Gefen DVI/Audio Extender kit

For people with large houses or ones in which impediments block wireless signals, there are few options concerning where you can place your A/V gear. Gefen has come up with a (rather expensive) solution to this problem, in the form of their new DVI and Audio Extender, which allows HD video and digital or analog audio to be piped up to 150 feet away from the source components. The system consists of both a transmitting and receiving unit that are connected together with CAT-5 cables (not included), and is compatible with DVI, HDMI, optical, digital coax, and stereo inputs/outputs. The kit is currently available for pre-order, and will set you back a cool $650.

[Via I4U News]

[Lee @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Engadget sold to AOL??? I can't believe it!! Now you're going to be part of the establishment. There goes the smarmy comments we all have come to love and expect -

[nial @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Because Ethernet has enough bandwidth for all that data.

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Uh oh, how can I be sure any of my new DRM'd movies and music will actually work on this thing?

[Truth @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

As if this wasn�t the most establishment esque blogsphere to begin with; looks like you can just skip the 5-Series and go right to the 7- Series. Congrats.

[Lectoid @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Because Ethernet has enough bandwidth for all that data.


I am guessing this doesn't user "Ethernet". It's probably just using the wires and cat5 because it's cheaper per foot. Also since it most likely isn't using TCP/IP protocols, it can exceed the 100MB/s.

I don't know what kind of speeds those signals require, but since I can stream video/sound over the internet at T1 speeds, I am guessing this won't be sweating with at least 6 times that available bandwidth.

[ch424 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Lectoid (#5) is correct -- keene make a similar system which supports two analogue video channels and three stero analogue sound channels all over one CAT5 cable. It certainly isn't Ethernet though.

ch424

[Tony Brown @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

so, how do you control whatever is so far away?
ie: media pc/dvd player/hi-def dish?

[quis @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

why has no-one yet commented how ugly-as-sin that things is. you'd have thunk that for $600+ they could have made it something other than an eyesore. and why the ex tend it? stuff like that drives me nuts. maybe i need to step away from the computer for a while...

[Noodleboy @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

This is a great solution for those with projectors or who have their source gear in a rack some distance from their plasma or rptv. long-run DVI cables are very expensive, and you can only get 50' or so.

[Old Number 7 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

I believe they use these for lecture hall projectors that are mounted on the ceiling far away from the components.

[kk131 @ Dec 19th 2005 2:37AM]

Seems something like this http://www.neuston.com/en/mc500.asp makes a lot more sense; or am I missing something?