Go ahead and invite 200 of your closest friends over for high-def movie night — and tell them to each bring their own TV.
At Milestek, we can make that happen — as well as solutions for far more practical commercial AV needs involving large audiences. Our HDMI over LAN/ethernet IR extender kits can distribute HDMI data to up to 200 receivers, giving you the flexibility and reach needed to accurately tailor your AV setup to your needs.
Here’s why:
HDMI 1.3 is a wonderful technology for the transmission of high-quality, lossless audio data and crystal-clear video content, such as 1080p. But HDMI cables aren’t designed to maintain that extraordinary quality long distances — and long HDMI cables would be prohibitively expensive even if they could.
Instead, our HDMI extender kits let you simultaneously send out an HDMI signal to one or more HDMI displays (like high-def TVs, computer monitors, or projectors). By utilizing the networking power of a standard managed ethernet infrastructure, the HDMI over LAN/ethernet IR extender kits can distribute HD digital A/V content from multiple sources (like Blu-Ray and DVD players, video game consoles, computers, camcorders, etc.) to up to 200 — yes, 200 — displays on a local area network (LAN), using just a single CAT5E/CAT6 cable.
Managed ethernet switches are cascaded up to three levels, which lets HDMI signals travel up to 400 meters (nearly 1,300 ft) without losing top-quality video and audio quality. The switcher also sends an IR control signal back to the source, which maintains the ability to tailor your AV experience from a remote location.
What could you do with that extra 400 meters? Naturally, this setup provides AV solutions to a diverse array of commercial applications, including:
- Digital signage
- Bar and restaurant entertainment
- Corporate training environments
- School communication and information distribution
- Environments where limited space or security is a concern
An important difference with this specific system is that it’s not a HDMI balun, but instead an HDMI-over-IP system. This basically means that you can build your own AV ethernet network. Each receiver will automatically locate the transmitter, without needing to be plugged in.
The kits come with just about everything you need, including a transmitter, a receiver, and AC adapters, as well as a set of IR send-and-receive control cables.
Our HDMI over LAN/ethernet IR extender kits can:
- Connect hundreds of displays to just a single source
- Extend an HDMI signal as much as 400 meters from the original source.
- Expand with the addition of an ethernet hub and extra receivers
- Support up to HDMI v1.3 1080p, including stereo audio
- Operate at 225MHz bandwidth
- Be installed easily and quickly through plug & play technology
- Let you control the system from remote locations through IR
Wall plates keep A/V setups clean, organized, and attractive. Our line of over CAT5E & CAT6 wall plates do that and more, improving the overall look and feel of your setups as well as extending their reach.
For example, take a look at our passive decora wall plate kits for VGA 3.5mm audio, and composite video with stereo audio over CAT5E/CAT6 cables.
Their smart, intuitive design and engineering makes them easily compatible with both computers and regular A/V applications. By utilizing CAT5E/CAT6 cables, A/V signals can be transmitted at much further distances at lower costs, compared to other standard VGA and A/V cables. By running the lines through walls, the wall plate kits keep rooms uncluttered and cable-free. And thanks to shielded casing, the wall plate kits comply with even the most stringent government, school, and commercial requirements — making remote A/V setups easy.
Here’s how they work:
Featuring two CAT5e RJ45 cables, the wall plates can transmit both high-quality stereo and crystal-clear PC VGA audio, as well as composite video and audio. Both the transmitter and the receiver include grounding screws. Altogether, this setup forms an ideal A/V extension solution — especially when a power port is not available.
The wall plate kits include:
- Support for 1280×1024 @60Hz up to 30 meters.
- Local connectors: 1 HD15/3.5mm, 2 RJ45, 3 RCA female
- Remote connectors: 1 HD15/3.5mm, 2 RJ45, 3 RCA female
Tech note: In general, VGA-over-CAT5E/CAT6 devices are engineered to transmit directly from the source device to the displays. You’re likely to be left without a picture if devices like signal processors, connector adapters, switches, or amplifiers are added to the set up. The receiver end of the VGA device/wall plate can also be damaged this way.
Check out our full line of CAT5E and CAT6 wall plates, as well as our entire catalog of wall plate kits, including keystone wall plates, VGA wall plates, and recessed cable wall plates.
Yes, everyone will be focused on the dazzling 1080p high-def brilliance coming from your TV. No, that doesn’t mean they won’t notice all the holes you drilled through your walls in order to connect your HDMI cables.
Our new plug-and-play HDMI wireless extenders make A/V system setup easy and cable-free — without tearing up the walls around your entertainment center.
Boasting performance speeds of 300 Mbps, the wireless capabilities can extend up to 30 meters, while replicating high-definition visuals flawlessly. The extenders also feature full digital and analog audio support at transmission.
Unlike many other HDMI wireless devices, our extenders can transmit source signals through walls, which you don’t need to rely on direct line-of-sight for the connections to maintain top quality. Instead, you can set up the A/V system that best fits your needs, and design viewing rooms around comfort and ease instead.
This, of course, is ideal for multi-room installations. Imagine the possibilities:
- Restaurants, bars, or clubs with multiple TVs
- Sports viewing parties
- Art displays
- Trade show demonstrations
- Training centers
- Divided office environments
- Temporary setups where permanent drilling marks are undesirable
- Homes with antique or non-drillable walls
It’s all made possible by cutting-edge technology that is bursting with new features, including:
- Auto-tracing, thanks to a smart antenna
- Real-time, visually lossless HD compression
- Indoor transmission extension up to 30 meters (98 feet)
- Full compliance with IEEE802.11n draft 2.0 and IEEE 802.11-a standards
- Compatibility with HDMI- and wireless-compliant devices
- Compatibility with HDCP 1.1/1.2-compliant devices
In other words, the wireless HDMI extenders makes it simpler to customize your AV system around your unique needs. The units are small, sleek, and attractive, and represent the future of plug-and-play AV devices.
Take a look at our full catalog of HDMI extenders for more information.
More flexibility. More capabilities. Less expensive. Meet our new (deep breath) HDMI over dual CAT5E/CAT6 4X4 matrix switcher-and-receiver sets. It’s a mouthful—but the sets are bursting with new capabilities that can vastly improve your AV setup.
Let’s take a look:
In general, running HDMI distribution over CAT5E and CAT6 cables is a great way to hold down costs and give AV systems the flexibility needed to meet their customers needs (without, of course, sacrificing the high quality that comes with HDMI). They’re ideal for any environment where multiple AV displays come in handy, like corporate training sessions and trade shows. And while HDMI cables provide extraordinary signal clarity, they’re more expensive than CAT5E/CAT6 cables, and cannot maintain high quality over long distances (usually around 50 feet).
Instead, running HDMI signals through, say, one of our single CAT5E/CAT6 splitters and receivers can extend a signal up to 164 feet to as many as eight different HDTV displays. Imagine the possibilities.
Our new dual switcher/receiver sets simply expand these improved capabilities. Boasting unmatched flexibility, the new switcher/receiver sets can connect high-def AV signals from any of four HDMI sources (like blu-ray players, computers, video game systems, etc.) to any of four remote displays. All you need is a single HDMI cable, or two CAT5E/CAT6 cables.
The sets are full of new features, including:
- The sets allow any HDMI display to view any HDMI source at any time
- Any HDMI source can now be displayed on multiple HDMI displays — at the same time
- The 4×4 matrix switch includes: four HDMI inputs and four single HDMI or double CAT 5e/CAT 6 outputs (although only one output format can be used at any one time)
- The receiver units include: One HDMI Output and two CAT 5e/CAT 6 inputs (four receivers Total)
- A vast transmission range, including:
- 40 meters (130 feet) of 1080p resolution when used with (2) CAT5E/CAT6 outputs
- 15 meters (50 feet) of 1080p resolution when used with HDMI output
- Each input includes an infrared emitter, enabling remote-control access of the source device
- Display inputs can be switched using the included IR remote control, as well as through RS232
- Support for high-def resolutions at 1080p high-def resolution.
In other words, they make extraordinary technology even more useful. Check out our complete line of HDMI extenders for more information.
Last week we highlighted some of the benefits of our triax cable systems, compared to twinax cable systems. But it’s also important to understand how they connect to the big picture, and how they can work together with the help of triax patch panels.
If you’re unfamiliar with patch panels, think about a telephone switchboard: one cable connects the operator to the switchboard, a mass of cables connect the board to the community (“Let me patch you through.”).
Patch panels make it easy for technicians to quickly and easily redirect a signal path, without needing a bunch of dedicated switching equipment. And they add flexibility and organization, making it easy to test signals and optimize the cable system.
These days, you’ll see patchbays in any setting where you have a wide variety of A/V inputs and outputs (microphones, cameras, instruments, sound equipment, soundboards, amps, etc.) that need to be organized and controlled in order to get the desired output, like recording studios. Instead of wasting time organizing cords or installing a temporary set of cables each time the band sets, a good set of patch panels simply make it easier to plug in to permanent cables, get right to work and start making music.
Since triaxial cable systems are most often used for visual applications like camera-CCU connections, triax patch panels come in handy anywhere commonly used for filming. This includes TV or movie studios, of course, but also places like sports arenas and government buildings that are common spots for news crews. Triax patchbays make it easy for TV crews to plug in to permanent triax cables, stay connected to their truck outside, and start shooting—without having to wire in a massive network of cables throughout the building.
We provide multiple patch panels and accessories, including:
• TRB and BNC distribution panels
• Standard and subminiature patch panels
• Cable assemblies and looping plugs
• Racks, cabinets and shelving
… plus a full catalog of patching accessories, including:
• Standard twinax/triax patching
• Front-loading modular panels
• Subminiature twinax/triax patching
• Standard twinax/triax looping plugs
• Subminiature twinax/triax looping plugs
• Standard coax patching
Twinax Cables
Basically, twinaxial cables feature a two-conductor twisted balanced wire line and a specific impedance (at MilesTek, we provide both 78-ohm and 124-ohm twinax cables and accessories), plus a shielding braid around both wires. They’re similar are similar to coaxial cables, but, of course, with two inner conductors instead of one.
This construction matters for a couple reasons:
- It lowers cable losses.
- It provides protection against ground loops and capacitive fields.
- By using more copper wire in a more tightly-weaved braid, it improves coverage to 90 percent (triax cables also benefit from this design).
- It protects against low-frequency magnetic noise that passes through the copper braid.
- By twisting the two balanced-signal-carrying wires, it makes it possible to cancel any random induced noise voltage pickup.
- With two dielectric fillers under the braid, it allows the the signal pair to be separated away from the braid, lowering the leakage capacitance to ground.
As a result, twinax cables are a cost-efficient, effective option for short-range, high-speed differential signaling applications. However, the cables begin to lose their effectiveness around 15 MHz, after which transmission losses begin to increase. Therefore, they’re best suited for low-frequency digital and video distribution systems like connecting MIL-STD-1553 bus and stub devices.
Triax Cable
Triaxial cables are essentially coaxial cables with an added outer copper braid (basically, a shield), which is insulated from the signal-carrying conductors. The shield is grounded and passes both ground loop and capacitive field noise currents away from the signal-carrying coax.
Triax cabling can also be used in “driven shield” applications, where the inner conductor and the first braid are driven in parallel at the transmitting end, and work against the outer braid that’s insulated above ground. The inner braid is left floating at the receiving end, providing a sort of “Faraday shield” (which protects the internal conductors from electrical noise) between the inner conductor and outer braid.
This design is full of benefits, including:
- Bandwidth and rejection of interference are increased.
- The extra outer copper braid acts as a shield, protecting the enclosed coax conductors.
- The grounded “shield” significantly improves signal-to-noise ratio (compared to, say, a standard coax cable).
- The “Faraday” shield, significantly reduced the cable’s distributed capacitance.
- Cable losses and loading are also reduced.
Triax cables are effective for a broad range of applications, including high-frequency transducer data systems and precision low-current measurements. Also, the outer braids are useful as a low-impedence transmission line.
Both of these solutions are available in MileseTek’s new Mil-Aero/RF Interconnect Solutions catalog.
Our BNC plugs are easy to use, effective, and constructed from the highest-quality material. Let’s review how they work:
How do BNC connectors work?
BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman) RF connectors make it easy to connect coaxial cables with radio-frequency equipment like radios and TVs, composite video on commercial video devices, and ethernet networks. The amount of ohms indicated basically measures electrical impedance along the coaxial cable.
They’re easy to install with a simple “snap and lock” mechanism, which ensures a high-quality connection. They arrive tested to 3 GHz. And they come in handy when you need to combine them with, say, an RCA connector on the end of the coaxial cable.
All of our BNC connectors are machined from virgin brass (in accordance with MIL-C39012) and plated with bright nickels, unlike less reliable connectors made from cheaper die cast bodies.
So what’s different?
Physically, the main differences can be found in the center pins and dialectric insulators. 75-ohm BNC connectors feature Teflon as a dialectric, and surround the outer spring fingers with air. Its center pin maintains a consistent diameter in both the front and rear areas (this is important—read on to find out why). 50-ohm connectors, on the other hand, use Delrin to surround the spring fingers, and its center pin is larger in the crimp area. You’ll need different crimp tools for each type of center pin.
What’s the difference in functionality?
Both connectors can mate without damage, but you can’t really mix and match and expect to get the same video quality. For example, if you installed a traditional 50-ohm BNC connector on a 75-ohm coaxial video cable, the digital signal would be significantly distorted.
Basically, 50-ohm BNC connectors are used for older analog video applications. But for higher performance A/V applications like HDTVs, 75-ohm BNC devices are necessary. 75-ohm BNC connectors can, however, be used for analog purposes.
(Tip: The center pin MUST have the same diameter in the crimp area as the mating area in order to have true 75-ohm impedance. If a connector claims to be 75-ohm but doesn’t have a consistent pin length, it’s an inferior product that won’t give you what you need.)
Some BNCs have enclosed beryllium copper spring fingers. Is this necessary?
Unless you’re expecting your BNC connector to be subject lots of abuse (like the need for thousands of matings, or foreign objects poking into the connector interface), there’s no need for this design.
How does your cable pull strength stack up?
Our BNC plugs feature a diamond knurling for maximum cable retention. After testing thousands of cable assemblies, our BNCs recorded a pull-test performance of 49.3 inch lbs. on the 735A cable—unparalleled strength and durability. The industry minimum is just 30 lbs.
Is there anything else I need?
We can provide just about anything you need to install BNC connectors, including 75-ohm pin crimpers, universal BNC termination kits, analog video kits, center conductor trimmers, Corex coax strippers, clothespin strippers, and universal crimpers.
CAT5e? CAT-5e? CAT 5-E? To dash or not to dash or where to dash? Don’t worry about it.
We’ve upgraded our site’s search capabilities to handle queries however they may be typed, which means its much, much easier to find the product or information you need. Because (shameless boast coming), when you’ve got a comprehensive catalog bursting with connectivity solutions like ours, the ability to find what you need without drowning in a sea of cable assemblies, connectors, and A/V devices is key.
The upgraded search box can now handle just about any part number or keyword, regardless of how its typed. For example, you’ll see CAT5 and CAT6 cable solutions spelled in just about every possible way (more often than not, there won’t be a commonly accepted standard for these sorts of things). Enter any of the terms, and you’ll be able find all the CAT5e cables, splitters, extenders and receivers, and other accessories we provide.
Furthermore, we’ve added a slew if increased options and features that make easier to drill down within a particular search category, and find more specific products or information. For example, if you search for “coaxial connectors” (which returns 217 results—everything from 7-16 DIN connectors to BNC/RCA termination kits), you’d still have to wade through 25 pages full of relevant products. But if you customize your search by price, category, manufacturer, or department, you can quickly pare down the results and find what you need.
Don’t forget about our product wizards for adapters and cable assemblies either — both of which can quickly direct you to the right product page.
Give us a call if you ever can’t quite find a specific product (or if you’re unsure of which product is best for a job anyway)— we’ll get you set up in no time.
Installing HDMI over CAT5E/CAT6 is a great way to boost your entertainment setup. In fact, our HDMI Over Single CAT5E/CAT6 Splitters and Receivers can extend an HDMI signal up to 164 feet (and split it out to up to eight separate HDTVs).
But let’s say you get it all set up, and that Avatar DVD just isn’t as showing up as visually riveting as you’d expected.
The problem probably lies in the source settings. Most HD source devices (like DVD players, cable/satellite boxes, or gaming consoles like Playstation 3 and XBox 360) come preset to “auto-detect” the picture resolution. If you were connecting them directly to the display (your TV), it would do exactly that.
But if you introduce another device in the channel—like, say, our HDMI over CAT5E/CAT6 baluns, some sources won’t know exactly which resolution they’re supposed to “auto-detect,” and need to be manually set the proper resolution.
Here’s how to do that:
1. Find your source’s remote control (sometimes the toughest part of any HD experience).
2. Go to the settings section, and find the resolution or video output setting it.
3. If it’s currently set to something like “auto-detect.” Shame the source for failing to do so.
4. Manually switch to the resolution you’re expecting, like 1080p, 1080i, 720p, etc. This should solve most picture compatibility issues.
5. Resume watching (this time in the pristine high-definition those blue aliens deserve).
As amazing as technology is these days, it doesn’t always work as flawlessly as we’ve come to expect and demand. But there’s usually an easy fix available.
Contact us if you’re ever having problems—we’ll make troubleshooting easy.
Precision Test Cables
We provide high-quality coaxial cables that are both tough enough to last for as long as you’ll need them, and flexible enough to perform customized, mission-specific tests…without sacrificing performance. And at MilesTek our precision test cables can perform up to a full range of frequencies, including 18 GHz, 26.5 GHz, 40 GHz, 50 GHz, and 65 GHz.
These cables include triple-shielding for reduced RF leakage, and tough, rugged construction that makes them durable over multiple mating cycles. We offer both semi-rigid cables, and PRECISION-150, PRECISION-098, and PRECISION-095 cables that come with increased flexibility. In other words, they’ll work for you—not the other way around.
We can even get you custom lengths. Contact us for custom ordering information.
Non-Magnetic Precision Cables
The PRECISION-165 cable is designed for high isolation and stability under the most demanding conditions. The non-magnetic construction is ideal for, say, MRI applications, and boast a fused laminated PTFE core.
The result is unmatched durability, and shielding characteristics that set the industry standard in flexible cables. They’re flexible, but without sacrificing durability — thanks to a ruggedized, passivated stainless steel design. And electrical performance can handle vibrations and environmental exposure with ease.
Testing Equipment
Thorough planning, testing, and quality assurance can end up saving you money over the long run. From our headquarters in Denton, Texas, we can provide a full line of the testing tools and kits you need to ensure fault-less installation and make sure the job is done right the first time.
This includes A/V testers like AV cable testers, video isolation transformers and XLR cable tester pairs, electrical testers like high-end circuit testers and multi-meters, toners and probes, and telephone butt-sets. Our network cable testers include electricians and cable installers who can quickly diagnose problems with cables, at distances of up to 2,500 feet. That human element can make the save you from enormous headaches, system failures, and cost-overruns—and we only hire the best.
