How do we run hdmi across our sanctuary?
So you have TVs or projectors in your sanctuary. How do you run video cables between your computer (the Slideshow computer, running Pro Presenter or PowerPoint), and the TVs?
People try to do this three ways which are mistakes:
Some try wireless video, and
others try very long HDMI cables.
A few try a third option, HDMI to CAT5 converters.
Instead, most churches should run SDI cables.
First, why are these 3 options bad ideas?
Wireless video is a bad idea because reliable wireless video costs about $700 per system. There are more affordable products on the market, but they have regular dropouts, they won’t sync on random Sunday mornings…they’re huge problems. Plus, once you buy into the $700 dollar systems, you’ve added complexity to your tech team volunteers. Wireless devices are more complex than you might imagine. Next, these work in the same band as your WiFi, and they use a lot of data. That means you will probably notice your WiFi reception gets worse for everything else that depends on WiFi.
Finally, even the $700 systems are less reliable than a good old-fashioned wire. You get all these problems and complexities, when the alternative is…a simple wire.
Very long HDMI cables are a bad idea because HDMI was only designed to have cables of about 15’ long. It’s built into the specification, and the physics of the electrons moving through an HDMI cable simply don’t work (reliably) beyond about 15 feet. To get around that, some companies make products that include boosters, or built-in conversions to Fiber-Optic cable. I’ve installed a few of these, and I’ve spoken with dozens (maybe hundreds. Seriously, a lot) of churches that try this solution. They never work in the medium-term. They are almost always removed, and replaced with a more appropriate system.
HDMI to CAT5 Converters are a bad idea mostly because they’re designed on a budget. The specific HDMI to CAT5 converters most churches buy are cheaply made. Second, most churches use inexpensive CAT5 or CAT6a cable. If you take this approach, use insulated cable, and results will improve (though they still won’t be as reliable as doing this with straightforward SDI cable).
(There are more expensive IP-based solutions. These IP-based solutions offer a lot of flexibility, but they’re still very pricey. For most budget-conscious churches, running SDI cables is the best mix of price and reliability for the next decade. These are also different from cheap HDMI/CAT5 converters.)
The Right Way
What is SDI? It’s a coaxial cable. If you remember coaxial cables from cable modems, or cable TV, you’ve got the idea. SDI is just an advanced form of those cables.
But…your TV doesn’t have an SDI input. Your computer doesn’t have an SDI output…what do you do? Use high-quality HDMI/SDI converters, like these.
This will give you a simple, reliable connection between your sound booth and your TVs or projector for the next decade.
(By the way…if you’re installing new TVs, use this simple formula to select the right size and installation location for TVs.
There are different ways to handle this, based on the particularities of your congregation. Want to talk details? Email or schedule a call with me! I love to help.
