RE: Re: Projector cable advice

["Phil Harris" <phil@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I picked up my Optoma HD3000 on eBay for about =A3250 which I thought
was
pretty good. It's a very flexible unit with 3 composite, 3 s-video, 2
component, 2 RGBS a VGA and 3 HDMI inputs and *DEFINITELY* very worthwhile
if you have legacy analogue devices that you want to get into an HDMI
system.

As a scaler it's OK but I keep the devices that are processed by it to a
minimum - at the moment only my Virgin HD box goes through mine and that's
only because the 32" LCD that it's feeding doesn't support HDCP so the
scaler is effectively being used as an HDCP buffer to the TV. (The output
from the scaler then goes into a 4 input Gefen HDMI switch along with my
Popcorn Hour A110 and Naim n-Vi.)

There are units from Gefen that come up regularly on eBay that I would
expect to be at least as good as the HD3000 ... video scaling chipsets
move=
d
on at such a rate that budget scalers now have the processing that the high
end units had only a year or so earlier. (My first scaler that I bought 12
years ago was =A32,200 retail but is bettered by the scaler on the 22"
LCD =
TV
that my mate bought a couple of months ago for =A3250 from Tescos!)

I wouldn't get too hung up about Ethernet over HDMI etc. as you're going to
a projector and that's unlikely to be plagued with all the add-on SH*TE
tha=
t
seems to be infesting every device in the functionality war. (Call me a
miserable old b*st*rd if you want but I have absolutely no interest in
watching YouTube clips on anything other than a PC yet my TV, BluRay player
and Media player all want me to do so but with a user interface that is
remarkable only in its ability to both suck and blow at the same time.)

People keep talking about fibre but it's never really taken off in any kind
of domestic use - there are HDMI and DVI extenders that use fibre but
unles=
s
you really need the distance then they just seem superfluous and to use
the=
m
being kit for kits sake...

If you're going to use an AV receiver to do your conversion then my mate
(mentioned above) bought an Onkyo from Richer Sounds for about =A3300
that'=
s
perfectly acceptable...

Phil=20=20

-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
semi.jons
Sent: 09 July 2011 11:45
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] Re: Projector cable advice

Thanks for the replies all.

I liked the idea of the scaler until I looked up the price of the HD3000!!
Couldn't see anything on ebay either apart from =A350 jobs which I assume
wouldn't be in the same league as the Optoma.  Amazon doen't have many
recommendations ... is there a good current product?

On HDMI spec, I read that cable manufacturers are now not allowed to claim
compliance with a certain HDMI version as the spec is really about the end
equipment and the cable is the same.  Also while the spec may include many
features some of these are optional (like Ethernet) so they are moving to
marketing by listing features supported by e.g. AV receiver / Projector
rather than a particular level.  This prob upsetting the cable marketers as
they can nolonger convince people to upgrade the cable to the latest spec
and sell the same cable as before in a different package.

As my main resistance to lots of cables is minimising the holes in joists -
which are tending to swiss-cheese, duct doesn't appeal in this instance,
although I used it extensively in walls.  Fibre would certainly be the next
logical step - but it sthe connector on the end that I suspect will make
pulling it difficult within a duct or not.  Years ago I did fibre splicing,
but I seem to remember the kit was v expensive!

So HDMI with lots of cat5, and upscaler / AV reciever that has all the
required inputs.  The Arcam's I'd love are way out of budget and the older
cheaper onces on ebay don't upscale/convert only switch, so its prob
marantz, denon, yamaha ... other brands / models to consier?

Thanks
JonS

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Tim Hawes <timsyahoo@...> wrote:
>
> Not quite the same situation, but when I put my TV on the wall I ran
the
> following:
> 2x HDMI
> 1x VGA (for PC)
> 1x Stereo audio (3.5mm jack plugs)
> 4x Cat5 (1x running analogue a/v over cat5)
> 1x coax (for terrestrial TV & IR return)
> All source equipment is in an upstairs cupboard. Cable lengths are
about
15m
> and the ~=A318 HDMI cables I bought have been great, no sparklies at
all =
at
> 1080p.
>=20
> I wouldn't scrimp on the number of cat5 cables as it's so cheap; you
don'=
t
> have to terminate them all initially - just leave them coiled-up
"just in
> case".
>=20
> HTH somewhat,
>=20
> Tim.
>=20
>=20
> On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 10:27 PM, semi.jons <semi.jon@...> wrote:
>=20
> > When I flood wired I put in power to the ceiling in the perfect
positio=
n
> > for a projector which is about a 12m run to the nascent AV
alcove.  Now
the
> > time has come to put the signal cables in as the carpet above is
soon t=
o
be
> > laid.  So the question is =96 what cables do I need?
> >
> > Ultimately I'd like to have a 3D HD projector and looking at the
> > connections on the back of a few current top selling projectors
didn't
> > really narrow the field of what to install.
> > - HDMI *2
> > - Composite RCA
> > - S-Video
> > - VGA DSUB (computer)
> > - DVI
> > - USB (mini, Type B, Type A)
> > - RS232 / RS485 9-pin D Connector
> > - DC =96 (for screen control)
> > - LAN RJ45
> > - Some also have audio
> >
> > Currently we are an analogue house so from a sources point of
view we'v=
e
> > got the following all with SCART connections.
> > - Video (kids love spending 50p on vids in charity shops!)
> > - DVD
> > - Wii
> > - Freeview box
> >
> >
> > In the future I'd like to add
> > - media player like Plex,
> > - Blue Ray / 3D player
> >
> > From what I've read some AV receivers will convert SD analogue to
HDMI
> > which would reduce the cable-fest, but I don't know if this
narrows the
> > choice of receivers too much=85as this is a once in a blue moon
opportunity to
> > get the cables in, I don't want to under spec.
> >
> > My thoughts are:
> > - HDMI suitable for HDCP content, media PC / player, Blue Ray etc
> > - Component & Composite  (5 core mini coax) suitable for
existing
analogue
> > sources
> > - 2*Cat5e suitable if projector is network enabled or USB over
Cat5
cable
> > - Twin core flex for DC for screen control =96 maybe this should
be a
third
> > cat5 cable?
> >
> > This still seems a lot, esp as I've got to get the bundle through
some
> > joists, so I would welcome advice from people who've got
experience of
> > projectors on what's needed.
> >
> > TIA
> > JonS
> >
> >
> >
>=20
>=20
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>




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