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Treyshaun Clena photo
Costa Rica, San JosΓ©
1 Level
714 Review
58 Karma

Review on πŸ”Œ High-quality HDMI HDBaseT Extender: 4K@60Hz 40m/130ft over Single Cat5e/6a, 1080P 70m/230ft, PoE IR RS232 HDCP2.2, HDR, Dobly Vision, 3D, Dolby Atmos & DTS:X, CEC, Uncompressed Transmission - AV Access HDMI Extender by Treyshaun Clena

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Easy to install, easy to use.

I bought this kit to replace a failed wireless HDMI transmitter that I have used for many years. Having been in the commercial AV business for decades growing up, using Crestron and AMX HDBaseT systems, I was skeptical of such a simple, inexpensive, single-wire system. With that in mind, I'm writing this review from the perspective of someone who has seen many cheap HDMI extenders that weren't HDCP compliant and wreaked havoc on distributed AV systems. At this price I thought why not give it a try. Installation: These units were used to extend the 4K UHD HDMI (IP scaled) output of a Denon AVR-x2400 AV Receiver and act as an HDMI switcher for 5 separate units; Apple TV, DirecTV (Genie 75/500), Chromecast, WD HD Stream Plus and Samsung 3D Blu-Ray. These components are installed in my centralized distribution rack at home, which sits 15 linear feet below the Sharp Aquos Quattro display upstairs. This corresponds to a total cable length of 40 feet due to the way it was laid. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the installation is. Even the most inexperienced user will find that there is little need for instructions. I found the instructions helpful in deciphering the 4 displays on the front. The transmitter and power supply are at a distribution point connected to basic Cat5e cable with field termination (meaning I routed and terminated it myself, which also means it's not Cat5e "certified"). The output of the Denon AV receiver connects to the transmitter with a cheap 3ft HDMI cable. A NOTICE. I mentioned the quality of these cables and connectors because many of the HDBaseT devices I've seen require expensive or exotic deep-colored HDMI cables. , Category 5 (or higher) certified shielded cable and intolerant of any line noise. I installed this in under 15 minutes in the dark using my wife's scissors, some RJ45 connectors and a crimping tool, which these days rusts more than a real tool. When these devices work as well as they work for me, since a redneck designed a 3 beer setup, even the most technically imperfect person (that would be most people's mom) can get the job done EASY. But I digress. I fed the IR output from the HDMI transmitter into the IR connector block which is used to send the infrared signals to ALL of the above equipment in the rack, the second zone amplifier and the CD player. It works great with a 1/8" stereo plug to create a 1/8" stereo jack (I originally used a mono cable which worked, but none of the other 3 IR receivers in my house worked). This was an absolute requirement as the distributed system was in a closet downstairs. The wireless predecessor periodically sent IR signals and in some situations disappeared completely. The receiver is mounted behind the TV so that I can still see the front panel displays (just in case!). The IR receiver is mounted on the front of the display and is almost invisible to the untrained eye (it's very unobtrusive compared to most - if you like utility). The receiver is powered by the transmitter (basement) via the built-in Power Over Ethernet (PoE). This is a HUGE benefit as it is overall easy to install. Although I haven't tried it, a single power supply can provide PoE for either the receiver or the transmitter, whichever device is more available to connect to the power supply. That means choice and time savings. The picture is flawless. There is no jitter or noise in the distributed signal. Built in 4K programming as well as IP scaled 2160 30Hz signals are no problem for these little inexpensive gems. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this system also supports the Sharp display's Audio Return Channel (ARC). Likewise, the AnyNet and Aquos Link functions work great (essentially remote control via HDMI - Google it). Given the single cable design and the inexpensive nature of this purchase, I wasn't expecting the reverse path feature to work, but it did. One less remote to play around with. TO WIN! Overall, this system works great and is as advertised. I highly recommend them!

Pros
  • A sea of positive emotions
Cons
  • No performance