New Plasma Question

In order to see the glorious HD that your PS3 or SKYHD investment should yield on your lovely Full HD screen you have to use the HDMI connections, as HD won't be supplied through any other connectors (because HDMI is a copy protected port).

You CAN send HDMI over CAT5, but you need to send it over two parallel runs to the screen.


Like so:

Gefen HDMI CAT5 converter


Assuming you have those then you'll still need an HDMI cable from each HDMI device (PS3 & SKY HD) into and HDMI switcher,

Gefen 2:1 HDMI switcher

a third HDMI cable to an HDMI-CAT5 converter, and where the scren is another box to convert the duplex CAT5 back to HDMI, along with an HDMI cable to connect that box to the screen.

Then you'll separately need a VGA cable from your Mac to the screen.

Unless, of course, your MAC sports either an HDCP compliant DVI port, or better yet, an HDMI out.

If so, then use a 3:1 switcher instead.


Then, assuming that you have both CAT5 cables, that you can find somewhere to hide the CAT5:HDMI converter, that you have an available power supply for it, and the £500 you've spent on all these little blue & white boxes hasn't given you an aneurism, then all you'll need to do is hook up some form of remote repeater system to transmit control back to all the kit hidden away, including the switcher.

Do bear in mind that the PS3 communicates with its' remotes & controllers by Bluetooth... this is NOT a signal transmission system that likes passing through walls, and there is NO alternative for controlling gameplay other than physical connection by USB:microUSB leads!

Perhaps you may be better off locating the kit locally to the screen in a discrete cabinet??????

Mike 1380 my ps3, hde1 hd player, bd30 blue-ray player, and virgin v+ box, all output HD via component as well as HDMI ? correct me if i am wrong mike,

John.. whilst component certainly can support HD to its' fullest resolution, component has no copy protection and as such some software may disallow any output other than via HDMI, or limit output to standard def resolutions.

So, you're not wrong, but without HDMI you may sometimes find yourself unable to get the resolution you're paying for... although some chipped machines may overcome this problem.

Not that any of this solves Karl's problem... except, perhaps, that he may be ale to obtain a unit that sends component video over a single Cat5 run... although he'd still need to send audio.... tricky.
Certainly possible, but definately expensive.

Hi

Thanks Mike, this is great help/ info. I will show this to my installers and report back what they have to say, and what is currently being installed.


Cheers Karl

Glad to help.

Go for the simplest option you can. Switchers & stuff like that are all really cool, but the pricetag & remote control count go up hand in hand with complexity and the possibility to find yourself not knowing what button to hit to get a picture.

Hi


I have to report that I am not getting HDMI, but something else, maybe component, but he assures me that all will be full HD. He did mention splitters and converters, but I was a little lost!

He was of the opinion that HDMI over long lengths is not as good as what he is fitting.?

I will find out a bit more and report back again.

I have no real hard facts on what is being fitted, but he seems a genuine guy, who is a professional installer of AV systems, and is a real AV fan and tech head.

I will look into this further and report back.....


Cheers

S T O P ! ! ! ! !

Without HDMI you won't be guaranteed to get the full benefit of your 1080p Bluray discs. You also won't be guaranteed to get all HD content out of your sky HD box.

You MAY get 1080i/p and possibly for much of the time it won't be an issue... but to spec HDMI equipped full hd source equipment and an HDMI equipped Full HD screen, and NOT at the very least include provision in a permanent install to carry HDMI cabling ( perhaps as well as component) is dangerously shortsighted.

Stop talking to John Lewis, go find yourself a decent home-theater specialist who knows as much about this kit as your Naim dealer knows about Naim.

In fact talk to your Naim dealer, many know a lot about this kit in great detail.

But don't let a guy channel cables into your walls until you know that what he's putting in there is suited to your needs.

You really don't want cables chased into your walls twice, do you?
Mike

HI


I have STOPPED!

Thanks Mike for the slap. I am too eager to get things sorted and need to slow down. I have halted all the installation until I get some answers on this, that I agree with and understand!

I will post up the results of this, and will not commit until you I have had a good think and a read around on this over the bank holiday.


Cheers

Good move Karl, and thanks for taking my posts in the spirit in which they were intended.

Good luck with this mate, hope it all comes together smoothly in the fullness of time

Mike

Karl - fresh info for you.....

I've long known that Sky HD boxes were not always going to have Component video outputs fitted....
It now seems that they have decided to stop.

So if you don't already have the SKY HD box then you'll have to assume that you'll have to spec HDMI cabling of some sort to get HD.

Forum rules prevent me posting links to other forums (where I received this confirmation), but if you look in the technical info section of this wikipedia article you'll see what I'm referring to in the first two paragraphs:
Wikipedia on Sky HD

Also worth noting is that even if you have a box with component, that may not guarantee you all programmes transmitted in HD will reach your set as an HD picture over component:

quote:

All programming is currently available via both HDMI and component connections, although individual broadcasters have the option to require HDCP (and therefore HDMI/DVI) in the future.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Hi Mike


Thanks for the info. Adds more to the HDMI case.

I am still on with this. Will report soon.

Thanks.


Cheers Karl

Hi


Quick update.

Installer agrees HDMI is the way I will have to go. Exact way is in question. He is going to run additional sets of HDMI cables to main TV area (approx 12 meters) and if this works great, if not he will install the receiver sender boxes through CAT5.

So in principal all sorted just got to decide on method.

I have however bought the TV! 50" full HD Panasonic, looks great, but looked alot smaller in the shop! Pioneer was better but not by miles and not by £900. I will spend the £900 on getting the correct signal and Blueray player.

Cheers Karl

Quick update. HDMI cables installed, TV on wall, SKY HD fitted and PS3 plumbed in.

I have to put this into perspective, I have moved to a full HD 50" plasma, BlueRay and SKY HD, from a 21" cheap CRT, std SKY and £30 DVD player. The difference is so huge I can not get over it. The picture quality with Blueray is incredible, and the plasma screen is so clear it is almost wet looking, LCDs to me look dry, hard to explain. In short I am blown away by this. This is by no means a top end setup, god only knows what a pro setup looks like but for me this is A1.


Cheers Karl

Pleased to hear you're kitted out now and enjoying it.

Nice one


Mike