Moving Display and Accessories to Another Space
Moving Display and Accessories to Another Space
I don’t understand much about networking or routers and modems. I’m still unclear on how a router differs from a modem. I need guidance on resources to learn more about this situation. My issue is that I want to connect my PC in one room to another—specifically from my spare bedroom to the living room. Currently, my main modem is in the living room and a coaxial cable reaches my bedroom. Can I use HDMI and USB over the coaxial cable? I’ve heard about using certain Ethernet cables for display, but I think coaxial isn’t suitable. I’m hoping someone with more experience can help before I give up. My backup idea is to run long HDMI and USB cables from the spare bedroom to the living room, though that would be my last resort if I really don’t want extra cabling. If I invest in this, maybe upgrading my motherboard to USB-C would make things smoother. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I’ve been drawn to this myself, yet I need 4k/60. I’ve discovered some that advertise it, but I haven’t seen reliable reviews.
It seems Ethernet is the most suitable option for you. It’s a bit tricky since there’s no attic access, so I’ll need to descend into the crawlspace. I already have one of these devices, but it appears USB-C offers less range than Ethernet. Thanks for the advice! I’ll keep an eye out for a coaxial KVM extender. If anyone here has one or knows about it, please share!
No way! You can't use the crawl space for Ethernet—just use HDMI instead!
HDMI is mainly built for distances up to about 5 meters, so the actual range depends on the setup. I've managed HDMI 2.0 beyond 7 meters, though results vary—cables may not work far enough or your TV might not handle it. DisplayPort seems more dependable, and using DisplayPort over USB-C reached up to 4 meters; beyond that the USB connection failed but the video stayed clear. USB connections are even more limited, usually working only under 1 meter with USB 3.0+, though 5 meters is possible if you're lucky. Converting to another protocol via Ethernet might offer better reliability and lower latency, though it can add delay. Those using optical links can reach long distances with minimal lag, but they're quite costly.
Fibre HDMI is our standard here. We install them at the site I manage. Each run is roughly 20 meters per cable/projector. They function well and support 4K at 60Hz. The price is reasonable—around $100. It’s cheaper than buying HDMI over Ethernet boxes and avoids compression or latency issues.
Sure, I've heard about HDMI and USB having limited distances, especially for budget options. The main goal was to keep the cables cheap. I understand there are alternatives for using my PC in another room or another machine. If latency becomes a problem with Ethernet, plus I'd have to go into the crawlspace, I'm thinking about the expense of another PC that can connect to my main system. I'll need to explore that too. It's clear I'm not in a hurry to finish this project, lol.
Using fibre HDMI would still mean dealing with the challenge of connecting USB to another room. I'm not overly concerned about compression; what matters is enjoying game nights with my wife and friends—Mario Party, Mario Kart, Smash, Skyrim, it takes two, etc.—without needing high-fidelity audio.