44, most easily through the 12V wall wart plug. That's what will power your IR receiver, and the connecting block to produce the emitter outputs.

It is a bit confusing, but CE Labs means it when they say it's a "passive IR solution". You provide the emitter signal, and they'll pass it to an emitter at the far end...

I've got exactly this setup working, so you're just a 12VDC transformer away from it working!

Jeff

Thanks. Maybe I did not explain this properly. I do have the 12VDC power supply and realize that it has to be plugged into the connecting block. The problem is what do I connect this connecting block to and how? It seems to me that it is one of two ways but I am not quite sure how:

1. Do I use the connecting block at the Cat5tx transmitter unit, but connect the red plug on the Xantech IR receiver into the Cat5rx receiver unit IR REMOTE port? If so, I assume that I plug in the emitter/blaster to one of the EMITTERS ports on the connecting block (with the connecting block plugged into the power supply), but then how do I connect the connecting block to the cat5tx transmitter unit so that the signal received by the IR receiver at the Cat5rx end (where the IR receiver is plugged in) gets transmitted through to the Cat5tx transmitter unit and out through the emitter/blaster?

Or

2. Do I use the connecting block at the Cat5rx receiver unit and connect the red plug on the Xantech IR receiver into the IR RCVR port on the connecting block (with the connecting block plugged in to the power supply). If so, then how do I connect the connecting block to the IR remote port on the Cat5rx receiver unit? In this configuration I assume I just connect the emitter/blaster to one of the 3 IR EMITTER ports on the Cat5tx transmitter unit.

Thanks.

I finally got through to Ce-Labs and had the question answered. So, for the benefit of anyone else who might have the same unanswered questions as me here is the answer:

First of all they advised to power the IR emitter at the Cat5tx unit (see below) and not to inject any power at the IR Receiver end and therefore to simply plug the IR receiver's 3.5mm jack into the IR RCVR port on the Cat5rx receiver unit. Apparently if the IR emitter is powered then the IR receiver does not need to be powered.

Then you need to get a jumper cable with a male stereo 3.5mm jack on each end (Radio Shack has them and I've included a picture below - you'll notice two coloured rings around the metal connector as opposed to one that is on mono jacks) and plug one end of it into one of the 3 IR EMITTER jacks on the Cat5tx unit and the other end of it into the IR RCVR port on the connecting block. Then you plug in the male plug at the end of the IR emitter cable into one of the emitter ports on the connecting block (and plug other IR emitter cables in if you have more than one). Then you plug in the power supply into the connecting block. This powers the IR emitter and thus allow signals that are received by the IR receiver when you point the remote at it to be received by the Cat5tx unit and sent through the jumper cable to the connecting block and then through the IR emitter cable to the source device that you want to control.

I also asked Ce-Labs why they didn't make the emitter and receiver ports on the Cat5tx/rx units powered and they said because it would have been very difficult because ir emitters and ir receivers have varying voltage requirements (but of course they could have included a means of changing the voltage but then I guess that would have added even more cost).

Oh, and btw, for anyone thinking of buying these they work great! Sure it's component video not HDMI but I've found the picture to be every bit as good. Also, their HDMI versions do not carry the IR signal as the 2 catx cables that you need to run between the transmitter and receiver units are entirely used for the HDMI signal so you have to run a separate wire for the IR signal.