Long HDMI cable, Sky to TV

[Midwest]

I'm just finishing a part rewire on a friends house that's been extended. He extended the kitchen into a new lean to style conservatory. In the conservatory, he's positioned new TV. He wanted to watch Sky on the new TV, but didn't want to buy another Sky box and pay for multi room. Not being an expert in these matters, I told him to get advice from others.

He did, and I was told to run a HDMI cable from original Sky box in living room to conservatory, as well as 2 x cat 5 cables, as back-up. The new HDMI cable would eventually run from a splitter by the Sky box. He had a shred load of satellite cable, so as a back I suggested and ran 2 x from new tv to Sky dish.

He purchased a 25m HDMI cable, for about £30. I did suggest he spent a lot more than that, because I'm led to believe anything over 5m in length needs to be good quality?

Any how, when he connected new HDMI cable, the tv doesn't detect a signal. I've told him to get back to his adviser.

Will this length of cable ever work?

 

[Barry White]

I was told 25 foot was the magic number but folks have runs longer than that and work.
Will PM you a link as unsure if its allowed on here.

 

[Midwest]

Thanks mykey for the link. I use that forum, but I thought I would try here first. I've done a little more digging and see that some long hdmi cables use an in-line extending booster, which I think the installed cable might have. However, when installing said cable there were no instructions and no suggestion on which cable end should go to what. So I need to check that.

 

[telectrix]

:ack2r a 20,000 m long lead to the satellite would give a good signal :ack2:

 

[Midwest]

:ack2r a 20,000 m long lead to the satellite would give a good signal :ack2:

I'll have to read that a few times.

 

[telectrix]

geostationary satellites are around 20,000 miles up.

 

[rolyberkin]

Unlikely that length will work (I would say would never work but someone is bound to say I am wrong!, best bet would be to use a cat5 to HDMI Balun which would work over that distance, probably be cheaper than what it cost him to buy the useless 25m HDMI cable.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Would a 20km cable suffer with volt drop?

 

[stevey1983]

If he has brought it, why not try it? You'll know then if it works or not? Or am i missing something

 

[Midwest]

If he has brought it, why not try it? You'll know then if it works or not? Or am i missing something

You missed my penultimate paragraph in my opening post.

 

[Midwest]

geostationary satellites are around 20,000 miles up.

Ooohhh, gotcha

 

[Midwest]

Good news, for me anyway. HDMI cable installed correct way round, I new I would of done . My mate had a bit of a play with Sky box & new TV, and got it to work. But the picture frequently breaks up.

He's has a splitter after the Sky box (1 to 2), but not a powered one, and I've read that non powered can be a bit of a drain over distance & number of cables connected.

I'll post on AV-forums (just in case anyone here is interested). I'll wait and see what his adviser got to say.

 

[tomspark93]

If you have a cat 5 cable from sky box to the new to then you could use a hdmi extender set. Basically HDMI goes in to the extender sends the signal down the cat 5 to the receiver and then a HDMI lead goes to the to from the receiver. You would need a socket at the tv end for said receiver but if not then you can get them with PoE. They can pass IR signals too. I've fitted hd anywhere and wyrestorm in the past and not had problems.

 

[Midwest]

If you have a cat 5 cable from sky box to the new to then you could use a hdmi extender set. Basically HDMI goes in to the extender sends the signal down the cat 5 to the receiver and then a HDMI lead goes to the to from the receiver. You would need a socket at the tv end for said receiver but if not then you can get them with PoE. They can pass IR signals too. I've fitted hd anywhere and wyrestorm in the past and not had problems.

Thanks tomspark, the bods at AVforum recommend the same set up, although they suggest using Cat 6, someone recommended Cat 7.

 

[tomspark93]

Thanks tomspark, the bods at AVforum recommend the same set up, although they suggest using Cat 6, someone recommended Cat 7.

in this instance over a 25m run cat 5 should be fine and do the trick. If It was a new build then I'd probably use a drum of cat 6 due to the higher bandwidth and to help future proof to an extent. As for cat 7, I'm not sure there is a standard for it yet.

 

[Midwest]

Don't shoot the messenger, but the AV forums bods seem to erring on the Cat 6 route (not just in my post re this issue) over Cat5. They don't see the worth of Cat 7 at the mo though.

 

[tomspark93]

I agree but isn't the limiting factor that you have already installed cat 5?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Cat 6 is a PITA to install though.

 

[Midwest]

I agree but isn't the limiting factor that you have already installed cat 5?

Correct, just noting (for others) perceived preference for Cat 6.