Hall assembly update

[OLdMan99]

Looking for a solution to our hall av . currently using a clickshare box with a laptop to a ceiling projector NEC PA671Wg.

Clickshare not realy working very well . what alterantive do you use ?

[PotNoodleTech]

We just use a PC hard wired in to projector etc. Anyone wants to show anything, they use that PC and hey presto it just works.

[robintech]

laptop with HDMI going to a Switch box then to projector.

Ours are all PowerPoint so we ask them to share with our [email protected] account , that way we can sign into the laptop with a local account and sign into Desktop PowerPoint with the presenter@ account , open it and run through it 15 minutes before Assembly checking sound, videos all work and the slides click through with the clicker ok.

 

Otherwise they can sign in as themselves and do the same if they feel comfortable

[LeMarchand]

1x laptop> HDMI> wall plate> projector/AV stack. Works OK.

1x laptop> HDMI to VGA adapter + 3.5 audio (due to age of plate)> wall plate> projector/AV stack. You can guess the problems that this causes. Hopefully to be replaced with...

1x dedicated laptop> HDMI> large display screen that is wheeled onto the hall when needed. This works brilliantly.

[BenQ_Chris]

Morning @OLdMan99

 

As far as hall installs go there are two main options cable & wireless.

 

Cables can be VGA (old tech and most new laptops will not support), HDMI (limit of cable run to 7-10m but can be massively extended by using HDMI over LAN), HDBaseT (complete transmission over LAN cable, much longer cable runs but may require either new projector or more specialist equipment).

 

Wireless - In theory, the easiest and simple to implement. You say Clickshare is having issues, what issues are you having? At BenQ we have a few options, with different features but also different transmissions strengths/distances. Our InstaShow WDC10 for example has a maximum distance of 8m from transmitter to receiver. However our newer InstaShow VS10 and VS20 have a maximum distance of 20m. Additionally our transmitters (buttons) as far as the source device is concerned is a monitor, no drivers, no install. You can also manage network channels on our InstaShow products to account for existing network traffic.

 

If you have any further questions please drop me a DM.

[SamanthaD]

IMO do not go wireless. You're already experiencing problems, with an ever increasing density on bandwidth and devices any solution found today will only crop again later. (I've been bitten too many times with wireless where rehearsals etc are fine but then everything goes wrong when there's an audience all with phones on hunting for WiFi!)

 

Take the time and run a cable. Thank me later.

 

Options - Copper HDMI can run to about 7m without equalisation / boosting. There are active HDMI cables that run up to about 20m, if you go this route buy decent quality (Van Damme etc). Also bear in mind that's a direct connection, not a flylead.

 

Conversion is probably best, there are many options such as the generic HDBaseT or manufacturer specific such as Extron's DTP line which take the HDMI and send it down a CatX line - this is not IP data though, just point to point. Some systems (like DTP) are fussy with cable type, but HDBaseT isn't too bad and also works with most projectors (ie plug the CatX straight in without a decoder box!). These solutions can also send power to the other encoder / decoder so you only need to power one end (useful if you use an encoding faceplate then power the receiver by the projector?)

 

Another option is AV over IP, where the HDMI signal is encoded and sent out via IP to a receiver. This can be point to point or part of a bigger system that allows any transmitter to connect to any receiver, very powerful but also can get very complicated quickly! It's also quite expensive and if going over your network requires certain protocols to be in place (IGMP Snooping, Fast Leave enabled etc).

 

This is from experience of around 250 rooms in use daily - most use the DTP system but where the runs are short enough we use the Active Copper HDMI, and get very few failures.

[Rob_D]

Morning @OLdMan99

HDMI (limit of cable run to 7-10m but can be massively extended by using HDMI over LAN), HDBaseT (complete transmission over LAN cable, much longer cable runs but may require either new projector or more specialist equipment).

 

It's been a while since we looked at this. What's the benefit of HDBaseT over direct HDMI to Ethernet?

[BenQ_Chris]

Hi @Rob_D the main benefit of HDBase-T is simplicity & cost. HDMI over IP can run further, more flexible and better 4K capabilities. Overall HDMI over IP is superior, but if you just need a simple point to point solution over a longer distance than standard HDMI (depending on kit max 100m) HDBase-T extender kit may suit.

[Net_Man]

I have the projector and laptop in a mobile rack and send the audio across the hall and into the amp using AudioEngine W3 which has worked for almost 9 years with any problem at all. It cost about £100