HDMI Video Over IP Gigabit LAN Ethernet Receiver for ST12MHDLAN - 1080p

You should only use video converters and extenders if it is absolutely necessary to do so. In many cases, most video converters and extenders are not necessary if you purchase the correct cable.

The following table lists the maximum length of cable for common video standards.

Note: StarTech.com offers cables longer than what is listed above, including active cables, which typically include built-in active signal boosters that allow for longer cables. Active cables are specifically designed to exceed the suggested maximum lengths and are tested at the listed specifications (for example, the maximum listed resolution).

Video adapters

Video adapters passively adapt a cable from one connector type to another. Video adapters do not change the signal type, or change the video standard.

Examples of common applications for adapters include the following:

• DVI-I to VGA

• RCA to BNC

• Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort

• Couplers (female to female, or male to male)

Note: You can use a coupler to extend a cable for a short distance. However, each coupler that you use can introduce signal loss, which degrades the signal quality.

Video converters

Video converters actively process and change the signal type from one video standard and convert it to another standard. They are typically used to convert digital to analog and vice versa, but can be used to convert a digital signal to another digital video standard (for example, HDMI to DisplayPort).

Video converters work over short distances from the source to the destination: up to 15 feet or 3 meters.

Video extenders

Video extenders convert an input signal to a higher voltage for transmission over longer distances and then convert the input signal back to the original video standard. The input and the output signal will match on a video extender, as the same video standard is maintained end-to-end. If a cable is extended with adapters or converters, the signal quality degrades.

Note: For more information on using a video adapter or converter with a video extender, see the following FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/video_signal_converters_convert_then_extend.

If you need to use a video extender with a video adapter or converter, you should position the adapter or converter as close to the video source as possible. For example, if you need to take a VGA signal from a computer and send it 200 feet to an HDMI® projector, you should convert the signal from VGA to HDMI and use an HDMI extender.

Note: For more information on when to use cables or extenders, see the following FAQ: http://www.startech.com/faq/video_signal_converters_when_to_convert.

StarTech.com offers HDMI over IP video extenders that let you extend HDMI signals over your network to create a video wall.  They allow you to catch the attention of your audience with impressive digital signage. And with some of our video extenders, you can also extend USB.

This video extender works with a free mobile application that makes it easy to create and manage a video wall. The app is simple to set up with automatic hardware detection. It allows you to switch video sources for each remote display and manage your video distribution. The software is available on iOS, Android, and Google Chrome.

Video over IP devices extend video and audio differently than point-to-point video extenders.  Point-to-point video extenders transmit your video and audio wirelessly or using cables separate from your network.  Video over IP devices convert your video and audio to IP packets so that the data can be transferred over your existing network.  This allows you to take advantage of your network infrastructure, and allows for greater control and scalability. 

The maximum distance you can transmit is determined by your network infrastructure.  Transmitters and receivers can be up to 100m apart from a network switch or router.  The ST12MHDLAN allows for a maximum of 16 transmitters, depending on your network’s bandwidth.  The maximum number of receivers depends on your network’s bandwidth.

Video signals sent through the video extender consume bandwidth on your network.  To calculate the average bandwidth for a 1080p 60Hz video, use the following equation.  Add the number of transmitters to the number of receivers, then multiply the result by 45 Mbps.  For example, when you use one transmitter and four receivers, the average bandwidth is 225Mbps.  For best performance, make sure that your hardware supports more bandwidth than is required. StarTech.com recommends at least a Gigabit network for use with the ST12MHDLAN.

The ST12MHDLAN requires that the transmitters and receivers are connected to a switch or router that supports Internet Group Management Protocol or IGMP.  IGMP allows devices on the same network to communicate more efficiently.  IGMP support can be confirmed with your hardware manufacturer.

If at this point you have questions about the ST12MHDLAN review the other videos in this series which will include installation, use of the software, and general troubleshooting.  If you would like to learn more about video extenders in general review our video series on that subject.

By default, the video extender mirrors to multiple receivers, but can be configured into a video wall with multiple transmitters and many receivers. Multiple transmitters require a managed network switch with IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol). When you use a single transmitter with many receivers, you should use IGMP to prevent other network devices from being flooded with multicast frames.

Managed switches have an interface that can be used for advanced configuration. Managed switches are typically configured in a web interface using a static IP address on the switch. A switch that is not managed has no configuration options, is purely plug-and-play, and is usually less expensive than managed switches.

When you use IGMP with the video extender, IGMP makes sure that multicast frames are only being sent from the video extender transmitters to the receivers. A managed switch usually has IGMP and will learn how to configure the network with the video extender. When a managed switch is learning the network configuration, it communicates with other IGMP devices and negotiates the best routes for traffic to flow, and then automatically assigns IGMP group memberships. The learning process is automatic and may take up to a minute to complete, depending on the complexity of the setup.

Point-to-point is the most basic setup with the video extender. To connect point-to-point, use an Ethernet cable to connect a transmitter directly to a receiver and make sure that the units have the same thumbwheel setting. The thumbwheels on the video extender make sure that the units are on the same default network and facilitates communication between the units during setup.

You can use a switch that is not managed with a number of receivers, but you will only be able to mirror the HDMI input to the receivers. If you use a switch that is not managed, you will not be able to further configure the units, as the rest of the network infrastructure will be flooded and cause network timeouts when you use the mobile application.

Yes, this video extender works with set-top boxes, provided the set-top box meets the following requirements:

• The set-top box must be High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) compliant.
• The set-top box must support devices being connected between the video source and display. If the set-top box requires a direct cable connection between the video source and display, it won't work with this video extender.

You can use up to 16 transmitters with this device. There is no restriction on the number of receivers that you can use, but you should consider the amount of bandwidth that the device is using on the network, as this can impact the performance of other devices on your network.

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is a communications protocol used by hosts and routers. With IGMP, specific network devices are identified to receive network traffic, as opposed to network traffic being sent to every device connected to the network.

IGMP is required for this product because the total amount of network traffic across the network needs to be reduced to avoid impacting the other connected devices. Without IGMP, the video extender would send the video signal to each of the devices on your network.

No, you cannot use the ST12MHDLAN and ST12MHDLANU transmitters and receivers interchangeably. The transmitters and receivers are not compatible with each other.

This device outputs HDMI video signals. If you have a display or video destination that uses another type of video connection, there are ways that you can convert the video signal or connection. These options are outlined below and organized by the target connection.

HDCP

When you consider whether to convert an HDMI video signal to another connection type, it is important to know if the media that is being converted from the HDMI video connection is protected by High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP). If the media is protected by HDCP, you cannot convert to analog video connections because they do not support HDCP. You may experience this issue when you use devices like Blu-ray players, DVD players, and certain gaming consoles.