Distributed HD Around the Home

One of the most annoying things we find when working in people homes, is the lack of high definition content being shown around the home.

Most people over the last few years have updated their TV's, especially in space sensitive areas such as the kitchen, bedroom or playrooms to smaller thinner LED TV's. However they are still content to have sub standard 'analogue' pictures shared to these TV's. 

With Sky being easily distributed (well up to September 2013 and the removal of the RF2 socket) on an existing aerial system via an analogue modulated picture which is technology from the mid 90's, it was and is often the easiest thing to do. With people often saying to us "this HD TV doesn't look that good?". The reason is, that the picture isn't being broadcast to the TV in a HD format, its coming across is a truly standard definition format, and not a good one!

So what could be done to maximise the viewing experience in the house, and distribute the high definition experience that we love and pay top price for in the lounge, across the home to the places and areas that with modern day living we are spending more and more time in. 

Its not only a Sky or Virgin box that can be sent around the home, all visual equipment can be sent and shared around the home, from a Blu-Ray player, Apple TV or even a games consoles. 

There are two methods in which you can share HD content around the home, either a split HDMI/Cat6 approach where you split the HDMI output of the source, and then transfer it to the 2nd location. Or via a HD matrix, where any number of different sources go into the matrix and then sent to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc, etc... locations; giving all end locations the choice of any of the input sources, in stunning HD. 

The split HDMI approach is a simple format, where we split the HDMI output of the source you wish to distribute around the home, via an HDMI splitter, then run either an HDMI cable (up to 15m) or a HDMI to Cat5/6 converter which can allow the original source to be up to 100m away in the secondary location. This approach is simpler, requires less material and thus is a cheaper way to distribute HD around the house. The downside is that you only have access to one source, thus meaning the one box is being shared, and different channels, DVD's etc... can't be viewed with this approach, other than having multiple splitters and HDMI/Cat5/6 converters installed.

A matrix approach allows a number of sources or inputs (up to 16 currently) to be seen across a number of locations or outputs, with no location limited to a particular set input. All outputs have the ability to see in high definition (including 4K resolutions), and control; all inputs. 

The best way to be able to see this is via the diagram below which shows exactly what a matrix does.

For more information on the topic of multiroom, distributed HD, please see our webpage on Multi Room AV here, with questions either comment below or drop us a comment on our Facebook here or Tweet Us.