Most stable way to connect laptop to projector over 150ft away?

[Shaun Jay]

Hello everyone,

What would be the most stable and reliable way to connect a laptop to a projector's HDMI input that is over 150 ft away?

For instance, I prefer to keep my QLab laptop offstage in the wings, but if the A/V booth is all the way at front of house (in this case 150ft away from the stage or greater), what would be your best suggestion of a STABLE and RELIABLE way to keep things connected.

Asking because I've used several different HDMI extenders already with inconsistent results. I'm referring to those transmitter and receiver boxes connected by an ethernet cord that can accept HDMI in and out on the other end.

Feel free to list any suggested hardware and/or software that can make this possible.

Thanks!

[christopher....@gmail.com]

A good HDMI over Ethernet is the best way I’ve found. Just be careful about introducing routers or switches. A straight run of Cat 6 should get you more than what you need. 

I’ve also used HDMIs w inline signal amps. These can work. Remember most are unidirectional so you have to pay attention to the arrows and put your source and destination on the correct end of the cable. 

Could use NDI but that introduces lots of unnecessary possible problems to just get signal to one projector. I’d save that for a system that needs much more flexibility. 

Chris

Sent from my iPhone

On May 2, 2025, at 12:08 PM, Shaun Jay <shaunja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello everyone,

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[Shaun Jay]

That's exactly what I tried. An HDMI extender. Didn't work consistently.

I've heard that SDI (coax) is more consistent. Have any experience with Blackmagic SDI converter boxes that take coax/SDI to HDMI?

[Mike Post]

Hi there,

Do you know what resolution your laptop is sending?  If it’s Hi-Def (1920x1080) I would expect the Cat 6 boxes should work.  But if it’s higher than that it could be problematic.

Just to check - are you using at least Cat 5e ethernet cable?  Plain Cat 5 gets spotty over longer distances.  I normally go with Cat 6.

Outside that, I’ve gone to SDI cable and converters and am running 300 feet reliable at Hi-Def.  My Black Magic converters are 12G with the hope that I can move to 4K projection eventually, but I’ve run 3G for Hi-Def just fine.  The cable is challenging to work with, but it’s a solid connection.

Last thing to mention is how you’re getting HDMI out of the laptop.  If you are going through an adapter from USB, you want one that’s active.  It took me a while to nail this down, but I’m using a Cal-Digit hub (Thanks Sam!) which gives me two HDMI outputs and solved all my issues.

Mike Post
mdpost...@gmail.com

http://mdpostdesign.com

[Sam Kusnetz]

I like the HDBaseT extenders made by Altona and Aja.

 

If you are using broadcast-compatible resolutions then any HDMI to SDI adapter will do very nicely. I like Blackmagic and Aja particularly.

 

Best

Sam

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[Shaun Jay]

was sending 1920x1080, I even changed my display settings down to 1920x1080 and any videos or photos were 1920x1080.

Was using Cat6 eth cable on an HDBaseT extender (different brand than Altona or Aja).

Still didn't work with Hitachi Projector in theater. Kept saying "input not found" after it working flawlessly the day before.

Definitely going to switch to SDI as I keep hearing that it's more reliable.

[Shaun Jay]

Yep, seems like SDI is the winner here.

What's your opinion on fiber optic cables since they can run any length to infinity?

[Shaun Jay]

Yes, I'm using a USB-C to dual HDMI adaptor made by DisplayLink.

It helped a lot and was definitely on the whole time. Pretty sure it was the HDBaseT extender that was giving me the issue.

[Maximilian Harleß]

If you have a second Laptop maybe ndi via OBS and Network ist an Option for you ( 10ms latency) 

Greetings 

Blindeye

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[Jumpcut Jeff]

Another big ol' thumbs up for SDI! Occasionally, you get lucky and the venue will already have a run from booth to backstage (both for SDI and Cat 6). Other times, bring the knee pads! :) 

My setup usually includes: Macbook Pro (HDMI out) > video switcher (HDMI out) > Blackmagic: BiDirectional SDI/HDMI 3G converter (HDMI out to extractor, SDI out) > audio extractor with HDMI passthrough (audio out to house mixer) + SDI cable run > Blackmagic: BiDirectional SDI/HDMI 3G converter (SDI in, SDI or HDMI out) > projector 

Why a BM converter after the switcher vs going straight to extractor? Depending on your switcher, sometimes the signal isn't solid/reliable...even if the switcher claims to have dedicated HDMI channels. The Blackmagic strips all "communication" on the HDMI signal from switcher. For me, this provides a more dependable signal chain. 

I have gotten lucky with HDMI extenders in the past, as long as the cable run was under 200'. BUT, through testing is key. If audio sync is important, you must find a "zero-ish" latency extender. Believe it or don't, I had success with a $25 VPFET HDMI Cat 6 Extender (on Amazon). I wouldn't push my luck with more than 150' on that one, though. 

[Mike Post]

I don’t have direct experience, but there’s been several messages in this forum talking about Displaylink being trouble.  Maybe someone else can weigh in.

Mike Post
Production Manager
The Lost Colony
mdpost...@gmail.com

On May 2, 2025, at 10:58 AM, Shaun Jay <shaunja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, I'm using a USB-C to dual HDMI adaptor made by DisplayLink.

It helped a lot and was definitely on the whole time. Pretty sure it was the HDBaseT extender that was giving me the issue.

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[MVLCT AudioVisual]

I just finished a show where we used NDI.

Mac/QLab------WiFI Router---------<100 ft of CAT7>--------------PC--------<HDMI>----------Projector

This worked well.  The only issue that we had was that video fades were not as smooth as I had hoped.  But, they worked well enough that I didn't take the time to investigate further.  

Len Struttmann

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[Sam Kusnetz]

Hi all

 

USB DisplayLink video devices are very, very much not recommended. They often work at first, but have a higher failure rate than other types of video adapters and have a rather amazing ability to work perfectly for months and only fail when someone whose opinion you care about happens to be in the room.

 

For long video signal runs, SDI is the absolute best. SDI only supports broadcast resolutions such as 1920x1080, and notably NOT 1920x1200 which is a fairly common projector resolution.

 

High quality HDBaseT adapters are also great. I like Altona and AJA. Cheap HDBaseT adapters are also available; your mileage will vary.

 

HDMI fiber optic cables are usually pretty good but can be expensive and somewhat delicate.

 

NDI is excellent but inherently has higher latency than other video transmission methods, and requires a high performing, well managed network. NDI over WiFi usually can work but, again, you need a very good WiFi network if you’re planning to rely on it.

 

Good luck out there!

 

Sam

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[Shaun Jay]

Ok good to know about DisplayLink! What hardware would you recommend instead?

What I'm trying to do is get another 1-2 HDMI inputs for my MacBook Pro (M2 Chipset). I need the other HDMI for a live camera feed set as camera cues in QLab.

Ok so many other reasons and recommendations  for SDI then I'm definitely going to go that route. 

Even though most projectors are 1920x1200, can't you just do a warp on the stage set for the projector to make things fit or are you saying just anything feeding content to the projector that is set at 1920x1080 will cause problems?

Yeah, I'm scared of HDBaseT after my sketchy experience so I'm definitely going to skip that and do SDI from now on.

Not doing NDI due to the latency and relying on a well managed network. 

[Sam Kusnetz]

Ok good to know about DisplayLink! What hardware would you recommend instead?

I don’t think I understand you here… I recommend all the other stuff I talked about!

 

What I'm trying to do is get another 1-2 HDMI inputs for my MacBook Pro (M2 Chipset). I need the other HDMI for a live camera feed set as camera cues in QLab.

Wait, have we been talking about inputs this whole time? I thought your question was about outputs from the Mac to projectors?

 

For QLab-compatible HDMI video input, use Blackmagic Designs UltraStudio Mini Recorders or any other Blackmagic Decklink device that fits your needs. I’ve done two Mini Recorders for two camera inputs before, no problem.

 

Ok so many other reasons and recommendations  for SDI then I'm definitely going to go that route.
Even though most projectors are 1920x1200, can't you just do a warp on the stage set for the projector to make things fit or are you saying just anything feeding content to the projector that is set at 1920x1080 will cause problems?

SDI cannot pass a 1920x1200 signal at all. You need to switch the projector to 1920x1080 and just sacrifice some vertical pixels. Some cheaper projectors cannot be switched into true 1920x1080 mode, and those won’t work with SDI converters.

 

Yeah, I'm scared of HDBaseT after my sketchy experience so I'm definitely going to skip that and do SDI from now on.

Respectfully, I think that’s not the right takeaway.  You should definitely avoid sketchy, cheap HDBaseT adapters, but there are well made ones that are quite trustworthy. I’ve had a set made by Altona that’s worked perfectly for about a decade. AJA makes good ones too.

 

Best

Sam 

[Shaun Jay]

Ok good to know about DisplayLink! What hardware would you recommend instead?

I don’t think I understand you here… I recommend all the other stuff I talked about!

 

What I'm trying to do is get another 1-2 HDMI inputs for my MacBook Pro (M2 Chipset). I need the other HDMI for a live camera feed set as camera cues in QLab.

Wait, have we been talking about inputs this whole time? I thought your question was about outputs from the Mac to projectors?

***Maybe I'm not describing it correctly. What I'm trying to do is have an HDMI going into the Mac for the wireless receiver for my live camera feed AND have an HDMI output that goes to the projector over 150ft away***

 

For QLab-compatible HDMI video input, use Blackmagic Designs UltraStudio Mini Recorders or any other Blackmagic Decklink device that fits your needs. I’ve done two Mini Recorders for two camera inputs before, no problem.

***OK yes, this is the kind of hardware I'm referring to 👍. These are basically BlackMagic's version of "video capture cards" correct? ***

 

Ok so many other reasons and recommendations  for SDI then I'm definitely going to go that route.
Even though most projectors are 1920x1200, can't you just do a warp on the stage set for the projector to make things fit or are you saying just anything feeding content to the projector that is set at 1920x1080 will cause problems?

SDI cannot pass a 1920x1200 signal at all. You need to switch the projector to 1920x1080 and just sacrifice some vertical pixels. Some cheaper projectors cannot be switched into true 1920x1080 mode, and those won’t work with SDI converters

***Understood, I don't mind sacrificing vertical pixels. Hmmm so what to do if I get to a venue that cannot switch to true 1920x1080 mode? Assuming it's the older outdated ones that have that issue?***

 

Yeah, I'm scared of HDBaseT after my sketchy experience so I'm definitely going to skip that and do SDI from now on.

Respectfully, I think that’s not the right takeaway.  You should definitely avoid sketchy, cheap HDBaseT adapters, but there are well made ones that are quite trustworthy. I’ve had a set made by Altona that’s worked perfectly for about a decade. AJA makes good ones too

***Ok maybe I'll have it as a backup. The brand I was using before was this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L8HJFLS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title...Strangely, it worked perfectly fine when I switched it around to extend my TV monitor instead of the projector. As soon as I plugged it into projector, the projector kept randomly cutting out and saying "No Input Found", then it would cut back on showing the media. It would continue to randomly go back and forth between the cut-outs and showing media. Maybe the brand is garbage then?

 

[Pieter Nys]

Hi all,

SDI is absolutely the best solution BUT....   take care!

Check your signal:

1080p or 1080i is a huge difference. (1080i refers to interlaced scan and 1080p refers to progressive scan)

for 1080p (highest frequentie) you need 3G converters and 3G SDI cable.  So a normal SDI cable or coax won't work over a long distance.

So if your Mac can run 1080i, use this format!  For a projection, you won't see the difference.

The problem is the new Mac's.  They can't send out 1080i any more.  So use a scaler like a Decimator and downscale to 1080i to be shure.

Greetings,

Pieter Nys

pie...@pnpbv.com

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Op zo 4 mei 2025 om 02:03 schreef Shaun Jay <shaunja...@gmail.com>:

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[Sam Kusnetz]

For QLab-compatible HDMI video input, use Blackmagic Designs UltraStudio Mini Recorders or any other Blackmagic Decklink device that fits your needs. I’ve done two Mini Recorders for two camera inputs before, no problem.

***OK yes, this is the kind of hardware I'm referring to 👍. These are basically BlackMagic's version of "video capture cards" correct? ***

Correct.

SDI cannot pass a 1920x1200 signal at all. You need to switch the projector to 1920x1080 and just sacrifice some vertical pixels. Some cheaper projectors cannot be switched into true 1920x1080 mode, and those won’t work with SDI converters

***Understood, I don't mind sacrificing vertical pixels. Hmmm so what to do if I get to a venue that cannot switch to true 1920x1080 mode? Assuming it's the older outdated ones that have that issue?***

If you want to have complete coverage of every possible situation, you should carry a variety of tools with you. You could carry:

- A set of HDMI-to-SDI and SDI-to-HDMI converters

- A set of HDBaseT converters

- A long HDMI-over-fiber cable

And so on. You need to decide on your personal balance between covering every scenario on one hand, and traveling lighter and cheaper on the other hand.

Are you able to communicate with the technical folks at each venue before you go there? Can you just put the requirement on them... "I travel with a MacBook Pro (M2) and have one HDMI output that I need to get to your projector."

***Ok maybe I'll have it as a backup. The brand I was using before was this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L8HJFLS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title...Strangely, it worked perfectly fine when I switched it around to extend my TV monitor instead of the projector. As soon as I plugged it into projector, the projector kept randomly cutting out and saying "No Input Found", then it would cut back on showing the media. It would continue to randomly go back and forth between the cut-outs and showing media. Maybe the brand is garbage then?

I've never heard of that brand, so my guess is that it's just a badly made device.

Best

Sam

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[Greg Leeper]

For your 150' HDMI out to projector why not used an active fiber HDMI cable - that means the fiber to HDMI conversion is built into the cable, so no extra boxes needed, and 'active' means it's powered, but in this case by the +5v that is already on the HDMI bus.  These are not expensive to buy, have less parts, and will often go above and beyond 1080P60 to 4K or even 8K now which is of course overkill for what you have described.

I see them priced today from $29 - $69 for 4K60p 150' on Amazon.

The down side is that it is fiber, and it's not military spec tactical fiber you'll be getting for cheap.

It doesn't want to bent sharply around corners... be nice to it and it will be nice to you.

That goes with any cable really, they can all fail from abuse in different ways.

If you still decide to convert from HDMI to SDI here's a couple things to consider:

Your projector may not support SDI meaning you need to convert it back to HDMI again.

     - each conversion adds a little delay,  about ½ a frame.

     - SDI does not support HDCP, so if you need that for some reason you can't use SDI.  Most converters will tell the source computer to turn off HDCP but that does not always work, and macs by default turn it on

                 - test it with your actual hardware to confirm in advance.

     - as another poster said 3G SDI requires more bandwidth than 1.5G SDI.  If you want 1080P60 you need a cable, and converters, that can handle 3G, and every cable type has different distance limits so check that out in advance...  4K requires 6G or 12G depending.

[Shaun Jay]

Yes like Sam's previous message, I'm thinking that can be just one of 3 different tools I should have in my aresenal to be ready to tackle any challenging setup.

Anyone ever try something like this Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver to go from your laptop to a projector?

Is this too risky?

[Shaun Jay]

Also, Sam:

This is the Atlona HDBaseT HDMI extender you're referring to? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1398153-REG/atlona_at_hdr_ex_100cea_kit_4k_hdr_hdmi_hdbaset.html

[Sam Kusnetz]

On May 21, 2025 at 2:47:08 PM, Shaun Jay <shaunja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Anyone ever try something like this Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver to go from your laptop to a projector?

I wouldn’t, and if I had to I would use a professional-grade tool like the Teradek Bolt, which is designed for wireless transmission from a cinema camera to a video monitoring position on a film set. I used a pair of Bolt setups for connecting high-end video cameras to QLab for a show once. They worked well! They are priced accordingly.

This is the Atlona HDBaseT HDMI extender you're referring to? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1398153-REG/atlona_at_hdr_ex_100cea_kit_4k_hdr_hdmi_hdbaset.html

That isn’t the exact one I used; that one supports 4K resolution and mine only handled FHD, but yes that’s the right line. If you treat that well, it will treat you well.

One thing I really like about that device is that it also sends ethernet along the same cable, so you can remote-control the projector using its network connection without sending a second cable.

[Chris Ashworth]

On May 22, 2025 at 9:22:20 AM, Sam Kusnetz (s...@figure53.com) wrote:

On May 21, 2025 at 2:47:08 PM, Shaun Jay <shaunja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Anyone ever try something like this Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver to go from your laptop to a projector?

I wouldn’t, and if I had to I would use a professional-grade tool like the Teradek Bolt, which is designed for wireless transmission from a cinema camera to a video monitoring position on a film set. I used a pair of Bolt setups for connecting high-end video cameras to QLab for a show once. They worked well! They are priced accordingly.

As it happens, the media designer on the show currently at our research theater is using a Teradek — but in this case connecting a rather modest camera from around 2013, I believe.

The latency and stability is very, very impressive!  I think the designer told me the Teradek has even lower latency than one of the hard-wired cameras he’s using elsewhere in the show. Very cool product.

-C

[Sam Kusnetz]

On May 22, 2025 at 10:00:51 AM, Chris Ashworth <ch...@figure53.com> wrote:

The latency and stability is very, very impressive!  I think the designer told me the Teradek has even lower latency than one of the hard-wired cameras he’s using elsewhere in the show. Very cool product.

I don’t doubt it, but I think it’s important to note that in an apples to apples comparison (same camera, same endpoint, same resolution, same frame rate, same compression) wireless HDMI/SDI will always have more latency than wired.

What’s probably going on here is that the wired setup has more latency in some other part of the signal path (probably the camera itself) or the wired setup is running at a higher resolution and/or frame rate, OR the wireless setup is using much more compression so that the two setups are not actually producing equal picture quality.

sk

[Jake Perrine]

I have used both a wired HDBaseT by REI and a Hollyland Mars 400 wireless HDMI setup in our theatre and both have been solid.

[Shaun Jay]

Ok good to know, thanks!

-Shaun

On May 22, 2025, at 9:09 PM, Jake Perrine <ja...@orcascenter.org> wrote:

I have used both a wired HDBaseT by REI and a Hollyland Mars 400 wireless HDMI setup in our theatre and both have been solid.

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[Santiago Pérez Trujillo]

I usually use fiber optic HDMI, like the ones you see in the link (any that is fiber optic HDMI will do, not necessarily the one I attached). I have them in various lengths, the longest is about 250 ft. and it works perfectly and has almost no lag, much less than the ethernet converters.

https://www.amazon.es/Twozoh-Cable-óptica-Compatible-18Gbps/dp/B0B687T4YH/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?__mk_es_ES=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=IISNRIVP3O29&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VnX3drNQ5BydGf-92xxYBFpsIIlCCZO_i9PvjH3sOJBMNRh3NwrLewH-L0v8qNOknyIGw0bQBKVoXS_8ioSKKvVKfTx3WTYySb-fv09UZLPe5uRggfdZX5YRyZDf8Y26TpTE7FCJHHxXWavnpV3hUbuWGUi8XeKXyezZABXRFLf-jdMN6irQO8oNPy9FJf8ZM3YKly9TImQWw1LLgoexEBNLvo7j-jqjdvP0xZ8O2FgCmmGVF5nZqm8BIUaBDLMabOHai15eJjbsG3Qsewqs3zLUzrFxaZNwwsC5KIzjMI4.kB8HTmXO3Z4VFOlTDnKnQV85_EVRiNPwcUsycf0s79o&dib_tag=se&keywords=hdmi%2Bfibra&qid=1749648785&sprefix=hdmi%2Bfibr%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

[Shaun Jay]

How long have you been using them?

Have they been durable?

-Shaun

On Jun 11, 2025, at 9:34 AM, Santiago Pérez Trujillo <santipt...@gmail.com> wrote:

I usually use fiber optic HDMI, like the ones you see in the link (any that is fiber optic HDMI will do, not necessarily the one I attached). I have them in various lengths, the longest is about 250 ft. and it works perfectly and has almost no lag, much less than the ethernet converters.

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[Santiago Pérez Trujillo]

Hi Shaun, the longest I've used is 75 m (250 ft) with no problems at all. They're delicate cables, so you can't squash or bend them, but if you take care of them, they're fine.

[Greg Leeper]

I've been using 2 different brands of 200' ones, with no issues for a couple of years.

 
I just picked up some 50' 8K rated ones - you'll need to drop down to 4K to get the length you want - 3 different ones:
'Silkland' looked very rugged but to the point it was much thicker and not flexible.
'Highwings' is thinner, uses 4 strands of fiber, and had a pvc jacket but was having what felt like EDID issues between a mac mini and a 4K Dell display - it could be the mini, and not the cable, need to test further.  It would wake up from sleep at wrong resolutinos.
'Capshi' was the most flexible, jacketed in nylon braided cloth with PVC umderneath, claims 'unbreakable' 25K bends.. 

Since they are fiber - if they say anything like 'designed to be flexible' or 'resistant to bending' that's a plus - since none of these are tactical fiber you want to avoid sharp corners or tight 180 degree bends to keep them happy.

[Jumpcut Jeff]

For longer runs (over 100'), I prefer to roll with SDI. The cable is more resilient and the locking mechanism has saved the show in the past (Faulty HDMI input...a tech had to physically hold cable for 2nd half of show. Of course, it was fine during three rehearsals. Fun!)

I use the Blackmagic Micro Bi-Directional SDI/HDMI converter. Rock solid.

[Shaun Jay]

I agree with you there!

I’ve gotten to a venue the day before and did an entire tech rehearsal and dry run then the next day tech meltdown…

SDI seems to be the most reliable and highly recommended. Nothing beats a good solid hardwired locking connection

-Shaun

On Jun 11, 2025, at 7:28 PM, Jumpcut Jeff <jeff...@gmail.com> wrote:

For longer runs (over 100'), I prefer to roll with SDI. The cable is more resilient and the locking mechanism has saved the show in the past (Faulty HDMI input...a tech had to physically hold cable for 2nd half of show. Of course, it was fine during three rehearsals. Fun!)

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qlab/a474cb0c-8460-469d-b99c-31e4c138103fn%40googlegroups.com.

[Lauren Parrish]

Even SDI can get too long. In that event - a decimator to re-clock the SDI can solve the problem.

Lauren

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[Shaun Jay]

What does that mean and what is “too long”?

-Shaun

On Jun 12, 2025, at 1:10 PM, Lauren Parrish <alwayst...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Jumpcut Jeff]

For SDI, the quality of the cable makes a big difference. For 1080p:
RG6 100 m (328 ft)
RG59 60 m (197 ft)
RG11 200 m (656 ft)