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We are looking at an upgrade to our Audio Visual system (projector, screen, laptop plugins etc) and the company we have doing it, is suggesting we can run a single Ethernet (Cat5/6E) cable and then have a converter on both ends to convert the signal.
This is future proof to a certain extend as I guess any new wire types can just be converted.
I'm wondering if this is common / best practice when running new audio visual cabling?
Toby Allen
Posted 2016-01-05T13:50:48.217
Reputation: 2 634
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Catagory X cabling has several advantages in the modern office place, including:
CAT-X cabling may not be the most optimal cabling option for the data in question, especially since hardware encoding/decoding is required, but it is more than sufficient to the task, and as such, is the superior business choice.
Frank Thomas
Posted 2016-01-05T13:50:48.217
Reputation: 29 039
1Misleading, as you provide no contrary points. You completely omit the cost of baluns. The UTP cables used with baluns cannot be part of a network; they have to be dedicated to a point-to-point application. So your 4th point is incorrect. – sawdust – 2016-01-05T19:32:11.067
No such balancing device is necessary with a laptop-to-network-to-Projector layout as the OP described. This is NOT a CCTV/surveillance scenario. – Frank Thomas – 2016-01-05T19:38:03.253
The question I'm reading mentions "audio visual cabling", and nothing about an alleged "laptop-to-network-to-Projector" as you claim. – sawdust – 2016-01-05T19:43:10.910
Other than the literal words "(projector, screen, laptop plugins etc)" ? – Frank Thomas – 2016-01-05T19:46:57.130
Are you claiming that the OP's question of "laptop connected to AV cable connected to Projector" is simply connect devices using a network? – sawdust – 2016-01-05T19:57:54.980
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This is future proof to a certain extend as I guess any new wire types can just be converted.
It is not the wire types which are being converted. These boxes usually sample the input. They actually understand the signal and are able to use Ethernet to transmit it. It more of a digitizer on one end, with a build in minicomputer which outputs to Ethernet, and the reverse on theother end.
It is not a simple cable conversion by using another plug. These are intelligent active (and expensive) devices.
Hennes
Posted 2016-01-05T13:50:48.217
Reputation: 60 739
"These boxes usually sample the input." -- Please provide examples to support your claim. The OP is most likely referring to baluns, simple impedance matching devices, typically about US$100 for a matching pair. – sawdust – 2016-01-05T19:27:45.273
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Yes, if using Ethernet cable for transmission of audio visual, it's info standard practice. Usually it understands the signal and after catch, it is able to use Ethernet to transmit it.
Get A Smurf
Posted 2016-01-05T13:50:48.217
Reputation: 1
What research have you done on the topic? Audio Video Bridging
– CharlieRB – 2016-01-05T13:59:19.4502Well, Cat-x cabling is ubiquitous, general purpose, and has high performance over long distances than is common for AV focused cabling. I believe that the ubiquity is the reason for this recommendation, in that once onto Cat-X media, the transmissions can be sent wherever it is needed, through the entities network, and decoded/converted wherever you want it to come out. This allows it to work into most building's wireing schemes with little of the difficulty involved in running use-specific point-to-point cabling. – Frank Thomas – 2016-01-05T13:59:25.443
2We have this type of setup in multiple areas of my organization. Our longest run for conversion is about 250'. Works great! – Tim – 2016-01-05T14:09:36.150
@FrankThomas Thanks. If you put your comment as an answer I will accept it. – Toby Allen – 2016-01-05T14:14:53.887
It's not "Ethernet" cable if the CAT5/6 cable is not carrying an Ethernet signal any more.. – sawdust – 2016-01-05T19:34:51.997