Sharing video / audio on multiple TVs?

strantor · Feb 17, 2016

crutschow said:
Yes, CAT6 would be better for long distances.

NOTE: Everyone probably knows this, but just in case...
If buying CAT6, make sure to buy pure solid copper, not CCA (copper clad aluminum).
If you're looking at specs/product descriptions and it does not specify whether it's solid copper or CCA, AVOID! It's CCA!
CCA does not meet the specs of CAT6 and is not capable of the bandwith that CAT6 is, but somehow (there's some loophole?) they are able to label it CAT6.
Same goes for CAT5e.
Example 1: CAT6 CCA - 1000ft for $64.
Example 2: CAT6 pure copper - 1000ft for $140.
You get what you pay for! If you opt for the cheaper CCA stuff, you might as well buy CAT5!

P.S. To find the good stuff, use search term "CAT6 pure copper"

crutschow · Feb 17, 2016

This article about CCA may be of interest.

KeepItSimpleStupid · Feb 17, 2016

CCA likely really messes up POE (Power Over Ethernet)!

strantor · Feb 17, 2016

crutschow said:
This article about CCA may be of interest.

Color me skeptical, that article comes from a company selling CCA.

I can't speak from experience; I've never done a side-by-side comparison personally.
I could be repeating hype, sounding like audio/video zealots who swear they can discern a drop in quality between a $10 HDMI cable and a $100 HDMI cable.
But I don't think so.
...And I'm not going to spend my own money on something I believe to be inferior just to find out.
But if there's a 3rd party "mythbuster"-style fact-finding study I'm all ears (or, eyes).

spinnaker · Feb 17, 2016

strantor said:
NOTE: Everyone probably knows this, but just in case...
If buying CAT6, make sure to buy pure solid copper, not CCA (copper clad aluminum).
If you're looking at specs/product descriptions and it does not specify whether it's solid copper or CCA, AVOID! It's CCA!
CCA does not meet the specs of CAT6 and is not capable of the bandwith that CAT6 is, but somehow (there's some loophole?) they are able to label it CAT6.
Same goes for CAT5e.
Example 1: CAT6 CCA - 1000ft for $64.
Example 2: CAT6 pure copper - 1000ft for $140.
You get what you pay for! If you opt for the cheaper CCA stuff, you might as well buy CAT5!

P.S. To find the good stuff, use search term "CAT6 pure copper"

Thanks great tip.

spinnaker · Feb 17, 2016

So how do you know if it is really copper and not CCA when the connectors are on it?

I am looking at an Ethernet cable / connector now. The wires are multiple strands and the ends of the wires seem to be copper. Would that mean it is not CCA?

**broken link removed**

Seems to good to be true price.

KeepItSimpleStupid · Feb 17, 2016

It does day "pure copper" in the description. What bothers me is that it's stranded.

Sometimes stranded doesn't take well to punch down. Warning - there are, think 3 types, two are 110 and Krone. Krone has the punch downs on an angle.

For the record, there are modular plugs designed for stranded, solid or both.

I'm in the "slow process" of updating to CAT6. What I have is some 2 pair CAT5 for a few places and quad wire for most of the telco. I'll eventually have CAT6 with RJ11 inserts for telco as the upgrade proceeds.

The "fun part" was learning how to drill through the footers through a wallplate hole AND making sure that the "other side" is clear when installing an outlet (e.g. return air duct or another electrical outlet).

spinnaker · Feb 17, 2016

"Punch Down"? Do you mean adding connectors?

strantor · Feb 17, 2016

spinnaker said:
So how do you know if it is really copper and not CCA when the connectors are on it?

I am looking at an Ethernet cable / connector now. The wires are multiple strands and the ends of the wires seem to be copper. Would that mean it is not CCA?

**broken link removed**

Seems to good to be true price.

I guess you'd just have to take a leap of faith. But surely you've learned at least twice in your life that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Really i see no reason not to make your own ethernet cables. That way you get them exactly the right length, every time. No nasty rats nests of patch cables all just a couple feet too long stuffed behind the router. No anguish of pulling a cable all the way to where you want it, just find it's a foot too short and you have to move things into awkward positions and have unsightly cords stretched caddy corner. The tool is a drop in the bucket and good for multiple uses. The one i got comes with 100 rj45 connectors and a loop tester for $14. Works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008...08&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=rj45+crimper

spinnaker · Feb 17, 2016

The able I have in my hands right now is stranded. I thought most cat5/6 was.

KeepItSimpleStupid · Feb 17, 2016

Premise wiring or the "stuff behind the walls" is solid. Wall to device is usually stranded.

Generally, keystone face plates are used with a low voltage mounting ring: https://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=7014 . See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_module

They can incorporate 110 or Krone blocks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krone_LSA-PLUS
Krone can handle stranded wire.

The 110 block: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110_block

I typically always use the 2 gang style, because it offers more room. I can use my hand to fish wires.

Inserts are available for HDMI.

To terminate the connectors you need a punchdown tool.

Dr_Doggy · Feb 18, 2016

If you are just planning to stream kody flix, why not just get an android box for each independent tv and cut the computer out, some can run on wifi, then you can just get wifi repaters to cover any range loss experienced.

never used one , but quick lookup shows they go for about 75$, so on 2 tv thats only 150$ , plus another 75 for wifi repeater station if they are too far away, still less than the work & $$ you will put in going long way....

tcmtech · Feb 18, 2016

Back in the old days of analog TV signals and having one VCR and or satellite receiver unit for the whole house what we did was send the signals out on channel 3 or 4 to the central house antenna booster splitter unit and combine it with the over the air signal coming in just ahead of the booster so that every TV connected to the system had the satellite/VCR on channel 3 or 4 but could tune to any of the over the air signals as well.

But like I said that was back the old days when people only had to have one central VCR/ satellite TV system but more than one TV in a house they wanted to use it on at a time.

Nigel Goodwin · Feb 18, 2016

tcmtech said:
Back in the old days of analog TV signals and having one VCR and or satellite receiver unit for the whole house what we did was send the signals out on channel 3 or 4 to the central house antenna booster splitter unit and combine it with the over the air signal coming in just ahead of the booster so that every TV connected to the system had the satellite/VCR on channel 3 or 4 but could tune to any of the over the air signals as well.

But like I said that was back the old days when people only had to have one central VCR/ satellite TV system but more than one TV in a house they wanted to use it on at a time.

It also gave the absolute worst possible quality as well

JoeJester · Feb 19, 2016

Nigel Goodwin

That could be said when comparing any current technology with similar three decade old technology. Compare a TRS 80 to the computer used in a lunar lander. I'm sure the improvements are vast.

I don't think Bell calling Watson was of high quality by today's standards.

tcmtech · Feb 23, 2016

It also gave the absolute worst possible quality as well

It gave the same quality as what was coming in over the air or off of a tape and it could be watched in my room rather than in the living room with my little brother who was always doing his best to make to make my viewing experience as miserable as possible by being an ass in any and every way he could come up with.

Sharing video / audio on multiple TVs?

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