install video cables

[lonfire]

hi guys,

as some of have probably seen from the lighting and sound sections of the forum I'm currently spec'ing some kit to install in a disused school hall..

 

I'm going to be running CAT5 to the back of the hall and the front back to our patch pannel so we can run video over CAT5...etc.. but is it also worth running a couple of COAX lines (or full VGA cable) whilst I'm installing stuff?

 

the projector will be mounted on the roof in the middle of the hall btw... we'll be using it for media shout from a pc.. and showing DVDs.. perhaps video inputs from vision mixer for visuals for bands.. stuff like that..

 

I've seen the cpc boxes to convert VGA to run down CAT5, do they do one for video also? I might want to install a video link to the creche room from the hall.. also I'm building a wheeled platform to house all the sound/lighting kit, if I wanted to plugin all these RJ45s and video links with one connector what would be best?

 

any thoughts?

 

thanks

chris

[timperrett]

I have run RGBHV and RGB down the Rextron boxes from CPC. I did have to give the RGB signal a sync signal I think to make it work. They do 150m max and it is absolute max.

 

Either go with 75Ohm standard coax if you want one or two feeds, otherwise you could run one RGBHV loom cable and break out at either end to give you 5 separate feeds. You may want to be able to run an additional monitor from the front in data so the latter may be more flexible.

 

I have not found the Rextron boxes to be the most reliable and have had some unexplained picture interference with them in some venues. Want to be completely sure it will work you can spend more and have Magenta Cat5 systems but they will be setting you back around £200 a system rather than the £40 from CPC.

 

We are also running our Cat5 with the Neutrik connectors which are prooving to be very hardwaring so that might be a good option for your patch panels

[lonfire]

hi,

thanks for that..

 

our cat5 patch panels are already installed in the comms room for data and phones.. I'm undecieded whether I should run a direct feed from the back to the front of the hall.. or whether I should run all the sockets back to the patch pannel and just patch them together as I need..

 

rgds

chris

[Andrew C]

Back to the patch panel for flexibility.

[Pete McCrea]

The Extron TX/RX units I have do the job Well. The RGBHV one will send 1 composite line on the Green leg of the system. Cost about £300. They do wall mounted versions.

 

If it's CAT5 installed, then it gives you the option to bung whatever signal down it dependent on the the converters.

[back_ache]

I've seen the cpc boxes to convert VGA to run down CAT5, do they do one for video also?

 

If CPC don't do it there a number of companys that do, you can even get them that will relay an infrared signal as well so you can centralise your sources. I would suggest you also run cat5 cable to the serial port of the projector for remote control.

 

Down cat 5 you can also send DMX, Serial, telephony, balanced audio, etc etc

 

As for a multicore plug for cat 5 the closest thing to a standard, is what they use in the telephony arena, its called an RJ21x its a 21 pair connector that looks like an extended version of the centronics printer plug.

[lonfire]

extended version of the centronics printer plug.

 

ahhhhggg.. I used to hate wiring those centronic thingys up :unsure:

 

I recon then I'll run four cat5s to the front of the hall, a couple to the projector and a four to the back.. all back to the comms room..

 

thanks

chris

[back_ache]

I recon then I'll run four cat5s to the front of the hall, a couple to the projector and a four to the back.. all back to the comms room..

 

Sound like a plan, remember that "just right" often becomes "not enough", so always over engineer!

[robloxley]

I'm going to be running CAT5 to the back of the hall and the front back to our patch pannel so we can run video over CAT5...etc.. but is it also worth running a couple of COAX lines (or full VGA cable) whilst I'm installing stuff?

Yes, you'll always find a couple of lines of PSF1/3 come in handy at some point.

[BlueShift]

I agree - there will come a time when someone wants to run composite and nobody has a pair of cat5 tx/rx units - so I'd be running some PSF 1/3.

 

Cat5 is a very versatile cable, although if you are relying on it for all your communications, make sure you run plenty of extra lines and have extra tx/rx units available on demand.

 

Cheers

[Ben...]

I agree - there will come a time when someone wants to run composite and nobody has a pair of cat5 tx/rx units - so I'd be running some PSF 1/3.

 

Seconded. With the rise of HD, cat5 won't be good enough for video for long. For some reliable future proofing, I'd put in two or three SDV coaxes; enough bandwidth for digital HD or good quality RGB. I know that sounds ludicrously over the top now, but in 3-6 years it won't seem so silly.

 

If you don't put in coaxes, and decide to run video over twisted pairs, put in Cat 6 cable. It's got about twice the bandwidth, and (I believe...) costs pennies over cat 5

[lampieman]

hi to resurect another topic.

 

In my church we have Trunking that seems to have everything in it... Power and audion multicore, if I was to put a cat 5 feed down it for the VGA to cat5 convertor boxes from CPC and also put a BNC cable down the trunking will get away with it? basically the church dont use a Projector very often, they are very slow on these things... however we want it so I can just hang my projector from a beam and the cabling is already there, and either put the laptop in at the back or just simply use a DVD player, hence the running of 2 cables, what grade of Coax(BNC) cable should I use?

 

Also on temporary installs I want to use Coax(BNC) but on a show last week I had the current cable over 50m cable running next to 15a cabling for lighting and also a couple of power cables from the AV pc with a ok graphics card I had a slight flicker on the output (graphics-s-video-phono-bnc-phono-projector) so as you can imagine this was a few convertors to do it, but then on same set up I ran it from my laptop and there was no flicker so can this be a cable thing or Graphics card? any or instead of getting a load of BNC for the temp stuff just get a decent cat5 lead and the mentioned convertors above for VGA, am also looking to put another cat5 lead down with a USB convertor for using a usb mouse thing with the projector remote, I will be buying this stuff and install cabling and any convertor boxes etc will be kept with my kit.

 

Gareth

[tekhieboy]

BUMP*

 

Anyone have thoughts on the last post?

[lonfire]

hi,

I haven't installed my stuff yet.. but should be installing the projector this week.. what I'm going to be doing is:

 

RGB (HD15) input run to the front of the hall with a HD15 socket. (hmm that'll be fun to wire up!)

Component -> HD15 lead run to the back of the hall with an HD15 socket there.

This will give me the facility of running the PC from the back or the front.

 

I also want a composite video input at the front and back of the hall. not sure whether to use on of those auto video switcher units (about 40 quid) not sure what the quality is like on those. or what.. or whether to use a CAT5 balun and just repatch the cat5 sockets when I need video from a different place.

 

am using cat5 and a composite balun to get video to the creche room for a video relay.

 

rgds

chris

[cutlunch]

I have seen HD15 plates where instead of soldering you push the wires onto the connectors like in a telephone jack.