Digital video can do many great things on its own but going for long distances over wire is not one of them. A stronger launch is needed and that has spawned a huge market for video extenders and signal extension technology. While there is a wide array of standalone transmitters and receivers, many of their functions have been built into cameras, switchers, and other devices. As the devices displayed here clearly show, when we need to send digital video from A to a distant B, new products or augmented older ones can make the signal go the distance.
A great example of the compact housing and versatile functionality in modern extenders is the Adder Technology ADDERLink INFINITY 2124T. This device can be used either for HDMI signal extension or in an IP KVM Matrix. It carries dual head video, audio, and USB 2.0 over a 1GbE IP network. There are also two SFP ports for use with either CATx or fiber modules. Ophit OMB-HM is a fiber optic extender that supports 8K UHD (7680 x 4320) signals for long-distance transmission up to 100m (330ft) for HDMI 2.1 over 8-core MPO-connected multimode fiber with no signal degradation. They offer userfriendly solutions for digital signage, media broadcasting, video conferencing, large venue auditoriums, mission-critical control rooms, and medical video integration in operating room applications. The OMB-HM provides simple plug-and-play installation and electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection.
Small in form and big in function, the AJA FiDO-T-12G-ST is a transmitter for one-channel 12G-SDI to single-mode ST fiber and there is a re-clocked loop-through of the SDI input. This model comes with a DWP-U-R1 internationally-compatible universal power supply. To make sure the output connector does not get knocked loose, there is a locking ST barrel connector.
The Apantac Mt Hood HDBT-SET-9 is a 328ft. 1080P HDBaseT HDMI extender and receiver with PoE consisting of the HDBT-1-E-II-POE extender and the HDBT-1-R-IIPOE receiver. The set is capable of extending a 1080p 8-bit HDMI video signal up to 492 ft. RS-232 control connects on a DB9 female and there is IR in/out on 3.5mm mini connectors
Auto-switching and extension are combined in the ATEN VE2812T for DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA video connections. These signals can be sent out as far as 328ft. on one Cat 6/6a or ATEN 2L-2910 Cat 6 cable. The unit switches to any newly connected source. Output video of 4K@30Hz is mirrored through HDBaseT and a local HDMI output. This model is powered through PoH on the HDBaseT port.
For extension of IR control of AV components, the AtlasIED Infrared Repeaters can do the job. The AtlasIED M-1BJW IR repeater and the small F-1 flasher allow the operation of virtually any IR A/V component from multiple room locations up to 40 feet.
On the wall in a single gang space with interchangeable black or white trim, the Atlona AT-OME-TX11-WP has HDBaseT transmission for HDMI video and power. 4K/60 4:2:0 video and embedded audio can be conveyed up to 330ft. Field upgradable firmware can be connected via the USB-C port and there are front panel LEDs for power and HDBaseT link status
Among the Digital Xtreme Series line of HDBaseT CAT extenders is the Aurora DXE-CATTX2 with single-sided connections for LAN, HDMI, control and power. Driven from either PoE or AC adapter from either side, this device runs 1080p 60Hz 48-bit video and with bi-directional RS232, IR, and LAN as far as 330ft. Transmitter and receiver can be powered from either end.
One of the more handy signal transmission functions these days is USB extension and the Black Box IC402A-R2 takes USB 2.0 up to 328ft. over CATx UTP cable. Capable of powering a wide range of USB devices for digital signage, KVM extension, and other uses, the 2-port unit can be combined with hubs to connect up to 30 devices.
Advanced data extension capability including support for USB 3.2 Gen1 data transfer rates and bi-directional power over cable allow the Bluestream UEX3C-KIT USB-C to transmit the signals from cameras and other USB-C peripheral applications.
The CE Labs UHX70M supports 4K60 HDR at 3840 x 2160 video resolution to 229ft. over CAT 6/6a/7 cable while also sending bidirectional IR. The receiver has a S/PDIF output and the transmitter includes an HDMI loop-through connection. Each unit can be connected to a 5VDC external power supply and audio has full pass-through.
A big signal throw from a tiny launch pad is the job of the DVIGear DVI-7345, a very small high performance fiber optic extender that takes SDI, HD-SDI and 3G-SDI over single mode fiber for up to 1.2 miles. Tough locking 75-ohm BNC connectors assure a solid input connection. At the output, twist-locking metal covers keep out dust buildup inside the fiber optic connectors.
A versatile new wall plate device is the Extron DTP3 T 212 D supporting computer and video resolutions up to 4K/60 @ 4:4:4. This unit transmits USBC video, HDMI, audio, and control up to 330ft. over shielded CAT 6A cable. It also features autoswitching between inputs, analog stereo audio embedding, and remote power capability when used with Extron’s DTP3-enabled products.
Another very capable DisplayPort extender, one that uses fiber optic line, is the Gefen EXT-DP-4K600-1SC with SC terminated fiber ports. DisplayPort 600 MHz 4K audio/video can be conveyed up to 660ft. and this device can be run from an external power supply or via USB bus power from sources and displays. Multiple daisy-chained displays may be connected to one DisplayPort output.
The Hall Technologies DSCV1-70-TX makes technology user friendly and does all the tech stuff behind the scenes in a single gang wall plate. Presenters who need HDMI and USB extension for soft-codec video conferencing appreciate its easy 4K 131ft. extension capability using HDBaseT with a single CAT 6a/7 cable. The transmitter can be powered by the receiver. There is USB pass-through and RS232 pass-through over HDBT.
Extension of 4K or lower video and AES67 compatible audio can be sent over CAT 5/6 cable with the Just Add Power MaxColor MC-TX3 4K60 Series transmitter. It can also input LPCM audio up to eight channels, AES67 audio send and receive up to eight channels, and AES67 audio injection into any Just Add Power network. The system has a USB-C 2.0 port for KVM along with enabling control endpoints with CEC, IR, and RS232.
Techs can have HDMI 2.0 extension in a point-to-point mode or through the FLEX or Enterprise series of KVM matrix systems. Once this compact blade device is slipped into the chassis, it enables functionality of audio, USB 2.0 or RS-232/422 signals. As a KVM extender it is auto-detected in the matrix control unit. The signals can be extended for over 6 miles. 3G-SDI & HD-SDI signals with video resolution of 1080p/60 take a big fiber leap with the KanexPro SDI-EXTFIBERPRO fiber optic SDI extender sending it up to 6.2 miles. These tiny gadgets feature autosensing for 3G/HD/SD-SDI signals, audio support up to 8-channel@24-bit, 48KHz, a built-in signal equalizer and re-clock function as well as a mini USB port for firmware updates.
Problems with long USB cables are a thing of the past for the Kramer PT-3UC active USB 3.1 extender. Backward compatible with USB 3.0, 2.0 and 1.1, this product removes digital noise sparkles from the images by reclocking and equalizing the USB signal. It buffers incoming and outgoing signals, handles a 10Gbps maximum data rate and runs on USB bus power.
4K DisplayPort 1.2 extension over IP on fiber for distances up to nearly a thousand feet is possible with the kvm-tec media4Kconnect carrying 4096×2160/60Hz video as well as USB 2.0 for remote device control. The compact housing facilitates mounting of four units in a single rack space. The products in the media4Kconnect are compatible with Flexline and Scalableline extenders
The new Lightware GVN-HDMITX210AP 1G AV-over-IP transmitter for 4K60 signals has Lightware’s advanced EDID management system that can scale HDMI 2.0 video signals up to this maximum resolution of 4K60. These can be sent up to 328ft. on CAT cable or over 6 miles on fiber. Along with an RS-232 control channel, there are built-in USB ports to allow KVM capability
There is quad-monitor support or 4K/UHD video handling on the Matrox Extio N3408 IP KVM extender. This model can operate as an IP-networked KVM extender or it can be set up for point-to-point signal extension for video, audio, keyboard, mouse, and USB 2.0. All of these can be sent on copper or fiber lines and multiple systems can be controlled from a single remote display station.
DisplayPort 1.4 video with resolution up to 7680×4320@60 jumps to light speed on the Opticis DPC-MP14-TR optical extender and goes for up to 1,082ft. on MPO cable. This is accompanied by immersive multi-channel audio. The cable has a detachable pigtail for easy connection to equipment through its DisplayPort end. Being optically based, the cable has superior EMI and RFI rejection.
The PureLink VIP-EXT-T400-2 is a wall plate extender for 4K60 HDMI & USB/KM AV over IP that transports UltraHD/4K60 4:4:4 HDR video, USB, and high-res audio. These can be sent point-to-point up to 394ft. on CAT 6a or 788ft. on a 1G network. Multiple units can be interconnected to form a distribution, switching or matrix system. Also featured are 2-channel stereo analog audio embedding, detailed diagnostics, and third party control system operability on a network.
KVM control and 4K 60Hz 4:4:4 video are easily conveyed up to 330ft. on CAT 6/7 cable with the RGB Spectrum CAT-Linx 3 Plus. Along with embedded multi-channel audio and audio pass through over CATx, the unit provides IR and bidirectional RS-232 control of displays and other AV gear, automatic EDID management, and power-over-CATx. 1080p video can extend up to nearly 500ft.
Digital video converters, scalers, and extenders get most of the press but when it comes to extending and distributing audio the RDL SF-TPS24A line level sender makes its own market. Equipped with eight complete 3-pair format-A outputs, three +4dBu balanced inputs on each section, and an auto-resetting fuse, this audio device can run on a 24VDC power supply using the power jack or the detachable terminal block.
Designed to be used with the company’s VXP-82 presentation switcher and control processor, the RTI VXP-T HDBaseT long range transmitter can go up to 492ft. with HD video, audio, Ethernet, control and KVM signals. In the market of Class B HDBaseT extenders, this one ads versatility with a built-in 10/100Mb Ethernet switch and a choice of stand-alone signal extension for point-to-point communication.
A new signal transmission wonder box is the SmartAVI HFX HDMI 4K ultra-HD signal extender for making long jumps on fiber. Uncompressed HDMI signals can go up to 1,000ft. including 4K@30Hz and 3D HD video. Hot pluggable LC fiber connections enable EMI/RFI resistant, HDCP compliant output at 10.3Gbps with OM3 multimode fiber. This can be used for KVM control, industrial workstation isolation and many other applications.
The Snap One Binary B10-FBR-EXT-18G is a pocket-sized solution for sending uncompressed 4K video up to well over 3000ft. on one multimode fiber cable. Its four HDCP 2.2 compliant HDMI TMDS channels are all run over different wavelengths of light with another two wavelengths for bidirectional communication and control. The system supports all HDR formats, including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.
Once slid into the chassis and configured, the Thinklogical TLX20 video extender can handle a single DisplayPort 1.2 4096×2160/60Hz or a single HDMI 1.4 or 2.0 display signal. It is configurable to support full duplex stereo audio and embedded audio. The audio can be de-embedded at the receiver and the extenders configured for duplex stereo sound can also be set up for either Serial RS-232 or a 10/100/1000 Network operation.
While fiber is a strong distance spanner, it is very delicate inside and the TVOne Magenta Research MG-AOC88A-10 10-meter armored and watertight DisplayPort 1.4 active optical cable is an example of how well protected a fiber signal can be. HD video resolutions up to 8K/60 4:4:4 can be run through harsh environments as far as 328ft. with no compression or latency.
The Vanco HDEX60 takes 1080p high-definition video, audio, IR, and power up to 196ft. on CAT 5e/6 twisted pair and it features an HDMI local loop-out for source monitoring. To keep the signal stable, the transmitter and receiver units automatically adjust with dynamic EDID management. Source control from the display location is enabled through IR pass-through and with PoE, the transmitter power supply can also run the receiver.
To meet the needs of KVM over IP, the Wyrestorm EX-100-KVM-IP handles 4K/30 video on CAT 6. An integrated USB hub conveys USB 2.0 for extension of peripheral devices, making this model perfect for large layouts. Sound capability includes PCM 2.0 / 2.1 / 5.1 / 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1ch, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS 5.1ch, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, and DTS-HD Master Audio.
Capable of reliably extending uncompressed 4K Dolby Vision signals with UHD and DCI video resolutions from source to display, the Zigen OFL-1000 does this job on fiber. Along with providing autonomous EDID management, this device allows bi-directional RS-232 transfer and CEC pass-through. Using a single LC Fiber connector, the unit can reach up to 6560ft. on single mode fiber.
