[Jordan Miller]

New member here. I've been lurking on the forum for a while now trying to figure out all the A/V out for a new home I am about to build. What a huge help! I've been able to find answers to almost all my questions from previous threads. One question I still have relates to how to pipe 4k media from a central location to several TV's around the house.

The house I am building is three floors with a 5x8 media closet in the basement. The plan is to house all A/V equipment there and then to distribute video via HDbaseT/CAT 6 to six TVs throughout the house. My question is, will this setup be able to support 4k bluray when it comes out later this year? I know that 4k baluns haven't come out yet, so my concern is mostly with the wiring. I heard that HDMI 2.0 will support 18 Gbps and my understanding is that CAT 6 will only do 10. Should I be running CAT 7 to the TV locations or even fiber?

Thanks for your help!

 

[hoyalawya]

I would run conduits from the control room to every possible TV location. The only way to ensure that you will have the wire you need later once 4k/60 4:4:4 equipment are out.

 

[lovingdvd]

So what did you wind up doing? I've heard one option may be to run two shielded Cat6a cables (10 Gb/s each) to be used with HDMI over Cat6 products.

 

[Postmoderndesign]

Yes, I am confused about 4K UHD cat6a distribution which is an evolving technology.

I am currently remodeling and running 3 cat6a cables, 1 RG6 coaxial cable and conduit from a utility room to 3 bedrooms and the great room while sheet rock is down. With the google network box as a router in the utility room I can run one one cat6a for data to the four locations. The Great Room also has an office area so switches or a router is needed there. The other two cat6a are for 4K UHD and I probably need something like a HDBaseT 2.0 transmitter and receivers. However, I am not sure this exists as a practical solution at this point. So, how to network the two additional cat6a cables for each room is not yet clear. Suggestions, particularly about switches and routers, are gladly accepted.

The RG6 coaxial cable is either for Google fiber TV distribution, which can be done with the cat6a, or for cable TV like Comcast or for some unknown future application.

 

[Otto Pylot]

Solid core CAT-6/7 (non-CCS and NOT CAT-6 ethernet patch) cable seems to be the way to go for now. Active termination will need to be done with something like HDBT, which can be pricey. However, the biggest problem right now is distance, especially if you want to push 4k, 4:4:4 @60Hz. Anything past about 20' seems to be very problematic for a lot of people, even with the current HDBT devices or active cables with Redmere technology (both of which hopefully will be upgraded soon with more robust chipsets). That is going to change but right now the cable mfrs are trying to come up with a design (as well as certification standards) that will work reliably. At the very least I would run at least 1.5" conduit and throw in a couple of CAT-7 cables (1000MHz), some RG-6 coax, and a pull string. HDMI cables are going to be changing and installing an HDMI cable now will only have to be replaced sooner than later. And if the connection technology moves to fiber optic or Display Port down the road, at least with a conduit/pull string combo (or solid core CAT-7) you'll more than likely be able to keep up for awhile longer. I think it's a bit early for switches/routers at least as far as HDMI 2.0a (and the rumored HDMI 3.0 in consideration) goes. The boxes are all external and can always be upgraded as need be, it's the pipe and distance right now that is the big concern.

 

[Joe Fernand]

'Yes, I am confused about 4K UHD cat6a distribution which is an evolving technology' - it's not really 'confusing' it's just that you can't find an off the shelf solution at present

The CAT6 cable is the one constant and looks like it will be for the foreseeable future.

Current 'Extender' hardware has still to catch up wth the capabilities of the Source and Display gear.

You also have to ask yourself will you have centralised 4K UHD capable Sources or will it be delivered 'locally' in each room - you also have to plan out your audio requirements in each room.

The cost to implement a multi-zone 4K UHD BD capable Matrix will not be insignificant so you have to ask do you really require the same capabilities in all Zones?

Joe

 

[Postmoderndesign]

Thanks! I will run one cat6a and one RG6 coaxial cable from the utility room google fiber router to my current great room 1080 plasma and to the three bedrooms for internet and network access. l will run conduit now and the additional two cat6a solid core cable speculating that they may prove useful in the future.. In a year or two I may get a UHD display. I will stop trying to understand what no one knows yet and I will get a good night's sleep. Thanks for the advice. Understanding the problem is good.

 

[jimim]

Thanks! I will run one cat6a and one RG6 coaxial cable from the utility room google fiber router to my current great room 1080 plasma and to the three bedrooms for internet and network access. l will run conduit now and the additional two cat6a solid core cable speculating that they may prove useful in the future.. In a year or two I may get a UHD display. I will stop trying to understand what no one knows yet and I will get a good night's sleep. Thanks for the advice. Understanding the problem is good.

run the 2 cat6a

 

[Postmoderndesign]

run the 2 cat6a

Yes, I plan to run 3 cat6a cables to the four rooms because I have enough cat6a and am planning for a cat6a internet and data cable and two cat6a cables for UHD. I have wall plate that will hold four ports. One will be and F connector for RG6 coaxial cable.

 

[jimim]

Yes, I plan to run 3 cat6a cables to the four rooms because I have enough cat6a and am planning for a cat6a internet and data cable and two cat6a cables for UHD. I have wall plate that will hold four ports. One will be and F connector for RG6 coaxial cable.

good idea. if you have time add 1 cheap-o cat5e to use as ir blasters/emitters for control. remember you are going to have equipment located somewhere else and you have to get signals to and fro. i know there are other solutions today. i personally use irule, but who knows down the road. don't rely on ur balun to push the ir. they do now, but again who knows down the road. all the bandwidth might be needed for the 18 gb, hdr, 4k ect.

liberty av has a hdr compatible balun in the works. who knows when, but i have spoke with them and it is in developement. it's only a matter of time though for others. this is all very new.

when i built my house i did 4 cat5e and 2 rg6 to each tv location. places like my office andvarious equipment closets i went nuts and ran 8 cat5e and 4 rg6. people laughed but i am using most of my office runs. my second floor rg6 runs saved me for cameras on the outside of my house to get my dv into my rack in the basement vs my office. don't know what the hell i was thinking there.

when i finished my basement this past 3 years. i ran 2 cat6a shielded, 2 rg6, 1 cat5e to all tv locations. i also added 2 cat6a shielded for data also in each tv location and other eareas where data was needed.

jim

 

[Postmoderndesign]

At first I thought maybe all your cable is overkill.

But then I became curious and decided I would ask you how you are using the 8 cat5e and the four RG6.

I have enough RG6 to run more and I bought solid copper RG6.