Sending Video to 3 TV’s

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taylorroach

69 posts

Master Geek

#251646 4-Jul-2019 17:14

Hello,

I’m after some ideas and advice.

We have 3 TV’s setup in our office in different rooms. They have 2 cat cables going to each TV only one of the cat cables is in use at each tv with an internet connection.

I currently have a USB plugged into one of them with pictures and videos rolling, unfortunately every time you switch on the tv you have to go and find the USB and start playing the media.

Ideally I would like to have the media on all 3 TV’s and simply just hit the power button every day. I’m wondering if we could have a DVD player or similar loaded with all the media and split out to the 3 cat cables with HDMI converters or possibly COAX converters if they exist? Because you can just switch on the TV and have it either going to and HDMI channel or TV channel.

Each cat cable goes back to the same cupboard.

What would be the cheapest/best options for this?

Cheers

SirHumphreyAppleby

2844 posts

Uber Geek

#2270081 4-Jul-2019 17:36

There are several options, depending on the desired outcome.

The cheapest option would be to use a device with an analogue output and send the signal through the house using an RF modulator. Cheap, but the quality won't be very good.
A DVB-T modulator would allow you to have up to 1080i resolution, using a TV channel. Not cheap, good quality.
HDMI splitters/extenders would allow you to do 720P/1080P and possibly higher, depending on the distances involved and cable quality. Not cheap, high quality.

If you don't need all the TVs to be showing exactly the same content without a noticable delay, local players can also be used to get content over the network. This could be a Raspberry Pi or similar. Inexpensive, but more difficult to set up.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#2270450 5-Jul-2019 12:43

A digital modulator over coax should be fine.

Be aware, there's some latency inherent with digi mods, but the solution should work and look 'okay'.

Forget the analogue modulators, they belong in the skip.

If you're going to run with Cat cable solutions you'll want to look for the best priced genuine HD BaseT products, the products out in the market with non-Valens chipsets are largely junk. At least with genuine HD BaseT things seem to be a little more stable. As per usual, the more you pay the longer the distance possible, the higher the resolution (CSC to allow 18Gbs thru-put etc). Best to avoid patch panels and wall plates with Cat cable extenders though, the rob distance and cause more issues than they solve...