HD Media
Source
Extender
Transmitter
(PoH)
FIGURE 2: Cabling configuration for 5Play and HDBaseT.
20 I ICT TODAY
Extender
Receiver
(PoH)
HD Display
options and control functionality. Also, the projector
with a built-in receiver is not likely to support power
over Ethernet (PoE). Therefore, the HDBaseT transmitter
must be powered separately.
Just as passive AV cables have distance limitations,
older Category cables have limitations too. With 5Play,
transmission of AV signals is possible at speeds of 10.2
Gb/s and a frequency of 300 MHz over one Category
cable. Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
cable specifications for UTP define the frequency capability
for Cat 5e at 100 MHz, Cat 6 at 250 MHz, and Cat
6A at 500 MHz. To determine the capability of different
category channels, cable, and connector types for use
with HDBaseT signal extenders, Leviton conducted
a series of tests using 1080p/60 video sources.
Testing of UTP cable found that Cat 6A was the only
Category-rated cable to consistently deliver reliable signal
performance. Moreover, testing showed that Cat 5e UTP
over Category-rated cable using HDBaseT transmitters
and receivers. It also enables the implementation
of HDBaseT 5Play technology (Figure 2). 5Play offers
five key AV system capabilities:
• Digital audio
• HDMI uncompressed video
• 100 Mb Ethernet
• Power over HDBaseT (PoH)
• RS-232 and IR control signals
To accommodate all five signals without 5Play technology,
three or four different cables would be needed.
When PoH is implemented as a bidirectional solution,
the transmitter and receiver pair can be powered at either
end, which is ideal for environments where power-outlet
locations are limited. PoH can also be used to power
multiple auxiliary devices, such as auto-switching wall-
plates and control panels. HDBaseT PoH transmitter and
receiver pairs typically only draw about 10-15 watts
(usually < 300mA @ 48 VDC). Only half of that wattage
is sent to the opposite end over the Category cable.
It should be noted that there are many different types
of HDBaseT transmission devices on the market today,
and they take on different form factors. For example,
some projectors have HDBaseT receivers built into them.
These built-in receivers may have more limited distance
Most AV applications
will require some form
of signal extension.