ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 2 [All]   Go Down

Author Topic: Low cost hdmi switcher needed  (Read 6973 times)

Rob Spence

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3531
  • Boston Metro North/West
    • Lynx Audio Services
Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« on: December 05, 2017, 01:35:24 PM »

I help out at an organization that helps disadvantaged kids.

They have a projector with DVI input and they have two hdmi video sources. One source is a laptop that the use for presentations. The second one is a video player.
They have been using a simple A/B switch.

Besides the abrupt switching, sometimes the disconnected source laptop changes resolution when it detects there is nothing connected.

When it reconnects, sometimes the projector and the laptop get into a resolution conflict while they sort it out. Meanwhile it looks like a mess on the screen and it takes a while.

So, they would like something better.

It looks like the Roland V-1HD would be perfect but it is way outside their price range.

I saw a Kramer VP-728 on eBay that looks close but I don’t know enough here.

Suggestions?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Logged
rob at lynxaudioservices dot com

Dealer for: AKG, Allen & Heath, Ashley, Astatic, Audix, Blue Microphones, CAD, Chauvet, Community, Countryman, Crown, DBX, Electro-Voice, FBT, Furman, Heil, Horizon, Intellistage, JBL, Lab Gruppen, Mid Atlantic, On Stage Stands, Pelican, Peterson Tuners, Presonus, ProCo, QSC, Radial, RCF, Sennheiser, Shure, SKB, Soundcraft, TC Electronics, Telex, Whirlwind and others

Thomas Dameron

  • SR Forums
  • Jr. Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 89
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2017, 04:27:32 PM »

I swore off Kramer years ago, but their new (ish) VS-611 looks very interesting for the price.  I especially like that it has a HDbaseT output.  When you're talking about a punch switcher I'm not sure your definition of low cost, but for me this looks like a good option when I need switching but can't get the budget for a Barco 902.

https://www.kramerav.com/us/Product/VS-611DT

thomas d.
Logged

Tom Bourke

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1568
    • http://www.cwalv.com
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2017, 01:10:44 AM »

If the player and current switch play nice then maybe a splitter with edid processing can help. The idea is to give the laptop something to latch on to.

Hdcp may also be causing the glitched switch.
Logged
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell.  I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work.  My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading.  Dyslexics of the world untie! <a href="http://www.cwalv.com" target="_blank">http://www.cwalv.com</a>

Caleb Dueck

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1713
  • Sierra Vista, AZ
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2017, 06:04:44 AM »

HDMI is more than just video.  What is needed is a switcher that addresses everything, HDCP and EDID being the primary but not only factors.  For a clean transition, the switcher has to pre-handshake and hold that handshake so the transition is only a video switch. 

The cheapest is a glitchy, ugly, multi-second transition.  Higher cost fades from the first source to black and then to the second source.  Higher cost yet is a clean transition. 

Do they need a T-bar style switcher or a simple push-button selector?  If the former, the V-1HD is as inexpensive as it gets.  If the latter, various Extron and Analog Way options come to mind, but they cost more. 





Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk

Logged
Experience is something you get right after you need it.

Nathan Riddle

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2053
  • Niceville, FL
    • Nailed Productions
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2017, 07:50:18 AM »

Atlona comes to mind at the suggestion of my distributor.

HDVS-150-TX older version is ~200 on b&h; the older version doesn't do powered HDbaseT but it might work well for your purposes :)

Alternatively, the KanexPro might do the trick coming in at $180 for the switcher.

Disclaimer: I've never used those products yet, just did a ton of research when I was working on some installs that never happened.

Edit:
Looks like Caleb's: Extron SW6 HDMI is on ebay used for $170.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2017, 07:52:33 AM by Nathan Riddle »
Logged
I'm just a guy trying to do the next right thing.

This business is for people with too much energy for desk jobs and too much brain for labor jobs. - Scott Helmke

David Allred

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1904
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2017, 08:21:04 AM »

Is this a fixed installed, or a travelling show?
Logged

Keith Broughton

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3667
  • Toronto
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2017, 08:28:47 AM »

I help out at an organization that helps disadvantaged kids.

They have a projector with DVI input and they have two hdmi video sources. One source is a laptop that the use for presentations. The second one is a video player.
They have been using a simple A/B switch.

Besides the abrupt switching, sometimes the disconnected source laptop changes resolution when it detects there is nothing connected.

When it reconnects, sometimes the projector and the laptop get into a resolution conflict while they sort it out. Meanwhile it looks like a mess on the screen and it takes a while.

So, they would like something better.

It looks like the Roland V-1HD would be perfect but it is way outside their price range.

I saw a Kramer VP-728 on eBay that looks close but I don’t know enough here.

Suggestions?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
What about converting one of the HDMI sources to another input on the projector and using the projector as switcher?
Might still have the resolution battle when switching but worth a try.
Logged
I don't care enough to be apathetic

Steve Alves

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 547
  • South Florida
    • South Florida Sound
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2017, 10:28:48 AM »

I am using one of these and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049SCB2Y
Logged
Steven Alves
South Florida Sound, Fort Lauderdale, FL
www.southfloridasound.com

Rob Spence

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3531
  • Boston Metro North/West
    • Lynx Audio Services
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #8 on: December 06, 2017, 01:31:24 PM »

Is this a fixed installed, or a travelling show?

It gets set up in multiple places.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Logged
rob at lynxaudioservices dot com

Dealer for: AKG, Allen & Heath, Ashley, Astatic, Audix, Blue Microphones, CAD, Chauvet, Community, Countryman, Crown, DBX, Electro-Voice, FBT, Furman, Heil, Horizon, Intellistage, JBL, Lab Gruppen, Mid Atlantic, On Stage Stands, Pelican, Peterson Tuners, Presonus, ProCo, QSC, Radial, RCF, Sennheiser, Shure, SKB, Soundcraft, TC Electronics, Telex, Whirlwind and others

Rob Spence

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3531
  • Boston Metro North/West
    • Lynx Audio Services
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #9 on: December 06, 2017, 01:39:10 PM »

What about converting one of the HDMI sources to another input on the projector and using the projector as switcher?
Might still have the resolution battle when switching but worth a try.

I thought of that but the second input is only VGA. Also, it is a long cable run to the projector and making 2 runs would be a hassle.
In past years, an operator of the laptop was colocated with the projector so a single long hdmi run got the other source to the projector area and switch.
Now, it is difficult to put anyone near the projector so the operator will be located with the sound board (about 100 cable feet to the projector and about 80 feet from the other source).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Logged
rob at lynxaudioservices dot com

Dealer for: AKG, Allen & Heath, Ashley, Astatic, Audix, Blue Microphones, CAD, Chauvet, Community, Countryman, Crown, DBX, Electro-Voice, FBT, Furman, Heil, Horizon, Intellistage, JBL, Lab Gruppen, Mid Atlantic, On Stage Stands, Pelican, Peterson Tuners, Presonus, ProCo, QSC, Radial, RCF, Sennheiser, Shure, SKB, Soundcraft, TC Electronics, Telex, Whirlwind and others

Rob Spence

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3531
  • Boston Metro North/West
    • Lynx Audio Services
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2017, 07:05:39 PM »

Continuing on topic, a run from mixer to video source is around 100’.
I see Roland VC-1-SH SDI to HDMI for sale in the marketplace. Would SDI be a good choice for the 100’ run? I am guessing that 75 ohm cable is what you use?
For converting the video source hdmi to sdi, would I need the Roland version, or will other units work. Given that I don’t want to spend $500 which is about what the  Roland hdmi to sdi costs, what would be a good value for this?
On benny for me would be reducing the number of cables to run to the video source (now I have a powered 120’ hdmi cable to the projector area and a pair of XLR cables to the mixer.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Logged
rob at lynxaudioservices dot com

Dealer for: AKG, Allen & Heath, Ashley, Astatic, Audix, Blue Microphones, CAD, Chauvet, Community, Countryman, Crown, DBX, Electro-Voice, FBT, Furman, Heil, Horizon, Intellistage, JBL, Lab Gruppen, Mid Atlantic, On Stage Stands, Pelican, Peterson Tuners, Presonus, ProCo, QSC, Radial, RCF, Sennheiser, Shure, SKB, Soundcraft, TC Electronics, Telex, Whirlwind and others

Cailen Waddell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1428
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2017, 09:46:10 PM »

Continuing on topic, a run from mixer to video source is around 100’.
I see Roland VC-1-SH SDI to HDMI for sale in the marketplace. Would SDI be a good choice for the 100’ run? I am guessing that 75 ohm cable is what you use?
For converting the video source hdmi to sdi, would I need the Roland version, or will other units work. Given that I don’t want to spend $500 which is about what the  Roland hdmi to sdi costs, what would be a good value for this?
On benny for me would be reducing the number of cables to run to the video source (now I have a powered 120’ hdmi cable to the projector area and a pair of XLR cables to the mixer.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I like SDI for longer video runs.  Sdi to hdmi converters can, at times be problematic, as sdi generally supports a range of resolution and scan rate combos that the TVs on the other side of the converter don’t support.   Depending on your source this may or may not be an issue for you. If you are starting hdmi, convert to sdi for the run and back to hdmi, then it almost always works...

Regardless, I like the cheap sdi converters that monoprice sells.  They generally work in the applications I use them in, but plenty of people have also had bad experiences where they don’t work - most often I think this is due to an incomplete understanding of 3G sdi level A and level B.   Many of these cheaper converters can’t handle level B correctly in my experience and see it as a 1080i stream....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Logged

Rob Spence

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3531
  • Boston Metro North/West
    • Lynx Audio Services
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2018, 05:53:48 PM »

I like SDI for longer video runs.  Sdi to hdmi converters can, at times be problematic, as sdi generally supports a range of resolution and scan rate combos that the TVs on the other side of the converter don’t support.   Depending on your source this may or may not be an issue for you. If you are starting hdmi, convert to sdi for the run and back to hdmi, then it almost always works...

Regardless, I like the cheap sdi converters that monoprice sells.  They generally work in the applications I use them in, but plenty of people have also had bad experiences where they don’t work - most often I think this is due to an incomplete understanding of 3G sdi level A and level B.   Many of these cheaper converters can’t handle level B correctly in my experience and see it as a 1080i stream....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am in the camp who doesn’t understand much about SDI. Educate me?

I think I want to do the HDMI to SDI for the long run (about 130’). I have been looking at all the less expensive converters on eBay and Amazon as well as at Monoprice.

The path I need would be
Source to Hdmi splitter
- 1 to original display
- 2 to SDI converter
SDI over 150’ coax
SDI to hdmi converter
To HDMI audio extractor
To HDMI switch

I worry about the number of boxes in the signal chain.
A HDMI to SDI converter with an HDMI through would be great as would a SDI to HDMI converter with extracted audio.

Still trying to keep the cost manageable what suggestions do all y’all have?

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
Logged
rob at lynxaudioservices dot com

Dealer for: AKG, Allen & Heath, Ashley, Astatic, Audix, Blue Microphones, CAD, Chauvet, Community, Countryman, Crown, DBX, Electro-Voice, FBT, Furman, Heil, Horizon, Intellistage, JBL, Lab Gruppen, Mid Atlantic, On Stage Stands, Pelican, Peterson Tuners, Presonus, ProCo, QSC, Radial, RCF, Sennheiser, Shure, SKB, Soundcraft, TC Electronics, Telex, Whirlwind and others

Scott Holtzman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7557
  • Ghost AV - Avon Lake, OH
    • Ghost Audio Visual Systems, LLC
Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2018, 09:31:35 PM »

I am in the camp who doesn’t understand much about SDI. Educate me?

I think I want to do the HDMI to SDI for the long run (about 130’). I have been looking at all the less expensive converters on eBay and Amazon as well as at Monoprice.

The path I need would be
Source to Hdmi splitter
- 1 to original display
- 2 to SDI converter
SDI over 150’ coax
SDI to hdmi converter
To HDMI audio extractor
To HDMI switch

I worry about the number of boxes in the signal chain.
A HDMI to SDI converter with an HDMI through would be great as would a SDI to HDMI converter with extracted audio.

Still trying to keep the cost manageable what suggestions do all y’all have?

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
SDI has two ports.  Each segment can be 100 meters.  I have had chains of flat panels on totems around a conference space that used up 1000' of cables.

We use the Black Magic MicroConverters and they work well for us.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

Logged
Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
Cleveland OH
www.ghostav.rocks

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Low cost hdmi switcher needed
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2018, 09:31:35 PM »


Pages: 1 2 [All]   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.038 seconds with 23 queries.