[southlakedad]

So technically, it would be from UNDER the grill, but I was hoping to get your attention.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to run multi-zone video in my outdoor living area. My setup currently has one television, DVR, Apple TV, Denon AVR, and 4 pairs of speakers. The equipment is located in a stainless steel cabinet beneath my gas grill, and the TV is connected via HDMI.

I would like to add an additional TV in the corner of the other "room" between the two windows, near the ceiling. This area predominantly does not have line-of-sight to the existing TV. However, the construction of our living area is such that I cannot run a new HDMI cable from the current equipment cabinet.

The current equipment cabinet is essentially a stainless steel box. It does not receive wi-fi well at all, so I've set up an ethernet powerline system for streaming purposes. However, it does receive the RF signal from my universal remote just fine.

So my fundamental question is, are there wireless HDMI systems that will be able to successfully broadcast from this metal box? Any idea what kind of lag time we might experience -- as one of our options, I would like the two TVs to be able to show the same or different sources simultaneously (obviously with only one audio source running). So lag introduced by the wireless HDMI would be noticeable, and performing a lip-sync adjustment to compensate would create problems for the TV on the wired HDMI connection.

I've attached some pics of the space so this will hopefully make some sense. Any help is appreciated!

 

[sport06]

So my first question is this, I don't see an electrical outlet between the 2 windows near the ceiling. How will you power the additional tv?

Stream of thought here....

You have a direct connection currently at the existing television from the box? Could you put a small 2 port HDMI splitter at the existing tv and run wire through the soffit from the existing tv to the new tv. that wont give you the ability for 2 sources though.

Ok, so IF you can run wire between the 2 tv's through the soffit, you could follow the same path from the 'box' to the existing tv, jump into the soffit over to the new tv. If this path is possible, what about using a HDMI over UTP solution. Something like this - http://www.hubbell-premise.com/literature/PLDC020.pdf

 

[Neurorad]

What's on the other side of the fireplace?

 

[harveyAV]

sport06 is on the right path, if you can't run an HDMI cable can you run it over a twisted pair cable with a HDMI range extender?

 

[southlakedad]

What's on the other side of the fireplace?

A stone wall is behind the fireplace. Not amenable to intrusion!

 

[Neurorad]

"cannot run a new...cable" sounds like a dare.

Those columns are hollow? The stone face cabinets are wood underneath? I'd look harder at adding a category cable, for an HDMI extender.

Who put the AV equipment outside?

You could possibly position a cable or satellite box behind the new TV - they're about the size of a pack of cards. It depends on your source material.

I might add that your outdoor living space looks outstanding.

 

[XJBaylor]

I might add that your outdoor living space looks outstanding.

I will second this. We do a lot of high-end work in your area (assuming Southlake, TX) and University Park, Preston Hollow, etc. and that is one of the nicest outdoor kitchens I have ever seen.

If you want someone to take a look at the feasibility of running a wire let me know. Otherwise I will recommend the Peerless HDS200 as a wireless option, but only if getting cc there really isn't feasible. One potential way to deal with the lipsync issue could be to run BOTH TV's wirelessly (one HDS200 Transmitter with two receivers) but that might be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[harveyAV]

I will second this. We do a lot of high-end work in your area (assuming Southlake, TX) and University Park, Preston Hollow, etc. and that is one of the nicest outdoor kitchens I have ever seen.

If you want someone to take a look at the feasibility of running a wire let me know. Otherwise I will recommend the Peerless HDS200 as a wireless option, but only if getting cc there really isn't feasible. One potential way to deal with the lipsync issue could be to run BOTH TV's wirelessly (one HDS200 Transmitter with two receivers) but that might be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I think that Peerless item mentioned has been discontinued correct? I know Intelix makes wireless HDMI but they only claim that it is good enough to travel through drywall. I doubt it will go through a metal box.

 

[southlakedad]

I think that Peerless item mentioned has been discontinued correct? I know Intelix makes wireless HDMI but they only claim that it is good enough to travel through drywall. I doubt it will go through a metal box.

Thanks for the input (and the compliments!)

I think it would probably be easier to switch my DVRs (currently 6 FIOS dvrs) over to a couple of Tivo Roamio pros, then put a Tivo mini on the back of the new TV. This would enable me to get TV over an ethernet connection rather than HDMI. Any idea if a powerline adapter system would provide enough bandwidth for this application? I can get power to that corner more easily than HDMI or Cat 5/6 wiring.

Then we can just tune both TVs to the same channel -- old school multizone application. Still may have sync issues, but can cross that bridge when we come to it...

 

[gerard143]

you can get much faster speeds over powerline then wifi believe it or not and yes it can be very reliable. your universal rf remote might very well be 433MHz. if that's the case that explains why it works well and wifi doesn't. 433 will blow thru walls much better then 2.5 GHz


just use a quality wireless hdmi extender and be done with it. if it doesn't work return it.
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=8087
http://www.iogear.com/solutions/av/?view=994
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/gtv-whd-1080p-lr-blk.jsp?prod_id=10922
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/gtv-whd-1080p-sr.jsp?prod_id=10709
http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Wireless-HDMI-Extender-WHDI/dp/B009D1RE5G


http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-wireless-hdmi-video-transmitter/

 

[harveyAV]

Intelix is rated for 100' and the ability to go through drywall with 17ms of delay.

https://www.conferenceroomav.com/Intelix-/SKYPLAY-MX-S.cfm

 

[southlakedad]

Update

Unfortunately, I am still searching for a way to get a signal to the new TV location. Both the powerline adapter and wireless HDMI options have been tried and failed.

The powerline adapter solution seemed most promising. However, after digging out a 10-year-old windows laptop with an ethernet jack to test the throughput speed, I determined that I was getting less than 0.5 mbps through that system. In the house, the speed is 20+ mbps. My theory is that the electrical system of the patio addition is insufficiently tied into the house system; regardless, I'm not getting anywhere near sufficient signal for this to work.

I tested the wireless HDMI option today. It works perfectly well with straight line of sight from transmitter to receiver, but predictably failed entirely when the transmitter moves into its home in the metal cabinet under the grill. I also tried putting the transmitter inside the house, adjacent to the desired TV location, but the transmitter and receiver don't connect at all (something about brick walls!)

I have an electrician coming out to evaluate our options soon, and on Monday our A/V and security camera installer will be here too. But I thought I'd take another run at the brain trust here and see if anyone has a new idea!

XJBaylor, I may be contacting you next...

Thanks guys