Two rooms on a single PC setup
Two rooms on a single PC setup
Hello everyone, my issue is setting up a gaming PC with two monitors in my bedroom. I need to connect it to a TV or AV receiver so I can play games or watch movies on the larger screen. Running HDMI plus USB seems tricky because the cables would be quite long—at least 12 meters. I don’t want to use both displays at once, and I’m thinking maybe just two wireless keyboards and mice. Is there a simpler solution using streaming devices or a single cable like what Linux uses in his home setup? Thanks in advance and have a great day!
Unfortunately those Cables are still thunderbolt 2, would work but they are super expensive as well. If you add the cost of a Hub and a thunderbolt pcie Card i am not that far away from a second pc. Something Like Powerline for Displays would be awesome. Or a way to Screencast. But I guess the lagency would be to high dir gaming anyway.
Obviously, services like Steam in-home streaming might work, though they won’t match the performance of a direct HDMI and USB link into the room. I’d consider using an Android TV box such as ShieldTV, which streams files natively for optimal quality. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, it could let you leverage their own streaming technology for gaming. Regarding extending the PC, I’ve managed passive HDMI up to 7 meters at 4K 60Hz HDR, though finding a reliable cable can be tricky. USB 2.0 extensions usually function at that range, so keyboards and mice should work fine—especially with wireless options, which reduce cable length needs. You can also buy active extenders for HDMI, but they sometimes add latency or lower picture quality, making me wonder if streaming through Steam would be just as effective.
For basic needs, USB 2.0 works perfectly with plenty of budget-friendly active cables ranging from 50 to 100 feet. HDMI extenders are available too, but you can also explore couplers and cables—personal experience shows 1080p signals easily travel over 48 feet (including extra lengths).
Using Long HDMI Cable with Wireless Keyboard Mouse via HDMI to 2x CAT6 Extender works if you already have a direct connection from PC to TV. Switching to Wireless Keyboard Mouse using HDMI to Single CAT6 Encoder/Decoder increases latency and lowers image quality, though it functions with one network cable connected directly. For streaming on a second low-power PC or Raspberry Pi in your AV receiver, RDP or VNC, the best option remains the official Thunderbolt 2 cable and hub Linus uses—though it’s quite pricey. If your setup is limited to under 20 meters, HDMI/DP and USB cables usually suffice (sometimes with issues). I’d suggest testing HDMI and USB first, but it may not always be feasible for everyone. Streaming could then become the next practical alternative.
Thanks for the guidance! I plan to link directly via HDMI, as the Nvidia Shield seems more suitable for me. Since I don’t intend to stream games like CS:Go, a bit of delay shouldn’t be an issue. I already have a GTX1080ti, which is great. Plus, Android TV lets me run most apps without needing my desktop. I just learned the Shield is excellent for running old games, so I won’t need an N64 or Gamecube. Let me know how it all goes!