# Video over Cat5 through a Switch?



## Chris Chapman (May 10, 2013)

I'm being dragged into figuring out a video band-aid for our new stadium.

Currently we are using video baluns to send broadcast camera video signals back (from the Gym) to the video switcher (in the Auditorium). All of the camera feeds are discreet cat5 runs.

What they want to do is move the video switcher out to the press box, and use the existing new cat5 for video from the stadium. The cat5 install was done without this in mind, so everything passes through a switch.

So the question is this, will a switch mess up video over cat5 being sent by baluns? If I disconnect from the switch, could I use cat 5 jumpers to connect the different sends (if they even exist) ?

It's all for commencement which is now 3 weeks out. Online faqs aren't answering these questions.


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## sk8rsdad (May 10, 2013)

I'm pretty sure the video baluns do not convert the signal to anything that an IP switch can recognize so it ain't gonna work. You would need to transcode the video to something like H.264 or MPEG to get it through the switch. If you route around the switch so it is just a continous wire path there's a better chance it would work. There would be some signal degradation at each connection, and it might take a bit of cobbling to make sure the Tx/Rx pairs all match up from end to end.


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## Morte615 (May 10, 2013)

Baluns do not change the signal to IP so it will not travel through the switch. To use the switch you would have to get something that would convert the signal to IP and back out from IP at the other end (unless your switcher has IP capabilities) The problem with just using a jumper at the switch, and bypassing it, is the degridation that you get with long distances. If it's still a short run (under 1000') then you will probably be ok, but since you are using pre-excisting cable it's probably pretty hard to know exactly how much cable there is in the wall. It's almost always more than you think! Also just hope it doesn't hit another switch or anything on the way that you didn't know about.

It is possible to rent the hardware to turn the system into an IP based one. Most likely look for film production rentals places, though you may be able to find something at a theater rental. I don't know for sure I have never looked up the rental on something like this.


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## Chris15 (May 10, 2013)

As others have said, no go on the switch.
The Catx runs probably terminate onto a patch panel which is then patch leaded across to the switch. If you have an enterprise network servicing hundreds of data points from a single comms room, as may happen on a university campus or the like, then you need to start talking to IT, FAST...

If you can patch to bypass all the network gear, then you should start to have a chance. You may well run into issues with distance as others have mentioned and the degredation effects this will have.

If it were me, I'd be finding a rental supplier of some long BNC runs rather than having to muck around with Baluns and what not for a one off...


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## Chris Chapman (May 10, 2013)

My IT department can barely grasp the concept of what we are doing. Clueless is a compliment.


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## Chris15 (May 10, 2013)

Yeah, but in the end, if you go and mess with their patch they are unlikely to be pleased


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## Chris Chapman (May 10, 2013)

Chris15 said:


> Yeah, but in the end, if you go and mess with their patch they are unlikely to be pleased



You are absolutely correct. They are in the loop about what we're discussing.


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## museav (May 10, 2013)

Typical video and/or audio over CAT/UTP baluns or interfaces are simply using the UTP cable to transmit the standard audio and/or video signals, they are not converting it to network data. AVB is out unless they bought a switch that dopes or can support AVB, which is unlikely unless it was planned. That leaves you with a few video-over-IP options through the switch or standard video-over-CAT/UTP patched around the switch. With the latter you may have to look carefully at run distances since you are losing the switch midpoints and adding effective run distance with the patches. With video-over-IP you may have to look at what switch configuration and management they entail and make sure your IT folks can work with that.


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## AlexDonkle (May 11, 2013)

Can you provide the mgf/model of the cameras and baluns you currently have?

If you can't be certain of the cables in the wall, your other option here may be renting broadcast grade wireless camera transmitters, although not sure what they rent for (very expensive to buy). Look at CamPac2 for a standard broadcast model.


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