The purpose of this guide is to illustrate the various types of professional HDMI extenders on the market, the differences between models, and what to consider for an informed choice, avoiding wasted time and money, in a simple and fast way.

On Oniroview, you will exclusively find Alpha Elettronica brand professional HDMI extenders; all our products come with a 24-month warranty.

 

The extender allows you to extend the maximum distance for transmitting an HDMI signal between a source and a TV using a LAN cable.

HDMI extenders are divided into three categories:

• TDMS 
• Over IP
• HDBaseT

 

In this post, our focus will be on TDMS extenders, the most common and best-selling, whose connection is defined as point-to-point, meaning one transmitter and one receiver. They are suitable for both domestic and commercial use and can transmit an HDMI signal up to 70m.

 

RESOLUTION
The first aspect to consider is the supported resolution, which depends on the source you have. Most sources still transmit at 1080p, but the market offers new products with 4K resolutions, although these are less common.

 

So the question to ask is: at what resolution does my source transmit, 1080p or 4K?
Here you can find professional 1080p extenders and here 4K resolution extenders.

This way you can filter out a wide variety of products, reducing and simplifying your selection.

 

 

DISTANCES
There aren't major differences in distances; almost all extenders reach up to 50m without quality loss. The only requirement is a Cat 6 or higher LAN cable.

 

When choosing a professional HDMI extender, it might be useful to view the video signal where the source itself is located.
In video surveillance, for example, it might be necessary to view images both on the monitor near the DVR and on a second screen connected via the extender.

If you're looking for this feature, what you need is an HDMI extender with a loop-out port.

The loop-out port on the transmitter allows a single device to split the HD signal and transmit it to the receiver.
Here is a selection of extenders with a loop-out port.

 

REMOTE IR CONTROL
If the extender is connected to a decoder like Sky Q, to view the signal in a second room, the extender pair will need infrared support to also transmit the remote control signal, allowing the decoder to be controlled remotely.
In this case, infrared accessories for the remote control will be provided.

 

 

OTHER
Among the secondary aspects to consider is the possibility of connecting USB peripherals for remote computer control. The extender will transmit the HDMI signal and the USB signals for mouse and keyboard.
This function is generally used in commercial settings, presentations, conference rooms, etc.
This specification is indicated by the acronym KVM.