Sky Distribution over Cat5

[scrowe]

Hi all,

I have Sky-HD via HDMI in the Living room and want to distribute it to the bedroom.

I actually have a Lexcom Home distribution system already, so I have Cat5 installed (although I believe the Lexcom specification is Cat7, so it should be Cat7). However, this only distributes RF, Ethernet and Telephone.

I already have Sky Magic-eye for controlling via RF.

1. Via RF - Works but not great quality
2. Would prefer to do RGB Scart over Cat5 getting RGB video and stereo audio , Scartout from HD box via Cat5 to ScartIn on bedroom TV, with RF already in place for controlling the box remotely.

I've looked at Bluedelta, but it's not clear what type of video signal, I'm guessing Composite video only (I've mailed them to ask)

One question I have is :-

Does the HD box output via Scart and/or component simultaneously?

If no problems there, I just can't seem to find a straightforward economical solution :-

I see component baluns around, but that leaves me without audio
Some baluns do digital coax as well as component, but there's no additional digital output on the Sky box, and I don't have multi-channel digital in the bedroom, just analog stereo into the telly.

Ideal would be a balun carrying component, and LR analog audio, although I can't find any that offer this. I also don't think this can go over single Cat5 in one go.

Also, I'm looking for a reasonably cheap option, I'll spend a mite over £100 if necessary, but no more, otherwise the Bluedelta solution with composite video only will do, as an improvement over the current RF.

Any recommendations?

[scrowe]

OK, found some of the answers over in the Sky forum.

Thread here, very informative

Outputting Sky HD to 2 TVs

1. Sky-HD box does indeed output simultaneously on all outputs
2. As my bedroom LCD is HD-Ready, I would be mad settling for less than component or HDMI

Options are :-

1. Buy a pair of component baluns and a pair of stereo baluns, Sky-HD out via component and stereo, via 2 Cat5, into bedroom TV via component and stereo. Quite expensive, lots of cables

2. Buy a pair of HDMI baluns. This in my case will require HDMI splitters/switchboxes, on both sides as HDMI already used on both Sky-HD and LCD in bedroom

3. Buy shielded CAT5 cable, and solder phono plugs, x3 to ethernet, x2 to ethernet, giving a cheap solution. However, I haven't got a clue how to achieve this, I just wish I could get the cables made up.

That about covers it, ebay is the best source for cheap baluns, but not many around at the moment.

[dunks517]

I have Component Baluns to view Sky over Cat5. The addtional equipment needed is:

TOSLINK/Optical splitter.
2 optical cables.
1 optical to component converter.
2 patch leads.
1 coax cable.
Cat 5 to the other room
Coax aerail to the other room
SKy HD tv link
Universal remote or extra HD remote

The Video connections are straight forward, the audio should go like this:

Sky HD Box:

Optical out from Sky HD to splitter, 1 cable from splitter to main amp and 1 cable to digital to optical converter.

Coax from optical converter to balun.

Other room:

Component to TV, Coax to either a Coax equipped amp or use a cox to optical converter to plug into some powered pc speakers or a stereo with optical in.

Finally an coax aerial cable with a Sky link HD connected to it and going into the RF 2 out pout on the sky HD box (ensure that the RF2 in powered in the Services menu)

I'm happy to provide photos if needed.

Duncs

[scrowe]

Thanks Duncs,

The problem for me is Audio, as all I can do is feed the bedroom TV with L&R analog stereo. Aren't the cost of all the convertes £50 a pop too?

In which case, surely the route is to buy component baluns including digital co-ax, just in case things change in the future, but otherwise buy seperate baluns for the stereo audio via another Cat5 point.

I already have the TVLink and remote sorted

But I'm first going to maybe email Marg Grant cables and see what the cost of making 2x 1m Ethernet to 3 Phono and 2x 1m Ethernet to 2 Phone are, using shielded Cat5, which is probably the cheapest bet.

[dunks517]

Originally Posted by scrowe

Thanks Duncs,

The problem for me is Audio, as all I can do is feed the bedroom TV with L&R analog stereo. Aren't the cost of all the convertes £50 a pop too?

In which case, surely the route is to buy component baluns including digital co-ax, just in case things change in the future, but otherwise buy seperate baluns for the stereo audio via another Cat5 point.

I already have the TVLink and remote sorted

But I'm first going to maybe email Marg Grant cables and see what the cost of making 2x 1m Ethernet to 3 Phono and 2x 1m Ethernet to 2 Phone are, using shielded Cat5, which is probably the cheapest bet.

If you run another Cat5 for thew 2 Ch audio then that will work also, and does away with the need to have a seperate amp.

These links may help:

Optical Converter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Optical-to-Coa...QQcmdZViewItem

Optical Splitter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-way-Digital-...QQcmdZViewItem

And finally the big kahunas:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Component-1080...QQcmdZViewItem

I have found these stereo & composite baluns, they may workout cheaper than another stereo/amp:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stereo-Audio-V...sid=p1638.m118

[scrowe]

Thanks for the links, I guess it's difficult to assess the relative quality of the baluns, given the disparity of price. Also, you need to hunt down 2 of same type if sourcing these individual items on ebay.

This source supplies in pairs, with price looking like £200:-

http://www.nexxia.co.uk/Audio_Connec...deo_baluns.htm

However, the following seems very cheap, although the site prominently displays single balun prices,with fitted cables, if you look carefully and follow links to the kits it looks very cheap :-

Composite & Stereo Balun kit & £35.90
http://www.madnat.com/product.asp?s=...istory=related

Component Video Balun kit & £52.35
http://www.madnat.com/product.asp?s=...istory=related

I have decent cables aplenty, mostly from the Lektropacks Silverscreen Home Cinema Range, so the question is, messy cabling aside, whether you will see any deteriation in quality between plugging in decent cables, as opposed to the inbuilt cables of the single baluns. Given the price difference between the kits and single baluns, I would have to assume decent quality cable is used, Not sure about the colours though {:-)

Originally Posted by dunks517

If you run another Cat5 for thew 2 Ch audio then that will work also, and does away with the need to have a seperate amp.

These links may help:

Optical Converter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Optical-to-Coa...QQcmdZViewItem

Optical Splitter:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-way-Digital-...QQcmdZViewItem

And finally the big kahunas:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Component-1080...QQcmdZViewItem

I have found these stereo & composite baluns, they may workout cheaper than another stereo/amp:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Stereo-Audio-V...sid=p1638.m118

[scrowe]

In fact the HDMI route is also possible, given cost of both sets of baluns, and having to use 2x CAT5.

First a HDMI splitter coming out of the HD-Box - £45

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CMI-HD-TV-Mult...QQcmdZViewItem

Feeding through HDMI Baluns - £60

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CMI-HDMI-Cat5-...QQcmdZViewItem

And then I'd need a HDMI switch-box for the TV, decent one I already use is this, it's 3-way (I already have one in lounge for Sky-HD and PS3 into Plasma) - £30-:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMI-Tri-Lin...0234135&sr=1-1

In fact, there are ebay options for as little as £15 - £20

I'd need another 4 HDMI cables, at say a fiver each.

Looking at £130 - £160, but possibly the best quality option, as the distance is not significant for me.

Decisions, decisions.

I'll wait and see if the made-up cable route is possible, then decide.

[101music]

Have you looked at smartE? They do a component and stereo over 1 cat5, actually have a few models out there.

[scrowe]

Originally Posted by 101music

Have you looked at smartE? They do a component and stereo over 1 cat5, actually have a few models out there.

Looks good, worth knowing, but very expensive from the looks of it, so currently out of my £100ish budget

[pad]

I did this :

Soldered 3 phono plugs to each end of the cat 5 (so using 6 out of the 8 wires). Convert the scart from the SKY box to composite + audio (yellow \ red \ white). Connect both ends ... perfect picture on my 19" 16:9 bedroom LCD.

For the remote I use the skylink over RF into RF2 on the box. All works a treat

I have wondered if I could use the 2 cables left in the cat 5 for sending the SKYLINK signal also (i.e. solder the ariel plugs on each end of the cat5 also) - going to try this when I get time.

[lloydsmart]

pad - did this work for you? This is exactly what I'm planning to do, so I'd really like to know if it works. I don't fancy the idea of running coax alongside the Cat5. I was trying to find a solution that did RGB, but I've used up the RGB SCART on my Sky HD box now connecting to a DVD recorder, so it looks like composite is my only remaining option, as my upstairs TV does not take HDMI or Component.

Basically, my ideal solution will be one that will do composite, LR audio and RF2 control over one cable. I'm hoping to do it with shielded Cat5, avoiding the need for any baluns, as my run is not that long. Here's the thread I made earlier on this subject.

[pad]

the sky "magic eye" does not work over CAT5 much to my dissapointment . Got the video and L&R audio working fine - but still had to run Coax for the SKLINK magic eye.

Strange as it lights up (so voltage is there) , but the sky box does not respond to the commands over CAT5 so I assume their is signal inteferance \ loss ?

[nick.ballard]

Hi there everybody.... I have laid two CAT5 cables to carry HDMI about 35m to my garage using an HDMI BALUN - it works a treat.

BUT....

I will be taking the HDMI to a projector and need to either decode the HDMI to seperate the video from the audio or run another CAT5 for the audio... I cant find a 5.1 audio balun ideally optical and I think my only other route is to buy a receiver to terminate the HDMI and decode for both audio and video. Isue is I want to spend as little as possible - I dont really want to spend another 2-300 on a fancy AV receiver just to decode the HDMI

any ideas comments??

Thanks in anticipation....

Nick

[dunks517]

I have now switched to HDMI Baluns and have set down the Multiroom HDMI distribution path here:

Affordable HDMI Multiroom system

[lloydsmart]

Originally Posted by nick.ballard

I cant find a 5.1 audio balun ideally optical and I think my only other route is to buy a receiver to terminate the HDMI and decode for both audio and video.

Actually, you couldn't get 5.1 this way. Normally you could, but for some retarded reason, Sky HD doesn't send 5.1 over HDMI, requiring you to connect a seperate optical cable, when HDMI is quite capable.

I'm thinking your best route would be to go optical -> coax converter, then a pair of coax baluns to send over your Cat5, followed by an optional coax -> optical converter at the other end if optical is what you require at your destination.