Ask Engadget HD: Best way to feed HD to two TVs?
By Richard Lawler 
posted Aug 28th 2009 12:00PM
posted Aug 28th 2009 12:00PM
"I have a question that I think has several answers, but I would like to know the best solution. I have a DirecTV HD-DVR - HR20-700 hooked up to my TV via HDMI and optical audio to my receiver. I have my receiver's sound also hooked up to outside speakers by the pool so I can listen to XM or any other program from DirecTV or radio. I would like to add the video outside as well. I already have an RG6 coax cable outside, and I have an open CAT-5 connection near the back door, but not outside where the TV would go. Both cable runs are approximately 100' or less. My question is, what is the best way to get the video from the HR20 outside? "
There's a bevy of splitters, extenders, slingers and media box solutions that could help our friend out, but it's hard to say what would be best for this situation. We're still waiting for the SlingMonitor to make a retail experience and give us the WiFi TV wherever we've always wanted, but how would you do it?
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Ed-
You want to adopt me? :) Please???
I tried something similar to this with varying levels of success. I wanted it specifically for football season. I never found a solution that worked consistently enough to be useful. Hundreds of dollars later I've given up and settled on using my Slingbox or DirecTV2PC to get a delayed and lower quality view in the other room.
As was mentioned there are a million options for how to do this, and I have tried a few. My setup includes a HD lcd tv on one side of the living room with a HD optoma projector on the other side. My current setup uses an Explorer 4200HD cable box running hdmi into a pioneer receiver. I also have a home theater pc hooked up with dual hdmi out, one runs to the receiver the other to the projector, then my receiver switches the hdmi for the lcd. I then have my HD cable running component output into an HD PVR for DVR capabilities with the HTPC. I use the HTPC as my only source for the projector which works great using snapstream beyond tv for recording and live sports/movies. Now, as far as a cheap and easy solution to your connundrum, you could run three rca cables out to the outside tv and do component input. I have had success with long component runs in the past as long as you get some decent shielded cables. I know there are a few of you out there very hardcore saying..... NO don't do analog for HD. However, it really isn't all that bad, and for a very cheap solution it's workable. Now for the more expensive solutions... You could run your sat box through an HDMI splitter or switcher (I would use switcher for long runs) and get either a long HDMI cable (very expensive) or one of those HDMI to Cat-5 back to HDMI dealies. (also very expensive). Just one thing to keep in mind, if you do a long run HDMI be sure to test it out, I have had trouble with the signal not making it the long distance in the past. They make signal boosters for HDMI but that is a waste of money in my opinion. Just some food for thought, hope you don't stay hungry too long.
It's not so much that analog is a bad technology, the fact is that the analog loop-hole may be closing VERY soon! I've heard rumblings from so VERY reliable that the loop-hole may start being close as soon as October. What this means to you and me is that the 'protected content status' will be changing from 1080p to 720p, what this means to the lay-person is that component video cables will NO LONGER be able to carry 720p AND above! If you would like to find out who i heard this from I will tell you through e-mail. My e-mail address is KyleKaplan (AT) gmail (dot) com
I would use one of these
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011301&p_id=5418&seq=1&format=2
and one or these
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10425&cs_id=1042501&p_id=5403&seq=1&format=2
If only HDCP did not exist.
It says they support HDCP
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011301&p_id=4921&seq=1&format=2
I use this HDMI splitter and it handles 1080p w/ HDCP just fine. Both displays need to be the same resolution though.
+1 to this. I use the HDMI over cat5 and they work great. have not used the splitter but use the HDMI switch with high success.
Mitchell
With a single coax you're a bit out of luck, composite w/ no audio being the only option. This will work, but the picture quality will disappoint you (this is assuming the coax runs to the current sat-box location). Fix: Run 2 Cat5's or 5 coax cables from the sat-box location to the outdoor TV. The Coax are easy (Component & Stereo), the Cat5 will require that you procure a balun or some specialized punch-down equipment (Leviton makes Quickport style video/audio-over-Cat5 inserts). Assuming you can run/fish wire from both locations.
The simple solution: get component video baluns. Connect to the component video output of the directv box, and send it to the tv over the cat5. Enjoy :).
here is your winner...
http://www.a1components.com/itemdisplayn.aspx?item=12223
$80.00 for one pair
You can use the same cable box to output 2 HD signals...
Just use the component and hdmi connections...I have this setup at my parents house.
Or if your Richie Rich you could get the McIntosh VP1000...http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/mcintosh-VP1000-Dual-Zone-Video-Processor.asp
Slingbox HD + Slingcatcher
Does what you want and you can watch that HR20 anyplace.
A Kramer VM-2HDMI 1:2 DA then TP-551 and TP-552 (HDMI over dual CAT-6). Dunno how much they cost right now, but surely this will look as crisp as it gets (you can ditch the analog audio cable as well).
Agree on the "no-hd-over-analog-component" issue: over long cable runs, it requires very good cabling to get proper HD resolution on analog component.
I haven't tried it myself, but http://www.zeevee.com/connected-home could be an option for around $500. It's not HDMI, but slightly compressed component HD video might be plenty of quality for a TV outside.
You could also spend some really big bucks (around $1000) and put in HD-SDI converts for that RG6. Because of HDCP it would still be component video (at least on the send end) rather then HDMI, but it would be uncompressed
Those are really the only two options I know of to get HD video over a single coax cable, otherwise pulling the cable for an HDMI to CAT5 converter like mentioned above is probably the cheapest and the best quality.
If you can pull cables (like it sounds like you have done already), pull 4 more RG6 coax cables from receiver to the TV outside - use standard "F" connectors and then F-RCA adapters (at r..shack) or "rotoseal" RCA connectors (some home improv stores carry these - or search online) - then a component video distribution amplifier - $50 at r.shack - then you can have full HD with analog stereo at that TV - or any others that you can pull cables to. I have been using this setup for years - currently supporting 3 HD sets around the house with the one directv hd dvr - using the rf remote, I can change channels, etc for any set. Quality is great - no noticeable degradation on any of the sets.
In fact, I am currently pulling 18-20 RG6 cables to each location - to support 2 hd signals, s-video, RF, etc etc. If you have good access to attic/crawlspace, then your labor and RG6 is cheap - and you don't have to power baluns/etc at each end.
I have a similar setup with my two DirecTV HR-21 DVRs. The boxes are connected to the living room TV via component. I ran two 50-ft. HDMI cables (Monoprice #2110) to the upstairs bedroom. I picked up a second RF remote so I could have one in each room. It works great, except in the rare case of watching something with HDCP, since the analog connection doesn't support it. If they had those cheap HDMI over Cat. 5 baluns when I did this, I probably would've gone that way, since the HDMI cables are really thick.
I had a similar issue. See if my setup helps you.
I have a harddrive with lots of media files connected to a PS3 on my 2nd floor in a study room.
I wanted the PS3 to simulcast on 3 1080p HDTVs, 1 TV in a bedroom on the same 2nd floor, 2nd TV in a family room on the 1st floor and a 1080i in the basement.
Since my house was under construction, I ran 2 CAT5 cables from each of the above rooms to the basement. In the Study room a HDMI cable from PS3 goes into a HDMI to CAT5 transmitter. There is a receiver at the other end which converts the 2 CAT5's into an HDMI. Then that HDMI is plugged into a Monoprice 1x4 HDMI splitter, which outputs in HDMI. each HDMI ouput is connected to a HDMI to cat5 transmitter and in the respective destinations there is again a CAT5 to HDMI receiver.
I could not get 1080p, but I get 1080i.
Flawless.
Yes, 1.3a
PS3 can be now seen on 3 TVs. you can have only 1 Bluetooth remote on a PS3, so I have put that in the bedroom. In other rooms I have controllers. But it simulcasts on all TVs. I even have the family room connection going thru a 1080p repeater 7.1 receiver.
I also did something similar for a IR based requirement.
My comcast HD DVR is connected to the TV in family room, but I have a RG6 cable running from there to the master bedroom. This component cable with L/R audio is connected to the comcast box (comcast boxes always simulcast on all output ports), and I am using an IR extender in the bedroom. So basically in the master bedroom, using a universal remote, I press buttons and signals are received by a small powered device and it converts the signal into RF.
Downstairs a RF receiver receives the signal and converts them into IR and emits them using a tiny cable which has been placed right on top of the comcast box.
Again Flawless.
You could just get a second satellite receiver for outside. That eliminates the need to send HDMI outside, eliminates the need to transmit the remote-control's IR signal back inside, and the satellite receiver can use the coax cabling.
MediaCenter PC and Extenders.
DirecTV + HDTV does NOT equal VMC.....
It can, you just have to be resourceful. I never specified VMC BTW.
RG6 will be useless. You are going to have to use the cat5, they do make HDMI baluns that only need one cat5, but will require power on both ends usually. Get a DA for the HDMI signal, one output to the local set, the other to the balun via Cat5. Booyah kid, thats all there is to it.
If you go cat5e using a balun you need two cables and at least one has to be shielded.
http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/home-wiring-construction/whole-house-wiring-basics-part-3/hdmi-dvi-d-over-cat5e
Actually, there are quite a few companies that make baluns that only need one cat5, and they don't need to be shielded. Atlona being one. If this wasn't the case then i would have a few clients sitting around with no video or audio on their TV.
I just use an over the air antenna hooked up to a pre amp at the antenna, and a distro amp in the closet where all the room cables end. 5 HDTVs and 4 computers get DTV signals. No monthly charges for all that. Combined with an AppleTV, XBOX360, PS3 to rent hd movies on and a networked (HomeRun from SiliconDust) tuner to record television with the vista and mac pcs... plenty of HD all over the house on Quad shielded rg6u and cat 6 cables to each room.
Don't know if it's the "best" solution and it's certainly not the cheapest but if it works as advertised it has a lot of potential.
Gefen HDMI over 5GHz wireless
http://sewelldirect.com/Gefen-Wireless-HDMI-Transmits-Through-Walls.asp
ed - have you looked into hdmi over cat5/6? try this -
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011301&p_id=5221&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
If your remote TV is SD just use a channel plus modulator to send an analog tv channel over 75 ohm coax to the remote TV from your DTV receiver. The modulator accepts RCA jack video and audio as its input. Or you can transmit to the remote TV using an over-the-air genie cigarette pack sized transmitter. Do a google search for "channel plus" Do a local ham fest search for the genie..
It's actually pretty simple. Feed the HDMI signal from your DTV receiver into a 1x2 HDMI distribution amplifier, then feed one output to your local television while feeding the other output into an HDMI over CAT5/5 extender. We use the Gefen model at work when we only have one cable available (typically in upgrade/retrofit installations). The cable need not be shielded, but CAT5e or CAT6 is preferable to plain old CAT5 due to the increased bandwidth available in the higher grade cables.
Fundamentally, that's the way you'd do it with HDMI. If you were looking for a simpler solution, I'd strongly recommned sending the video to the porch TV using the DTV receiver's component video output. It's live while HDMI is connected to your local television. MuxLab recently released a balun (the 500058) that runs HD component video AND stereo audio over a single CAT5/CAT5e/CAT6. This is your most reliable, easy to install approach.
I hope this helps.
Have a Monoprice splitter on my Comcast DVR. Have one cable running to my Harman Kardon receiver then to my Samsung TV. I also have another 30ft HDMI running to a wall plate. On the other side of the wall another wall plate and an HDMI cable running to the bedroom flat panel. I have an IR extender from terk that keeps me in control of my cable box from the bedroom. As noted in the eariler posts you need to have the same resolution support on both TVs. The splitter does 1080p just fine and I have switched it to the PS3 before. Also there are some cases where the audio signal drop to stereo on the receiver (im guessing because the tv in the bedroom).
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011301&p_id=4921&seq=1&format=2
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10425&cs_id=1042501&p_id=5403&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
the cheapest way outside of slingboxing, is to use the directv2pc software. it's still beta right now, but as long as you have a decent pc or laptop that can handle HD, you can hook that up to a monitor/tv. the picture quality is excellent, though sometimes it'll fart and get blocky for a second here and there. you can't watch anything live as of yet, but anything you have or are currently recording will be on your list. i would do this first because aside from a pc (which you probably have already) and an RGB cable, it's all free. slingboxHD is my next option. then i start getting crazy with cash and go for all the above options.
We do this all the time. Run hdmi out to the patio tv and run component to the closer set. There is no quality difference on current services. Actually depending on how your tv handles the component signal it might look better. hdmi bypasses a lot of video processing used when your tv converts from analog to digital that some of my clients prefer. Monoprice the cable.
The ZeeVee zvBox 150 will take a component audio/video and modulate it into an HD TV channel which is then "broadcast" on your cable system. You then just tune to that channel on the TV outside.
I think this is best for 2 TV but I can not sure for more.
Thanks for sharing. firewire