Cost/recommendation for installing HDMI cables/TVs in existing Auckland house.

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Cost/recommendation for installing HDMI cables/TVs in existing Auckland house.

MisterA

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#80085 26-Mar-2011 09:18

Hi there,

I am moving house in 2 weeks time and have purchased 3 TVs that I'd like to feed HD to from one source e.g. Blu ray player/MySky box. I've purchased some lengthy 22AWG HDMI cabling from the US and a good HDMI splitter (1x4) and all I need is someone to put it all together for me :)

I've got wall mounts for all 3 TVs (55"/42"/32") and know where I want them but am wondering how much it might cost, and who people can recommend to compete the wiring for me? I'd like to hide all cables if I could, and the house has a concrete floor.

The longest cables are 23m and 33m, which should easily be long enough to get where I want the TVs placed.

Any recommendations/advice would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

sbiddle

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#451966 26-Mar-2011 10:09

I would have simply opted for cat5e cabling and baluns over that distance. Running cat5e cable is far easier than HDMI over that sort of distance, especially if you want it run internally in walls.

Do you have an active amplifier to run the signal over that distance?

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clevedon

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#451971 26-Mar-2011 10:18

Sounds like some re-gibbing, stopping and painting will be happening as well if you want to hide the cabling.

Are you also feeding AV receivers for audio output to a 5.1 speaker setup? You should be for at least the 55" panel if using Blu-ray I reckon.

MisterA

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#451990 26-Mar-2011 11:01

Ok thanks, wasn't aware that it might be quite difficult :(

The HDMI splitter includes a powered equaliser, which I'm assuming will work over that length run.

And yes I'll probably set up a 5.1 system as well.

Should I reconsider CAT5 vs HDMI cabling to hide in the walls?

Jaxson

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#452646 28-Mar-2011 09:44

MisterA: The HDMI splitter includes a powered equaliser, which I'm assuming will work over that length run.

You might want to investigate that a little further. That's a big run.

Also you'd need to check the implications of connecting different devices to a splitter as the source bluray can only output one type of audio. You may run into problems if 2 devices are stereo TV's and you want to also feed a 5.1 type signal into a receiver. You could end up with all areas playing stereo only, or all areas playing 5.1 in which case the TV's might not like that input. Once again, would just pay to check and do some experimenting in advance perhaps.

Jaxson

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#452647 28-Mar-2011 09:47

MisterA: who people can recommend to compete the wiring for me?

Where in NZ are you?

If you have all the cabling already it would pay to lay it all out at full length in the different rooms and see if it behaves as you expect prior to going to all the work on installing that.

MisterA

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#452673 28-Mar-2011 10:39

Thanks guys.

In Auckland.

Cheers

trig42

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#452675 28-Mar-2011 10:42

I would certainly upack the TVs and test those cables/splitter before you get guys there that are charging for their time only to find that those cables don't work (33m is a very long way for HDMI!)

Cat5 in the walls would be a lot easier (it's much more flexible than 22AWG cable). Cat5 is very cheap (the Baluns, however, aren't) and while you are doing it you could run network ports as well if you need them - good idea to have internet/network where your home entertainment system(s) is/are. At the same time, you should run RG6 to the TVs as well for Freeview (oh, and power!). It's a decent sized job, but well worth it IMHO.

As for installation, if you want them in the walls, then it will have to go through the ceiling space and down - if you have a decent crawl space in the ceiling then it may be possible for a sparky/installer to drill straight down from the ceiling without causing too much damage to Gib. If not, then you are up for a bit of plastering/sanding/painting as well.

elldizzle

91 posts

Master Geek

#453025 29-Mar-2011 08:37

Iv'e just recently helped a mate do something similar. Only difference was that he was running his diplays from there own sources. We ended up cutting out a 200 wide sections out of the platerboard. Then drilling through the nogs to run out cables. His studs were 2.4 height so managed to use only one sheet of GIB for all the patch in. Problem we ran into in one of the rooms was he had his PC and AMP in a cupboard so we ran all the cabling into the roof space then down the wall to where the TV was wall mounted. We also did this for another room where a DVD player and SKY box were on one wall and the TV mounted on another so we had to cut two channels and run the cabling upto the roof space then down.
We were lucky in the fact his longest run was only 10m. But was quite a disturbance having huge strips cut out of the wall for a few days while we ran everything. But made the patch in Gibbing and plastering a hell of a lot easier...

wellygary

7382 posts

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#453028 29-Mar-2011 08:44

MisterA: Hi there,...

I'd like to hide all cables if I could, and the house has a concrete floor.

Do you have access to a roof/crawl space? this could cut down on the amount of re-gibbing...

MisterA

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#453112 29-Mar-2011 12:11

Yes, I have access to roof space through the garage.

ENZvince

49 posts

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#453523 30-Mar-2011 15:45

I agree, that is a very very long run. The HDMI over Cat5/6 baluns are the way to go.

Out of curiosity, what brand/model of HDMI Splitter are you using?

Jaxson:
MisterA: The HDMI splitter includes a powered equaliser, which I'm assuming will work over that length run.
You might want to investigate that a little further. That's a big run.

Also you'd need to check the implications of connecting different devices to a splitter as the source bluray can only output one type of audio. You may run into problems if 2 devices are stereo TV's and you want to also feed a 5.1 type signal into a receiver. You could end up with all areas playing stereo only, or all areas playing 5.1 in which case the TV's might not like that input. Once again, would just pay to check and do some experimenting in advance perhaps.

MisterA

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#453598 30-Mar-2011 20:16

I bought this one:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011301&p_id=4922&seq=1&for...

It works on 240v too :)

Can anyone please explain what the baluns do to my uneducated brain? Also, how much can I expect to pay for them?

Thanks again.

ENZvince

49 posts

Geek

#453609 30-Mar-2011 21:04

Nice :)

The Baluns are basically just extenders that work over cat5/6. You can plug HDMI into a transmitter at one end, run up to 300M of cat5/6 and at the other the end run the HDMI out of the receiver.

Depending on what distant you are running you may need powered ones.

Atlona NZ have powerless ones that run up to 30M for around $199 incl gst or powered ones that can go up to 270M in full 1080p (Cat6 only) for around $1300. You get what you pay for really

If it is okay with the admins i could post some links to them, but note i work for Atlona NZ and do not want to come across as spammy :)