HDMI splitter

[tgr]

Mother in law has a decoder box for their equivalent of sky, and it has one HDMI out socket. We would like to connect the signal to two TVs in separate rooms simultaneously therefore without a switch.

Would a splitter do this and should it be a powered splitter (ie to amplify the signal)? If so could you recommend one?

The other TV is about 20m away - would you also be able to recommend a good cable to carry the signal without degredation?

Many thanks, audiovisual buffs!

[eldavo]

I have a Cablesson powered splitter and it's been no bother, connected to a 10M cable though. For 20M you might need to use converters to Cat5, someone with more knowledge will no doubt elucidate.

[kingston12]

I have used a Neet 2/1 splitter that is powered and about £20 on Amazon. Does the job well, but I use cable runs of only a few metres each.

HDMI can be temperamental over 10m, so perhaps see if you can borrow a able to try it out first? HDMI over cat5 cable is the way to go for longer runs, but is obviously more expensive.

[gmaz]

kingston12 said:

I have used a Neet 2/1 splitter that is powered and about £20 on Amazon. Does the job well, but I use cable runs of only a few metres each.

HDMI can be temperamental over 10m, so perhaps see if you can borrow a able to try it out first? HDMI over cat5 cable is the way to go for longer runs, but is obviously more expensive.

Me too, with one output driving a project via a 10m cable and no signal degradation. 20m might be pushing it though.

[clockworks]

On the subject of HDMI splitters, a mate of mine bought one today from Tesco. Clearly labelled as a splitter, but I think it's actually a switch - 3 inputs to one output. It has a pushbutton to select the inputs, and 3 LEDs to show which one is active. I don't think it will do what he wants (send Sky box output to two TV's)

[tgr]

Thanks gents, I was waiting to see if others would come in on the discussion but that seems to be all for now.

So over 10m HDMI is flaky? I had wondered why there were few cables longer than that.

I definitely don't want a switch, I want a splitter.

Presumably with the Cat5 solution one would have a splitter with HDMI and Cat5 out sockets, such that one HDMI is linked to one TV and the further TV is catered for by a length of Cat5?

Apologies if this is all crystal clear to you AV types!

[vxsmithers]

gmaz said:

kingston12 said:

I have used a Neet 2/1 splitter that is powered and about £20 on Amazon. Does the job well, but I use cable runs of only a few metres each.

HDMI can be temperamental over 10m, so perhaps see if you can borrow a able to try it out first? HDMI over cat5 cable is the way to go for longer runs, but is obviously more expensive.

Me too, with one output driving a project via a 10m cable and no signal degradation. 20m might be pushing it though.

I also have a neet splitter with 2x 10M hdmi cables. It is the most infuriating thing in the world as it will work for days, and then all of a sudden get pink screen and have to be reset every time you switch on a tv. It's better than the HDanywhere matrix it replaced though which was absolute turd and expensive in comparison

I'll be looking for something less flaky but it seems anything less than a few hundred quid is not very good - I don't want to find out that everything from 500 to a grand is the same!

[kingston12]

vxsmithers said:

I also have a neet splitter with 2x 10M hdmi cables. It is the most infuriating thing in the world as it will work for days, and then all of a sudden get pink screen and have to be reset every time you switch on a tv. It's better than the HDanywhere matrix it replaced though which was absolute turd and expensive in comparison

I'll be looking for something less flaky but it seems anything less than a few hundred quid is not very good - I don't want to find out that everything from 500 to a grand is the same!

The problem is, I think all of the cheaper ones are made in same factory and just branded differently. The 4 x 2 splitters are especially awful. The advantage I have found with Neet is that their customer service is good and they will replace straight away if you get a faulty one.

[vxsmithers]

kingston12 said:

vxsmithers said:

I also have a neet splitter with 2x 10M hdmi cables. It is the most infuriating thing in the world as it will work for days, and then all of a sudden get pink screen and have to be reset every time you switch on a tv. It's better than the HDanywhere matrix it replaced though which was absolute turd and expensive in comparison

I'll be looking for something less flaky but it seems anything less than a few hundred quid is not very good - I don't want to find out that everything from 500 to a grand is the same!

The problem is, I think all of the cheaper ones are made in same factory and just branded differently. The 4 x 2 splitters are especially awful. The advantage I have found with Neet is that their customer service is good and they will replace straight away if you get a faulty one.

yes, the neet box was only 20 quid and bought as an experiment, and does work within reason, but fails the woman test. The HDAnywhere box failed every bloody test and was over 10 times the price (the first one they sent didn't do anything - took me several hours of swearing at the thing to realise it was dead from the factory...

[Output Flange]

tgr said:

Presumably with the Cat5 solution one would have a splitter with HDMI and Cat5 out sockets, such that one HDMI is linked to one TV and the further TV is catered for by a length of Cat5?

You'd use a standard splitter that gives two HDMI outputs. One output goes to the TV, the other connects via HDMI to a Cat5e transmitter balun. The Cat5e cable plugs into this at one end and then receiver balun at the other end, from which an HDMI cable goes to the remote TV.

I use CYP baluns at home and they've been very reliable. Most will do IR repeating as well so you can control the box remotely.

[davek_964]

I have the Neet splitter, and have been using it since 2013 with a 15m cable to a projector (I use KabelDirekt 15m HDMI Cable from Amazon).

Works absolutely perfectly - never had a single problem with picture or sound.

[mikeiow]

We also have the neet splitter with a 10m cable, no problems for several years. Sounds like on the whole they work well with the odd exception (which could be a dodgy box or cable, I guess)

[Tuna]

I got a ESYNiC 2 Way HDMI Splitter from Amazon for just over a tenner and so far it's been fine. It drives a 15 metre HDMI cable to our TV and there have been no problems so far.