[mythtv-users] HDMI-to-CAT5 Converter

[Brian Wood]

Michael T. Dean wrote:
> On 02/04/2008 03:52 PM, Brian Wood wrote:
>> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>>> Also, do these really carry the signal in IP or is it "unswitchable."  I 
>>> got the impression it required a direct cabling approach between the two 
>>> converters and that it couldn't really hook into the existing runs in 
>>> "the high number of homes pre-wired with category cabling" (which almost 
>>> definitely are run from a central hub/switch.
>> Good point. The only thing these systems have in common with IP systems 
>> is the cable. For the run lengths likely to be encountered in home 
>> systems the cost of the adapters would vastly exceed any savings on 
>> cable costs.
> 
> If so, it's really annoying that their press release makes such a big 
> deal about existing category cabling.  I guess they want you to put your 
> HDMI-enabled STB in the closet with the hub/switch, and don't want you 
> to realize that running new RG-6/RG-59 to that closet may be harder than 
> running a new cat 5/6 cable from your STB to the TV/projector/...

As usual, marketing not engineering.

Unfortunately with most homes "pre-wired with Cat cable" just means they 
gave the electrician a roll of Cat5 to put in the walls with no thought 
to network topology.

Then, the electrician's assistant will make sure there are enough kinks 
and tight bends to degrade the performance to about that of 10-base-T 
anyway.

I once TDRed cable installed by "data experts" and could only shake my 
head at the result.

beww