**UPDATED AND SOLVED** Question about running HDMI over CAT6

[NFS4]

OK, I just bought a 50" Plasma TV that I want to mount above the fireplace. I want to put power, cable, and an HDMI wall plate behind the TV.

Wall Plate:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10425&cs_id=1042501&p_id=8009&seq=1&format=2

I then want to run the HDMI to the adjacent wall where I'll have a small entertainment center to hold my PS3, Cable Box, and Yamaha Receiver (distance of about 12 feet along the wall).

The only problem is, I've heard that some of the HDMI over CAT6 devices have problems with receivers. Does anyone have experience with this?

Also, do you guys know about how much it would cost to have the TV professionally mounted, put power behind the wall, and run the HDMI stuff?


**EDIT SEE FINAL POST**

 

[Ross Ridge]

I don't think you need to use Ethernet cable if you're only going 12 feet. That's well within the limits of HDMI. The only problem with using an HDMI cable in the wall is that doesn't bend as easily.

The particular wall plate you linked to is a completely passive device. It uses two 8 conductor Ethernet cables to replace a 14 or 15 conductor HDMI cable, so there shouldn't be any fundamental problem with your AV receiver. There might be problems with noise or attenuation but probably not over that relatively short distance.

By the way, over the fireplace isn't the ideal place mount a TV. It may look nice there, fit your decor and such, but it's terrible place to have a TV if you're actually going to watch it.

Whatever you end up doing, I would have it professionally installed. Plasma TVs weigh a ton.

 

[NFS4]

I don't think you need to use Ethernet cable if you're only going 12 feet. That's well within the limits of HDMI. The only problem with using an HDMI cable in the wall is that doesn't bend as easily.

The particular wall plate you linked to is a completely passive device. It uses two 8 conductor Ethernet cables to replace a 14 or 15 conductor HDMI cable, so there shouldn't be any fundamental problem with your AV receiver. There might be problems with noise or attenuation but probably not over that relatively short distance.

By the way, over the fireplace isn't the ideal place mount a TV. It may look nice there, fit your decor and such, but it's terrible place to have a TV if you're actually going to watch it.

Whatever you end up doing, I would have it professionally installed. Plasma TVs weigh a ton.

We're expecting our first, and having the TV where it is now (on a stand in front of a wall nook) is not ideal once a kid starts moving around and pulling shit over (my current 42" is to wide to fit in the nook, so it sits out in front of it which also wastes a lot of space). The nook is 40" wide and 14" deep and goes to the ceiling. We'd like to use it for shelves and toy storage.

As for the plasma, it "only" weighs 55 pounds. The fireplace is the only place for it.

 

[BTA]

I dunno about hdmi over cat5, but we just ran a long hdmi cable in the wall. Used the premium ones from monoprice.

I have my HTPC in the office so I don't have to hear it. So I have one HDMI run from a wallplate in the office to the livingroom that is a 25ft cable. That goes into my receiver in the livingroom and the output from the AVR goes to another HDMI wallplate which is a 35ft run to the wall mounted TV. Works great and I love it.

We had a friend's dad who is an electrician help with getting a power socket behind the tv. But ours is on drywall and there was a socket on that wall already near the floor, so he jumpered it off of that circuit. Also for behind the TV I just got a wall plate with a tube to pull the cat5 and hdmi run through instead of putting an actual plate back there. With the super slim mounts it would have been a problem to to have an hdmi plate. Also the electrical socket I put behind the tv was inset as well, I highly recommend that also. Everything was bought from monoprice. I'd tell you how much the electrical help cost but it was friend rates and probably not much help. But a single electrical socket run shouldn't cost more than a hundred bucks.

We wall mounted ours ourselves but again it was on drywall and in studs. It's a 55" Panny plasma and is crazy heavy like 90lbs. With doing it over a fireplace I don't know if I would tackle that, unless there's easy to find studs and such. If so you could probably do it with a buddy and a good level. I don't trust the levels built into wall mounts, I also eyeball to make sure as well, never know if your wall or mantle is straight in an old house, so you might not even want it level or it'd look goofy(just something to consider).

Also I did use a usb over cat5 adapter kit deal (also from monoprice) to get my htpc remote receiver in the livingroom as well and that works great.

The wallplate for power and low voltage runs behind the tv.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10425&cs_id=1042513&p_id=4006&seq=1&format=2

HDMI wallplates
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10425&cs_id=1042501&p_id=2730&seq=1&format=2
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10425&cs_id=1042501&p_id=7332&seq=1&format=2

USB over cat5
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10303&cs_id=1030313&p_id=6042&seq=1&format=2

25ft HDMI
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10240&cs_id=1024001&p_id=3990&seq=1&format=2

Also, suggest you get these too in case your TV is like mine and the hdmi ports on it arent in the best spot. HDMI cables dont always bend so well so you could have trouble not seeing them sticking out from behind the tv.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041913&p_id=4860&seq=1&format=2
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041913&p_id=4859&seq=1&format=2

 

[Dulanic]

I personally also ran....

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=1042513&p_id=4652&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

Works great except I have an older xbox 360 so running the vga for 1080p was a BITCH. But now with my receiver I would only have to run 1 HDMI and the power and that's it.

 

[NFS4]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I also forgot to mention, the fireplace is a built-in electric "fake" fireplace. IIRC, there is drywall above it.

 

[CubanlB]

Having bought the older revision of these HDMI baluns I'd say skip them for this application. No reason not to just use a decent HDMI cable.

When I tried to use these wallplates I found that they were very dependent on the source putting out a strong signal and giving enough power out over the 5v in the HDMI. I had success using these from a PC to a receiver over about 60ft of cat5e, but even the shortest runs of cat5e would fail with a Denon Bluray and all other CE devices used as a source I tried them with. I think from reading the reviews they generally need a repeater of some sort before the run of cat5e cable to power the plates properly.

If you needed a run of say 150' these might be a good option as long as you know the limitations of the hardware you are using them with.

 

[NFS4]

N/m

 

[Arcticbear]

The only benefit from using CAT6 is to have the IR ability. Which you will need since the TV is in different room.
If you don't need IR, HDMI cable is more than enough for 12 feet application.
I personally have not have any problem with my Denon receiver using Octava HDMI and IR Ethernet Extender.
Good luck on your project

 

[master7045]

I"ll second the HDMI cables from Monoprice. I recently installed our 42" plasma installed above our (similar electic) fireplace and bought a 20' cable from monoprice. Ran it down to the basement behind the fireplace and then over a couple of studs and back up to where our receiver is. No problems at all.

 

[Tiamat]

I just installed one of these: http://www.amazon.com/PowerBridge-TW...2972020&sr=8-4

for my samsung d7000. I also recommend bluejeanscables FE hdmi as those have been tested to 50' and beyond. They also have a heavier HDMI for more than 50' runs. http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/hdmi-cable.htm

The trouble you will run into is crossing studs with your cables. My run was vertical so it was cake to run setup the cables behind the wall. I guess you could run it down to a basement if you have one, then up like Master7045 posted.

 

[Doppel]

I am wiring my basement tomorrow prior to drywall and the faceplate I am buying the kind that are not specific to a cable. Similar to the link above my post, you can run hdmi through them, network,etc. they are basically just a prettier hole to run things through instead of trying to find one that takes the exact specific cables you are looking for.

 

[NFS4]

Alright, I managed to get everything setup. I ended up running:

1) Speaker wire (right, left, center)
2) Power (15')
3) HDMI (15')

I used CordMate covers (which I painted to match the wall) and ran it from above the mantle, down the wall, and above the baseboard to my new entertainment stack. Everything actually turned out better than I expected.

I only ran into two problems:

1) The HDMI cable ended up being about 6" too short to reach on the back of the TV. So I bought one of these from Monoprice:

I hooked that up to a shorter 3' HDMI cable to make it reach.

2) While the power cord would reach, it was a tight fit getting it to snake to a 90-degree angle to fit into the back of the TV. So I bought this adapter from Monoprice:

It should get here in the next few days, but I'll use it to hook the Panasonic 90-degree cable that came in the box to the 15' cord that I already ran behind the CordMate.

For the time being, I'm using an extension power cord hooked up to the Panasonic 90-degree cord until my adapter gets here.

Pics (Note that the black power cord you see is the temporary extension, it will be gone soon. Also, the entertainment center and sub will be pushed about a foot or two to the the right after the Christmas tree is taken down ):