HDMI Extender\CAT5 weird issue

SeanoChuinn

Morning all.

Have all of my TV broadcasting equipment in a small room away from the TV. Running everything back through an AV receiver to TV via CAT5. Have purchased a standard HDMI extender over CAT5 device to do this. The run is about 15 meters, the extender covers up to 60 meters.

Our electrician installed the CAT5, I have tested using a wired router connection that is in same room as broadcasting equipment and I get a wired network connection on laptop at other end where TV is.

Have also tested using an IR extender over same CAT5 and also works perfectly. But I cannot get the HDMI signal to carry at all. I've tested all the HDMI equipment over a shorter run in the same room and works fine, but as soon as I plug in the longer run it fails giving a no signal message on TV.

At this point I've tested each individual component and everything appears to work, but when I add the HDMI extender to the longer CAT5 run - FAIL! Is it possible that the HDMI is using a specific pair in the CAT5 and one of those is not connected properly? Or would IR use one pair, network another pair etc. so all work but it just happens the pair HDMI wants to use is not crimped properly maybe - so some of the twisted pairs are working but not all??

The electrician is coming back to re-terminate for me, but really not sure why else this might be happening, hopefully re-terminating will be the solution. But would anyone have any other ideas?? Thanks all!!!

gerryo

It might be one of those HDMI extenders that uses all 4 pairs in a cat 5 cable.
Does it say anything in the specifications? What make/model is the extender?

Can you confirm if all pairs are connected in the long cable, as only 2 pairs are needed for Ethernet & maybe the remainder are not terminated.
You can get a cheap Ethernet tester in Maplins that tests all the wires & will indicate if one or more
are not connected, but the electrician should be able to confirm this.

In case there are wiring errors, can you check that Ethernet works, i.e., put a router on one side & a laptop on the other & see if the Laptop's
Ethernet works & you can connect to the internet, etc.

If Ethernet does not work, deffo get the electrician to check it.

SeanoChuinn

Extender is generic, no name on box at all. It works though over a short 2 meter premade CAT5. As far as I can tell all pairs are connected straight through so should be fine from that regard.

Ethernet works. Also IR signal over same CAT5 works. So technically its fine, thats why I'm thinking it may just be a pair giving the issues while other pairs are fine.

On the HDMI paperwork there's no mention of what it uses in terms of pairs in CAT5.

spaceHopper

If you test it with a laptop check the link speed make sure it's 1000M or 1G.


10/100BaaseT uses two pairs which could be wired correctly, CAT5 uses 4 pairs so if one link is band you still may get 100BastT but not 1G / 1000BaseT Cat5.

The high horse brigade

HDMI baluns normally require 2x Ethernet cables and need cat6 to go any distance.

SeanoChuinn

Thanks all. Got a solution for this after - the electrician re-wired using standard configuration for the CAT5 endings. He'd initially just matched either end and the HDMI extender didn't like it I guess!!!

Once he re-wired everything came online, so all good. Thanks for all the replies.

The high horse brigade

SeanoChuinn wrote: »

Thanks all. Got a solution for this after - the electrician re-wired using standard configuration for the CAT5 endings. He'd initially just matched either end and the HDMI extender didn't like it I guess!!!

Once he re-wired everything came online, so all good. Thanks for all the replies.

Cowboys Ted! I hate this when electricians claim to know but end up wiring a random combination at each end, of course it makes a difference. Ask him did he use T568 A or B, if he says A he fcked up once again because it should be B

gerryo

SeanoChuinn wrote: »

Extender is generic, no name on box at all.

I'm interested in getting one of these.
Did you buy it online?
Does it have a built in IR extender/repeater?

slave1

For those wishing long 4k HDR runs then consider HDMI Fibre cables, available in the UK and US at the minute, eliminates any CAT5/6 extenders issues etc.