I'm a little hesitant to post this, because (and this is a key disclaimer) we have not officially tested and verified this product, so it is not an "official" solution from our team.
However, it is made by the same company who manufactures the Meetinghouse Webcast Communicator, and I know there are a few STS's who found out about this product and have installed it.
Basically, it allows you to split and extend a VGA + audio signal over cat 5 or cat 6 cables to multiple locations in the building. So your cable runs will be easy and inexpensive, and allow you to have multiple viewing locations with only a single incoming stream.
http://iocorp.com/vga-over-cat5-or-6.html
I do plan to get one of these units in-house over the next few months and do some testing of our own.
Kurt
Webcast to multiple rooms in a building
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johnshaw
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CalS201
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We tried several VGA to Composite converters and settled on the "StarTech VGA2VID" unit. It had the best picture quality of the units we tested.
Getting the signal to various unwired rooms is not too difficult if the rooms have windows. Just temporarily run RG6 coax along the outside of the bldg. At each window, insert a 2-way splitter with a short coax through the window to the TV. Run the coax to the chapel (pulpit area) and connect it to a Radio Shack VHF CH3/4 RF Modulator (or VCR output). Connect the Modulator's audio input to the laptop, and the video input to the StarTech. If the picture at the TV is noisy, insert an RF amplifier on the coax line.
Getting the signal to various unwired rooms is not too difficult if the rooms have windows. Just temporarily run RG6 coax along the outside of the bldg. At each window, insert a 2-way splitter with a short coax through the window to the TV. Run the coax to the chapel (pulpit area) and connect it to a Radio Shack VHF CH3/4 RF Modulator (or VCR output). Connect the Modulator's audio input to the laptop, and the video input to the StarTech. If the picture at the TV is noisy, insert an RF amplifier on the coax line.
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russellhltn
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From the link given:BarkerAJ wrote:Can you be more specific? You said VGA to Composite Converter in your previous post so figured Adapter was along the same lines. Does it need to be more something along these lines?
Considering the adapter is less than $2, it's only wires."Your video card MUST be able to support s-Video or Composite out through it's VGA port. This is known as a TV out function. If you don't know if your video card can do this, then call the card manufacturer and ask them "Does my video card support S-Video or Composite Video out through its VGA port?" If it does, then buy this adapter. If not, then use Product # 4724 http://www.monoprice.com/products/searc ... yword=4724"
As for the link you gave, I think it's going to the wrong direction.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
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russellhltn
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JohnShaw wrote:VGA is now standard at pulpits, and interestingly the 7 projectors I got with my new building all have HDMI capabilities.
Lucky! I don't have either of those.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
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barkeraj
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ksolsen
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HDMI over cat 6 definitely holds some promise. However, I can tell you that it's problematic at times. We deal with it quite a bit in the conference rooms that we build here at Church HQ. All products are definitely not created equal. The Gefen HDMI extenders we've tried were definitely not reliable.JohnShaw wrote:Kurt!!! This company does HDMI over Cat 5/6 also.... that is wonderful... need to start thinking about that in meetinghouses...
That's why I want to test this IO Corp VGA extender and make sure it carries the signal properly without loss or degradation.
Kurt Olsen - Product Manager at Church HQ for Digital Presentation (Personal Video Conferencing, Meetinghouse Webcast, Conference Rooms, Video Conference Endpoints, Meetinghouse Digital Content)
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johnshaw
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Smart TV's (vga, hdmi, rca)
1 32 In. LCD TV
3 20 In LCD TV/DVD
2 Projectors for Viewing broadcasts (chapel and cultural hall)
1 Projector for Wards to share
4 Projectors for Seminary (1 per room designated by SP as a seminary room - these rooms also got pull-down screens and double chalk boards)
HD Camera for the Building
PTZ Camera mounted in the Chapel
Tech closet with all the tech coming to a centralized point, correct line level in for the webcaster, etc...
1 32 In. LCD TV
3 20 In LCD TV/DVD
2 Projectors for Viewing broadcasts (chapel and cultural hall)
1 Projector for Wards to share
4 Projectors for Seminary (1 per room designated by SP as a seminary room - these rooms also got pull-down screens and double chalk boards)
HD Camera for the Building
PTZ Camera mounted in the Chapel
Tech closet with all the tech coming to a centralized point, correct line level in for the webcaster, etc...
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barkeraj
- Church Employee
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:15 am
- Location: Springville, UT
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barkeraj
- Church Employee
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:15 am
- Location: Springville, UT
OK, here's my current (crazy) line of thinking. Let me know what I am missing.
1 - Laptop in chapel gets video stream via network cable plugged into port at podium. Only one use of the internet to retain quality.
2 - Output VGA to Composite using this converter, that we already have for doing quick and dirty hymn text to projectors.
3 - Use a couple of Composite splitters to give me 4 feeds (one for chapel, 3 for other rooms). Would love a better option for splitting here, but haven't found one.
4 - Use these Composite to CAT5 Baluns to send 3 of them to other rooms.
5 - Connect cat5 to each of the balun and run them to the 3 clerk offices off of the chapel, since they are already wired into the building network.
6 - At the central hub for all the networking, use a short network cable to go from the clerk office to the desired room. I know the AV signal can't go through a network hub/switch, but I'm hoping they can make the jump at a dumb port. Else this whole crazy idea is dead in the water and I just have to run mega long cables down the hallway or outside and through the windows.
7 - Network cable from the wall to another balun at the TV
8 - Balun into TV
9 - Hope the video got here quick, since I'd like to use the church speakers for the audio. Otherwise I'll need to send audio too, which jumps the units up to the $45/each range and I have to use tiny tv speakers or get multiple crabs to go into mic ports for room speakers.
(yes there may be some male vs female issues in here, will rectify at purchase time)
Yes, that is a lot of hoops to jump through, but at the moment it seems the best bet in the cost versus quality department.
I have tested the mac screen sharing in my home, and the picture drops in quality a good chunk and does't stay in sync. I contacted iogear and they are many hundreds of dollars (not sure they want prices listed, else they would put them on their site, PM me if you want to know), so that's pretty pricey. A quick sumation of the above parts (network cables, adapters, 6 baluns, etc) comes to around $150 (or $300 for audio supporting balluns).
Thoughts?
1 - Laptop in chapel gets video stream via network cable plugged into port at podium. Only one use of the internet to retain quality.
2 - Output VGA to Composite using this converter, that we already have for doing quick and dirty hymn text to projectors.
3 - Use a couple of Composite splitters to give me 4 feeds (one for chapel, 3 for other rooms). Would love a better option for splitting here, but haven't found one.
4 - Use these Composite to CAT5 Baluns to send 3 of them to other rooms.
5 - Connect cat5 to each of the balun and run them to the 3 clerk offices off of the chapel, since they are already wired into the building network.
6 - At the central hub for all the networking, use a short network cable to go from the clerk office to the desired room. I know the AV signal can't go through a network hub/switch, but I'm hoping they can make the jump at a dumb port. Else this whole crazy idea is dead in the water and I just have to run mega long cables down the hallway or outside and through the windows.
7 - Network cable from the wall to another balun at the TV
8 - Balun into TV
9 - Hope the video got here quick, since I'd like to use the church speakers for the audio. Otherwise I'll need to send audio too, which jumps the units up to the $45/each range and I have to use tiny tv speakers or get multiple crabs to go into mic ports for room speakers.
(yes there may be some male vs female issues in here, will rectify at purchase time)
Yes, that is a lot of hoops to jump through, but at the moment it seems the best bet in the cost versus quality department.
I have tested the mac screen sharing in my home, and the picture drops in quality a good chunk and does't stay in sync. I contacted iogear and they are many hundreds of dollars (not sure they want prices listed, else they would put them on their site, PM me if you want to know), so that's pretty pricey. A quick sumation of the above parts (network cables, adapters, 6 baluns, etc) comes to around $150 (or $300 for audio supporting balluns).
Thoughts?
Aaron Barker
Front-end Development Lead for LDS.org (content portions, not apps) and Ward Executive Secretary.
Front-end Development Lead for LDS.org (content portions, not apps) and Ward Executive Secretary.