40 foot HDMI Cable??

BaggedLancer

Well, my sister, husband, and 2 kids are in the process of somewhat renovating their house they just signed papers on today(wednesday) and are looking to install an LCD over the fireplace. However, where they want to put all the equipment and cable box will need cables to be about 35-40 feet in length since they will run down into the basement, over to the other side of the room and up through the floor.

Now the dilemma, is it possible to get cables this long, and what kind of sacrifices in PQ is she looking at because of such long cables? Running it through the wall/ceiling is not an option since neither will be torn down.

On top of helping renovate the kitchen and bathrooms they want me to do the installation since they like how mine looks/sounds so I figured I'd ask the forum experts their opinions on running wires over this length. Also, the tv has 2 HDMI inputs so I plan on running 2 wires in case they decide to add the HD dvd player later. Will any interference be cause by putting the cables together and using zip ties to hold them?

I know it's alot of questions but I don't want to leave them disappointed since they are spending alot on the house and alot on the video/sound system, don't want to leave them disappointed.

As always, Thanks.

Mark

wallstreet

I would only run one wire and use an AVR that offered HDMI switching. One cable is going to cost an arm and a leg, so invest what you would have paid for the second cable in a nice new AVR. As far as digital signals and long runs, it either works, or it doesn't. But before I bought a 40ft HDMI cable, I would make sure I knew the return policy. Let me know how it turns out because I'm in the same boat. I'm going to have at least a 30ft run to the projector from the front of the room where my equipment is located.

BaggedLancer

probably going to go with the cobalt cable HDMI cable, $150

What other cables would you run with the HDMI, couple sets of composite cables as well?(i know atleast 1, but maybe 2 or 3?)


They are going to make the final decision tomorrow on where to put the equipment and I'll be there first thing in the morning to demo their bathrooms.

Gonna be a good day for me, not everyday you get to smash things with sledgehammers and vent any frustrations!

greibo1

I ran a 35ft hdmi cable and the pq is great! I used the 22AWG from monoprice.com, $52. They have a 50ft for $67. Pretty big cable, somewhat tricky to route behind walls but I wanted the heaviest gauge I could find to minimize the signal loss/degradation. Since you are starting from a clean slate routing shouldn't be an issue. I ran a single cable to the tv and ran it to a Yamaha rxv1600 AVR which then passes all video signals, analog and digital, through that one HDMI cable. That way I didn't have to figure out what components I was going to have before hand. Now I have a HD CATV(component), HD DVD(HDMI), and PC (HDMI) running through the AVR.

McLoki

Blue Jeans cable is always an option (although based just on price (have not used or seen their cables) - monoprice is hard to beat).

BJC Series-2 HDMI Cables:

• 10 foot HDMI Cable 27.50
• 12 foot HDMI Cable 31.50
• 15 foot HDMI Cable 36.50
• 20 foot HDMI Cable 43.25
• 25 foot HDMI Cable 51.75
• 30 foot HDMI Cable 60.50
• 35 foot HDMI Cable 69.00
• 40 foot HDMI Cable 77.50
• 45 foot HDMI Cable 86.00
• 50 foot HDMI Cable 96.00

Good luck with it.

Michael

polktiger

Why over the fireplace? I know a lot of home decorating mags have that shown, but when seated, do they really want to look up at their TV all the time? I much prefer a TV at eye level, when seated. Have them place the TV on their mantle for a couple days to see if they really like it. Since they are renovating, have them take their time and make sure the changes they make are really what they want. We are close to finishing our remodel job, and it took some time (5 months), but we plan to be in this house 15 to 20 years, so we wanted to make sure that things were exactly as we want them.

Sorry, not exactly an answer to your question, but I would have them make sure that over the fire place is really where they want a TV before figuring out where to get the cable.

VSchneider

BaggedLancer wrote:

What other cables would you run with the HDMI, couple sets of composite cables as well?(i know atleast 1, but maybe 2 or 3?

This may be a great idea to do while you are opening walls (component + stereo AV), but you are almosst guaranteed to lose some quality at 40 ft run. Also, while digital cables are relatively cheap, long analog cables - these will have to be of the highest quality you can afford - will definitely cost you.

Also, a very good idea may be to TEST all interconnections before you make the final wiring decision. Connect as much equipment as possible before mounting stuff in the final locations and burying wires. This is where some people get very burned. Everything may look good on paper, but there may be some gotchas and small conflicts that are easier to resolve before it is too late. In the end you may find out you needed just one other cable to make a good setup even better and more flexible.

Good luck!

Val

Lowell_M

polktiger wrote:

Why over the fireplace? I know a lot of home decorating mags have that shown, but when seated, do they really want to look up at their TV all the time? I much prefer a TV at eye level, when seated. Have them place the TV on their mantle for a couple days to see if they really like it. Since they are renovating, have them take their time and make sure the changes they make are really what they want. We are close to finishing our remodel job, and it took some time (5 months), but we plan to be in this house 15 to 20 years, so we wanted to make sure that things were exactly as we want them.

Sorry, not exactly an answer to your question, but I would have them make sure that over the fire place is really where they want a TV before figuring out where to get the cable.

I mounted a 37" LCD over my fireplace a few weeks ago. This is not my main HT system, but the TV for my living room. I wasn't too certain about having the TV there for viewing comfort. After a few weeks of use, though, I think it is great. It is on the wall and out of the way. There is more room for seating and the room is opened up because we are using the same wall for the TV and the fireplace rather than using up 2 walls.

As or viewing angle. I have found it to be a rather comfortable angle to view TV. I wouldn't make it preference for HT, but for everyday TV watching it is quite comfortable.

Sami

a_mattison wrote:

As or viewing angle. I have found it to be a rather comfortable angle to view TV. I wouldn't make it preference for HT, but for everyday TV watching it is quite comfortable.

I had hard time finding a TV stand that was high enough, and not too high. I ended up using an audio rack to support my 61" DLP. It's a little lower than my fireplace and it's about the perfect level. I hate the setups where it's at eye level as that is hard on your neck, especially if you are on a recliner.

PolkWannabie

As far as viewing comfort of putting DLP's on a Video or A / V racks goes, it seems to be a function of a variety of things ...

- How big the TV is
- How tall the rack is
- How much extra unviewable space there is at the bottom of the TV
- Seating type
- Distance from TV to seating area

Personally I wouldn't want a TV ( Even a Plasma or LCD ) above the fireplace mantle as that would be way to high for me ... But above a two or three shelf stand seems to work well ...

BaggedLancer

went with the 33 foot cables from cobalt cable. Got 1 33 foot HDMI/HDMI and 1 33 foot Composite. Digital Coax is a great cable but my sister has very basic equipment and really has no need/interest in upgrading.

Scott from Cobalt cable was a tremendous help and is overnighting us the cables. I made this decision based off numerous suggestions on this forum, and im sure based on knowledge here I won't(and my sister most of all) be disappointed.

As far as why a TV over the fireplace? To be honest, the room is too small and there is no other place to put a TV(last owner didnt even have one!). The fireplace is very low, ground level. There is no ledge below the fireplace so therefore the mantle above is also low, putting the TV low as well so the viewing angle is not bad at all.