If you're renovating your home it's a good time to take advantage of gutted walls to run cables through them for a hidden/integrated look when you're finished. HDMI video cables are the standard for your shiny HDTV, but they can get expensive to run over long distances and are somewhat prone to having technical difficulties. Here's an easy solution to run backup cabling over long distances at a fraction of the price of duplicate HDMI cables.
Did you know that ethernet cables can carry HDMI video signals? When two ethernet cables are paired with an adapter, you can run an HDMI signal over long distances at a fraction of the cost of an HDMI cable.
While we would still recommend a traditional HDMI cable for your primary use, if you just stick one HDMI cable in the wall, you're out of luck if it goes bad. It can get extremely expensive to buy two, just to have one as a backup in case anything goes wrong with your initial wire. Ethernet is pretty cheap, especially when compared to HDMI cables, especially at longer lengths. For $150 you can get 1,000 feet of Cat 6STP ethernet cable. That's 15 cents per foot. A 50 foot 24AWG HDMI cable, even at Monoprice is $40. That's 80 cents per foot.
For a cable that's just a backup and you might not ever need, ethernet makes its case. If anything, that sturdy/cheap cable makes a great wire pull in case you need to thread another cable through your walls. So next time you're renovating and pre-wiring your home for video, don't forget to drop a pair of ethernet cables in with the HDMI for an inexpensive and easy backup solution.
• HDMI® Extender Using Cat5e or CAT6 Cable (Monoprice)
MORE ON HDMI AT APARTMENT THERAPY:
• What's the Maximum Length You Can Run HDMI Cables?
• Not Enough HDMI Inputs? HDMI Switches To The Rescue!
• Roundup: Where to Find Cheap HDMI Cables
•The HDMI Cable Scam
• What's the Difference Between HDMI 1.3a vs. 1.4a?
• HDMI Cable Bends Over Backwards for Your Design Needs
(Images: 1. Shutterstock, 2. Monoprice, 3. Shutterstock)
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It should be noted that this is not a powered hdmi extender, and many of the reviewers on monoprice.com found that because of that their source device could not provide enough power to push this extender. A hdmi repeater could be used with this and/or another extender that is powered to achieve the proper length needed.
I've used similar extenders that were powered to great effect in auditoriums and conference rooms.
Always remember to check building codes when running cabling as they are slightly different in every area.
Also, take pictures of all the walls after you've run cables without drywall up. That way you know the path of every cable in the walls.
I did this at the recommendation of my friends in the design/build industry. I have a fireplace wall, and ran 1 HDMI and 2 CAT6 from the component box to where the TV will hang on the rock-veneered wall.
It would make more sense to just run cat5/6 cables, as they can transmit HDMI signal, and a variety of other stuff. Its far more versatile.
Stick nothing but power in your wall. It will be outmoded in 2 years.
The last couple of houses I've built, I've just run PVC pipe from the central attic hatch down to each spot likely to ever need connectivity. The hatch has all the pipes sitting there with labels for each spot and they dump out at the box at each place in the house.
Just use a fish line to run whatever wiring you need, when you need it. Obviously does no good for existing homes/apartments but probably a worthwhile expense for new homes/renovations.
Considering the cost of the extenders, bulk cat 5 and a cat 5 crimping tool (if one isn't already owned) it may may more sense for the average user to just spring for the 30-40ft HDMI cables from Monoprice.
A year ago I helped a friend put one in and he said the cable only cost him about 25$. Otherwise, if you have more experience, cat5 is the way to go. Monoprice sells a nice set of extender wall plates for 20$.
You don't need to crimp to put cat5 in the walls, just punch down into blocks. Anyone can punch down. Then you buy cables to go from the wall to the adapter at your TV.