[hert0839]

Hello wonder if anyone can help a newbie to home networking. I have just purchased the following HDMI extender:

ATP-HD02 --- MadNat Audio and Video Distribution

To test it I connected my laptop DVI to HDMI cable into the transmitter balun, sent it through the CAT 5 network and back out to the receiver balun and into the HD TV. The result.... nothing! Blank screen!

I tested the cables separately to make sure they work and they seemed fine. Since there is nothing to "press" or change on the balun itself - its just a plug and play type device - i'm out of options.

I have an IP Homenet console but it doesn't work if i go through it or just by-pass it and use a cat 5 cable in between the transmitter and receiver.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.

[Joe Fernand]

HDMI over CAT5 is NOT compatible with a conventional 'IT' or 'HomePlug' network.

HDMI over CAT5 Balun are using the physical properties of the CAT5 twisted pair cable - they are not outputting a Data stream that can be integrated into your existing IT network.

The Balun require a point to point connection to work properly - some folk will break the point to point connection using wall plate connectors for neatness but that can adversely affect things too.

Joe

PS Not all HDMI over CAT5 Balun are created equal so even with the correct point to point connections in place you can run into problems!

PPS HDMI over your mains network (HomePlug style) will be possible later this year!

[hert0839]

ok thanks for that. Thats not a good sign! Well basically what i'm trying to do is transfer a SkyHD box that can only be placed in a room with the IP Homenet console, to my living room. The only thing between them is the cat 5 network but this goes through the IP hub. So is there any other way to do this as the baluns will not work in that case?

[Joe Fernand]

If you cant dedicate one (preferably two) CAT5 cables to the SKY HD Balun your in trouble.

Wireless HDMI is currently a costly (c600 GBP), range limited and mostly untried solution.

HDMI over your power lines will be possible later this year - that may be your best option if you can be patient.

Joe

PS I take it pulling another couple of CAT5 cables is not going to be possible?

[hert0839]

Originally Posted by Joe Fernand

If you cant dedicate one (preferably two) CAT5 cables to the SKY HD Balun your in trouble.


PS I take it pulling another couple of CAT5 cables is not going to be possible?

Hmm well mabe if i use the bottom connections on the IP Home console. These just say the numbers of which wall socket cat5 they correspond to - so I will only be using the built in cabling via the home console this may be a way to dedicate those cat5 wires to the HD balun?

Yes you are correct, pulling a couple of cables together won't work as i don't want 10m of cable round the house, especially when cat5 cabling is already installed in the walls!

[Joe Fernand]

If you know its a straight connection between the central patch panel and the in-room wall sockets you ought to be OK.

Joe

[hert0839]

wow it actually works with a SkyHD box... well kind off!

The signal comes across but with interference and come and goes every few minutes. I guess this is better than with no signal at all, but does anybody know why this might be? Its the same with all resolutions

[Joe Fernand]

Any chance you can try it on a pair of 'these have been tested' cables running across the floor - it would be nice to prove those Balun work for you without the added complexity of how well (or not) your install has been carried out.

Not all HDMI Balun are created equal and not all cabling installs are done correctly either.

We talk to a lot of folk who have to start off reconnecting cable ends before they get things working !

Very few pre wire cabling installers are working to a quality level - most are working on a minimum effort/minimum cost basis!!!

The first job we do these days when going on site where a pre wire exists is to test and log every CAT5 cable.

Joe

[Nded]

Originally Posted by hert0839

ok thanks for that. Thats not a good sign! Well basically what i'm trying to do is transfer a SkyHD box that can only be placed in a room with the IP Homenet console, to my living room. The only thing between them is the cat 5 network but this goes through the IP hub. So is there any other way to do this as the baluns will not work in that case?

There are some HDMI over IP devices that will let you distribute your SkyHD box HD output with multi-channel audio to any number of rooms/displays simultaneously over your cat 5 network. Do a google on "HDMI and IR over IP". It costs about £155 per room for the receivers and about £180 for the single transmitter to connect your SkyHD box to the Ethernet LAN.

[MarkTaylor]

Originally Posted by Nded

There are some HDMI over IP devices that will let you distribute your SkyHD box HD output with multi-channel audio ...

Nded, you need to be aware that Sky HD only carries 2 channel sound over HDMI so unless the HDMI over IP transmitter has an optical/digital coax input then you won't get 5.1 via that route.

[Nded]

Originally Posted by MarkTaylor

Nded, you need to be aware that Sky HD only carries 2 channel sound over HDMI so unless the HDMI over IP transmitter has an optical/digital coax input then you won't get 5.1 via that route.

Hey Mark,


Thank you for the heads-up on this great "feature" of the Sky HD box. Can you introduce me to the genius who came up with that design?

In this case, and assuming the OP wanted to get the 5.1 optical audio on the HDMI over IP "network", I would suggest they get something like the really nice DVI to HDMI converter I found at HDCable.co.uk DVI to HDMI with Audio Converter (one of the Assured Advertisers here at AVForums). Using that device, you would connect the HDMI output to the DVI input of the converter using a standard HDMI to DVI adapter cable. Then you connect the audio output of the Sky HD to the converter, and voila' you now have Sky HD HDMI output with 5.1 audio that you can plug into the HDMI and IR over IP Transmitter. Now every Receiver would be getting the full 5.1 audio, instead of the 2.0 audio native to the Sky HD HDMI output.

I really would love to have a conversation with the engineer who came up with the plan to cripple the HDMI output, that's nothing short of brilliance!

[Joe Fernand]

Hello Nded

Your assuming DVI + Optical to HDMI converters support 5.1 - most don't!!!

I'm sure SKY will tell you they have saved themselves no end of Tech support calls by only supporting 2.0 LPCM over HDMI!

Its never simple with HDMI

Joe

[Nded]

Originally Posted by Joe Fernand

Hello Nded

Your assuming DVI + Optical to HDMI converters support 5.1 - most don't!!!

I'm sure SKY will tell you they have saved themselves no end of Tech support calls by only supporting 2.0 LPCM over HDMI!

Its never simple with HDMI

Joe

Joe, I've made no such assumption that ALL DVI + Optical converters support 5.1. We all know what happens when you assume something. I'll check with hdcable.co.uk to make sure that their device does support 5.1.