by cameron_b on 1/23/2023, 2:34:10 AM
The Crestron NVX family of products seem to check your boxes up there. They are expensive but dependable. I haven’t used this product line personally, but used to install and service their Digital Media family and they are the standard to beat.
One of the key things in your line items that very few products will really manage is the encryption part. Lots of cheaper devices will be able to handle HDCP in one to one or maybe a few, but Crestron has put in the work, and you won’t have trouble with their gear.
https://www.crestron.com/Products/Featured-Solutions/Digital...
by rektide on 1/23/2023, 3:08:17 AM
You seem have very high expectations and I don't think what we have today is going to satisfy you demands.
Over time, I'd hope standards might play a role & "win". OpenScreen Protocol is the only thing I have on the map that is a contender. Right now the only implementation is an experimental sender/receiver. Notably absent from the sole implementation is time-sync. And I'm in any way convinced that this should be a core part of the base protocol; this could well be a next-layer up protocol.
by Per_Bothner on 1/23/2023, 5:54:04 PM
Thanks for the suggestions for Crestron NVX and AV Pro Edge. I did some browsing and saved the recommendations. They seem like possible (if expensive) solutions.
Right now I'm mostly looking ahead. We're doing a major remodel and expansion of our house and I'm trying to plan ahead: What are my options in terms of functionality vs simplicity vs cost. At the very least I will want to run giga-bit Ethernet (or at least conduits) to most bedrooms and livings-rooms to allow for some future possibilities.
by Sinajekim on 1/23/2023, 2:40:47 AM
NVX is basically the product to beat, but good luck actually getting it in your hands as lead times are 16 weeks+.
AV Pro Edge seems to be reliable and more available than NVX.
Requirements:
* Use Cat6 cables between rooms, not HDMI.
* One-to-many - i.e. watch the same program (or listen to the same music) in multiple rooms.
* Forward USB keyboard/mouse. For plain A/V just supporting IR signal forwarding might be OK, but keyboard/mouse forwarding works for A/V and computers.
Strongly desired:
* Should support at least 4K 30Hz.
* Prefer standards, and avoid single-vendor solutions. A single-vendor solution may be acceptable if vendor is solid and well-established.
* Any device with HDMI output (encrypted or not) can be usable as an input (source). This includes sharing a laptop screen.
* Output can be any TV/monitor or A/V receiver or soundbar with HDMI input.
* Be able to share A/V and IP data over the same Cat6 cable.
* Prefer if inputs don't all have to be a single central location. Ideal is that any "satellite" (non-central) location can switched between input and output. However, that may not be realistic.
* Should support at least 2 (and preferably 4) independent distributed "channels". Any output should be able to select any of distributed sources as well as local non-shared sources (like a laptop). It is probably fine to hook up each shared stream and each local device to the HDMI inputs of the monitor/soundbar and use the "input" or "source" on the monitor/soundbar (or remote) to switch.
* Ok if video is compressed or not 100% synchronized, but any lags should be small and hard-to-notice, especially if not all the same.
* Bonus if using WiFi is an option (even if reduced quality).
* CEC pass-though is a plus.
Resources:
I like the concepts of SDVoE (Software Defined Video-over-Ethernet) - https://sdvoe.org/. I like the idea that the central "crossroads" unit is just a fast Ethernet switch. However, it seems very much focused on business rather than residential uses, and requires 10G Ethernet.
HDBaseT doesn't seem quite as elegant, but seems a little more accessible for residential installation.
I also see a number of "HDMI over IP" solutions. Unclear if they adhere to any standards. It's hard to find something that supports both one-to-many and keyboard/mouse forwarding. The former seem to be intended for AV while the latter is more intended for KVM applications. Something that works well for both would be preferable.