Projector Question

Dimfer · Dec 23, 2010

I am trying to setup my projector and gathering information how I can best connect the projector to my receiver/player.

My basement is fully finished, I am having a tough time deciding on how to do this properly and cleanly. Since this is a 1080p setup, it seems my best option is hdmi, and this is where it gets tricky. The guy who sold me the projector advised me to use the shortest hdmi cable possible, so I got a 35' hdmi cable. Since the projector will be hang 16' away from the screen - my shortest path seems to be just going straight by running wire from the projector to the screen wall inside a raceway. Good idea, but not the cleanest because the raceway will still be visible.

Since the floor joists are perpendicular to the straight line between the projector and the location of the screen/receiver/player - I will have to make a loop from the projector to my aquarium room and then back to the family room if I want to go in-ceiling in my family room. If I go this way - I will need around 60' of hdmi cable. I was told to put an hdmi booster/repeater in between two runs of 10m hdmi. A friend who seems to know these stuff said any extra hdmi connection will result in loss of fidelity. Another concern is the possible interference because the hdmi cable will be running side by side with the power cable. A guy suggested to use balun (hdmi - cat 5/6 - hdmi), which is less prone to interference because of the twisted wire design of the cat 5/6.

third option is wireless hdmi... simple but expensive and new technology.

questions

has anybody any experience in using long runs of hdmi (50+ feet)?
how about boosters/repeaters or baluns? any noticeable loss in picture quality? any recommended brand?
any experience or opinion in using wireless hdmi?

thanks!

amirm · Dec 23, 2010

Let's go after low-hanging fruit. There is no fidelity issue to worry about. For video, HDMI carries digital data and if works, it works at 100% fidelity.

The "if it works" becomes a tough nut to crack. You really have no way of knowing what works until you try it. There are many things that can make it fail from poor implementation at either end, to quality of cable and connection. Yes, there are adapters, mistakenly called Baluns, that convert the signal and to/from cat-5/cat-6. Unfortunately it is a total crap shoot as to whether any of them work. You can take one that someone swears by, and combine it with another display and AVR and it fails. The only reliable solution is from Crestron which costs a ton because it is a video switcher.

My suggestion is to buy the HDMI cable at the length you need. Test it sitting on the ground and see if it works rock solid. If it does, it will likely work in the wall. Be sure the cable is in-wall rated. If this fails, yes, there are cable equalizers you can buy which help most of the time but not all the time. At 60 feet, I would get a heavy gauge HDMI cable and see how it works. I have one at similar length and it worked for me.

Again, baluns and boosters do NOT impact picture quality. They can only help/hurt the system from working at all.

On wirelessHD HDMI, it uses 60 GHz frequency (not a typo) so it is line of sight. If you are in the same room, it might work for you (but even walking in front of it might cause momentary picture drops). I heard of some audio issues with them but since you are going with video-only, I think they should be fine. Personally I would go with the hardwired cable and only resort to wireless if all else fails.

RBFC · Dec 23, 2010

Here's the cable with the best "stated" performance I've found. Belden is a trusted name in the pro world. Belden Series 1 should at least deserve consideration for your application:

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/hdmi-cable.htm

Also Notice the Price = $135 for a 50 ft. cable No exorbitant cable markup, just pro-quality stuff.

Lee

Dimfer · Dec 23, 2010

thanks for the input Amir. Now, the statements of the guy who sold me the package makes sense. He said most of the cables longer than 35' does not work (so it's either they work or not). I am really curious to try the "looping into the aquarium room" option. Only if I could find a local seller of hdmi booster who will take it back if it does not work.

BTW, I went with Epson 8700UB. A Canadian dealer gave me an excellent deal on it, plus the free bulb mail-in option.. I'd been told that I can run into warranty issues when buying from US dealer.

audioguy · Dec 24, 2010

RBFC said:
Also Notice the Price = $135 for a 50 ft. cable No exorbitant cable markup, just pro-quality stuff.

Lee

But is it Cryogenically treated?

RBFC · Dec 24, 2010

audioguy said:
But is it Cryogenically treated?

It was manufactured inside of a pentagram formed by Shakti Stones, connected by networked bowls. A final blessing with Magic Bricks before packaging.

Lee

rsbeck · Dec 26, 2010

I use the Blue Jeans HDMI with a 70+ foot in-ceiling run and it works beautifully. I was very concerned about the length of the run and was a little worried about the Blue Jeans HDMI, so we were talking about using a balun or an HDMI with power booster if it didn't work, but tried the Blue Jeans HDMI first and achieved excellent results so did not need to go the other routes. It works like Blue Jeans Cable says it does.

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