[BigBirdy]

I am about to help out a friend, who owns a bar, with some video, audio and networking upgrades. My background is technology (specifically Linux and open-source), but I am also somewhat of an audiophile and have streaming video/audio in my house, multiple high-end AV systems. Currently the bar is filled with older CRT TV's connected by coax to a central switching wall with various COAX switching boxes. Since this is not close to the current source locations, it may need to be moved, or cables re-run. But there are about 6-8 CRT's with existing coax connections and a few newer HD sources (Blu Ray, HD Satellite) and a couple of newer panels with DVI and/or HDMI inputs. The long term plan is to have a central source switching devices which can accept all types of input (COAX, VGA, S-Video, Component, DVI and HDMI) and then be able to send the same output video to all devices, or some devices. It would also be nice to say, send the Satellite source to TV's A, B and C, with BluRay source to TV's E, F and G etc.


What I am looking for right now is some sort of simple-to-use solution for distributing multiple sources of any connection, to multiple displays, many with COAX, some with DVI/HDMI/Component.


I would like to avoid running new cables to the older CRT's and if possible, use their existing COAX. But I am looking at wireless HDMI systems, as well as ZeeVee and maybe Control4.


Anyone have any other ideas/suggestions?

 

[iimig]

Zeevee is going to be your best bet for interoperability with analog tuners and ultimate scalability. A matrix switch preferably with balanced HDMI-over-cat5e outputs will do what you want but will require cabling to each display.


As far as interoperability between connections, the best way is if you can take the lowest common denominators (everything but HDMI) and scale them to HDMI as needed. There are various inexpensive standalone scalers that can be used for each input. The B&K component matrix is one of the only ones I know of that has built in transcoding for composite and s-video to component, but the problem is it is not an HDMI matrix

 

[justin miller]



Quote:
Originally Posted by iimig /forum/post/19511877


As far as interoperability between connections, the best way is if you can take the lowest common denominators (everything but HDMI) and scale them to HDMI as needed. There are various inexpensive standalone scalers that can be used for each input. The B&K component matrix is one of the only ones I know of that has built in transcoding for composite and s-video to component, but the problem is it is not an HDMI matrix

Is that the HD6? I thought it only had component inputs.

Sorry to hijack the thread but I've been looking for a matrix that takes either HD or SD inputs and has HD outs (Composite or HDMI); does such a device exist?

 

[jautor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin miller Sorry to hijack the thread but I've been looking for a matrix that takes either HD or SD inputs and has HD outs (Composite or HDMI); does such a device exist?

Probably, but not at a price you wouldn't laugh at...

If you've got SD sources, before going down too many conversion paths, consider upgrading those sources to something with HD outputs - be it a DVD player, cable box, etc... Replacing that equipment will be the cheapest solution. If you've got cameras in that mix, someone else will have to chime in regarding options for those...



Jeff