hdmi balun's

[Ritmo2k]

All my speakers are in wall/ceiling and therefor I am thinking about leaving all the actual pc's for each room in the rack in the basement, and using hdmi balun's to get the video to each tv/projector. The only downside I can see is lack of a dvd tray. I can transfer remote signals via many options.

Any seasoned opinions on a setup like this?

Thanks!

[b4rney]

Hi Ritmo2k,

Baluns for HDMI generally require 2 x ethernet cables. Some of these include the ir signal too. It is also possible to extend usb over ethernet which might allow you to have a usb DVD drive in your entertainment area. However, you would need lots of cat5/cat6 cables for this kind of setup.

Hope this helps.
Barney

[Ritmo2k]

I was just mulling over the ir/usb issue now.
If I can find some that do this, I have a solution for areas where I don't want av equipment, like the kitchen/bathroom.

We are just roughing in now, so I can add anything i want.

Thanks for the info!
jlc

[alx9r]

I am currently roughing-in for a LinuxMCE as well.  I am centralising all my MD's in a utility room and wiring the displays as per Andrew's advice here:

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=7960.msg52137#msg52137

HTH,

Alex

[totallymaxed]

Hi Ritmo2k,

Baluns for HDMI generally require 2 x ethernet cables. Some of these include the ir signal too. It is also possible to extend usb over ethernet which might allow you to have a usb DVD drive in your entertainment area. However, you would need lots of cat5/cat6 cables for this kind of setup.

Hope this helps.
Barney

Hi,

There are numerous HDMI-CAT6 converters that will work over a single CAT6 cable now. But generally they are more limited on distance between sender & receiver - less than 30m in some cases.

We have tested a number of USB over IP adapters and none have worked reliably enough for general use in a 'real installation' - and none have successfully supported data storage devices. So my sense is that these usb/IP adapters are really not a viable solution right now... they may be in the future at some point though.

All the best


Andrew

[Ritmo2k]

That's good to know, I was just about to order a set of HDMI and USB baluns today as I wanted an external usb slim drive for reading dvd's at the location.

What were some of the pro's you spoke of in the above link by alx9r where you talk about the centralized config you sometimes deploy?

Thanks for the info.

[totallymaxed]

That's good to know, I was just about to order a set of HDMI and USB baluns today as I wanted an external usb slim drive for reading dvd's at the location.

What were some of the pro's you spoke of in the above link by alx9r where you talk about the centralized config you sometimes deploy?

Thanks for the info.

Hi again,

Lets be clear in my earlier post i was referring to usb-over IP adapters which are not the same as USB-CAT5/S adapters. With usb-over IP adapters the USB hub becomes a device on your standard CAT5/6 LAN and provides essentially IP addressable USB ports. With USB-CAT5/5 adapters we are just using a dedicated CAT5/6 cable to extend the 'reach' of the USB bus. With USB-CAT5/6 adapter you may be able to attach a USB-storage device such as an optical drive but this will depend on the usb support available in the adapter as to whether this will work. Simple devices like keyboards, mice & IR Transceivers work fine though.

All the best


Andrew

[chrisbirkinshaw]

I have used the active USB over cat5 converters you get on ebay but they only provide a USB 1 connection, not USB2, so you'll not be able to use them for a hard drive. I also found that on my setup I would experience USB disconnects and eventually my machine would lock up... so I don't really recommend them.

I'm not really sure anymore that there is a good solution for a setup where the MD is in a cupboard somewhere. Andrew?

Chris

[totallymaxed]

I have used the active USB over cat5 converters you get on ebay but they only provide a USB 1 connection, not USB2, so you'll not be able to use them for a hard drive. I also found that on my setup I would experience USB disconnects and eventually my machine would lock up... so I don't really recommend them.

I'm not really sure anymore that there is a good solution for a setup where the MD is in a cupboard somewhere. Andrew?

Chris

Well we install systems with centralised MM/MD's all the time and they work 100% fine. If you want a local 'in-room' optical drive then really you should look at locating the MD/MM in-room too. What we tend to do is recommend that customers have maybe 1 or 2 MD/MM's with optical drives located around their homes (ie not in the centralised rack) and that they use these units for ripping CD/DVD discs and or for playing a CD/DVD.

All the best


Andrew

[twodogs]

Connecting a DVD to a remote computer requires a USB extender, not a USB/cat5 balun. I got the best/fastest balun I could find (the Intelix, below, for $129). It was nowhere near fast enough to play a DVD. I then purchased a $20 USB extender from Coolgear that worked great.

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=9484.0

John

[totallymaxed]

Connecting a DVD to a remote computer requires a USB extender, not a USB/cat5 balun. I got the best/fastest balun I could find (the Intelix, below, for $129). It was nowhere near fast enough to play a DVD. I then purchased a $20 USB extender from Coolgear that worked great.

http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=9484.0

John

Well have had USB storage devices working remote from the MD/MM using OEM USB-CAt5/6 Extenders (another name for this is a USB-CAT5/6 Balun) over dedicated CAT5/6 runs. These will get you out to about 30-40M from the central rack. However we have not deployed these with customers yet as they do not seem to be reliable enough in 'everyday' use. Which is why I mentioned testing the USB-CAT5/s Extenders you plan to use with USB storage devices.

All the best

Andrew