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Wiring up multiple plasmas in a bar

I've been asked to help install 6 plasma televisions in a bar.

The current system has an electronic video switcher with 4 sources / 4 destinations for feeding the right stuff (Foxtel, DVD, video, etc) to the right screens. It is a composite video switcher.

S-Video would have been nice but I don't think all the sources have it and it would mean replacing a fair bit of gear.

Looks like all the displays will be on 1 "destination".

I was going to run them daisy chained (I've yet to see the TVs selected and figure they should have composite in / out to allow looping like this).

Alternatively it could be a "star" topology - what kind of splitter should I use and where might I find a 6 channel version?

This method obviously has better "fault tolerance".

Cable runs will be RG59 (standard CCTV coax) of not more than 25 meters.

All comments welcome.

Cheers, Antony

*** Fix the typo in my address if replying via e-mail ***
Reply to
Antony N. Lord
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As long as ALL the sets in this system are ALWAYS showing the same program at the same time, I would just run them in series, I have done this many times in the past with no problems. Every (RCA) AV set that I have seen has got AV in and AV out RCA type connectors fitted.

Note that also ALL sets will have to be in AV mode to make this work, otherwise every set downstream from the one that isnt in that mode, will not show the wanted program. With the crappy designed sets that dont stay in AV mode when the mains is turned on/off - this can be a nightmare

With SCART type systems, you will need to make up an adaptor to access the in/out signals individually. With some sets (TEAC often) there isn't any way to go into AV mode from the front panel controls of the set, you need to apply +12v to one of the SCART pins to force AV mode.

For AV type video, you dont need coax for most installations. Shielded audio cable works quite well.

Reply to
KLR

If OP wants to use the existing switcher use 4 destinations and have two of the sets each run in parallel with another. This may require a buffer amp if the sets don't have a hi-impedance input mode (first TV set to Hi-Z, second one terminates). This gets around the aforementioned problem of sets messing up others further down the chain, albeit with the added complexity/cost of needing to account for impedances. Mind you, trial may show it doesn't matter - you could give it a shot and make a call from that (free-to-air TV may not look as bad as Foxtel, DVD, etc, so careful selection of destination to match cabling may obviate the problem).

Ken

Reply to
Ken Taylor

The nice way to do it is with a 1 to 6 S-Video video distribution amp - There is a Jaycar kit which performs very well, although I think you'd need

2 of them, or Questronix make them
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or you can look around on Ebay and such for old broadcast units like Talia etc.
Reply to
Poxy

For a commercial application, why bother trying to do it on a shoestring! Do it properly with a video or s-viseo distribution amplifier in a star configuration, and it does not matter what each plasma is doing, as one does not affect the other. Don't use audio cable for a video job - the difference in cost for the runs is minimal compared to the total cost of the installation. do it properly, and do it once. Don't know how many installations we have to rip out due to the wrong cable being used - it's not worth the angst. What happens when the client wants to go to high definition? Will your audio cable still do the job? Not likely. Use decent coax as well, not the cheapest shit you can find, and also terminate in BNC connectors if possible, NOT RCA - they fall out too easily.

Rod

Reply to
Rod

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