Macbook pro to Projectors

NeroCaesar

Member
Hello folks,

I not a much of a Mac person and I'm just learning HDbaseT/baluns/extenders, but I like Qlabs and Projections for set images.
I have a low requirement setup and was looking for suggestions for adapters.

We have a Macbook pro (M1 Max) with Qlabs and 3x projectors
The Projectors are about 100ft of cable from the laptop
I never plan on doing anything more than 1920x1080 for images and video

I would like to connect the Macbook via a single USB C to a "HDbaseT TX" to 3x Cat6 to 3x individual "HDbaseT RX" to HDMI to the projectors

Does such a device exist? I see a lot of USB c to 3x HDMI, which means I would need an extender to each of the projectors

I apologize if some of my terms are not correct

Thanks,
-Greg
 
If you're hoping to send different content to each projector, then your odds of success with any laptop are slim. If you're planning to send the exact same thing to all three projectors, then the search term you're looking for is "HDBaseT Distribution Amplifier". I don't have any specific recommendations based on experience, but most likely that would look like 1 HDMI input and multiple HDBaseT outputs. If your computer doesn't have an HDMI output, then you would still need USBC to HDMI to connect them together.

I have used these extenders from Monoprice before with good results, and I see they have a 4-way DA that might be worth considering... but it's more expensive than three of the other extenders plus an HDMI splitter, and is currently out of stock. There are, of course, higher quality options from better sources, but with correspondingly higher price tags.
 
Thank you for your feedback. The 3x outputs would be all different images. Like I said I am not much of a Mac person but we recently upgraded to the Top Macbook pro because they no longer have Desktop models that are reasonably priced. We just out grew out Mac "Can" 2013.
 
Thank you for your feedback. The 3x outputs would be all different images. Like I said I am not much of a Mac person but we recently upgraded to the Top Macbook pro because they no longer have Desktop models that are reasonably priced. We just out grew out Mac "Can" 2013.
The new M1, M1+, etc Mac/Mac Studio are pretty slick. The M1 silicon was designed to process lots of video. Unless this is permanent, I'd consider putting the computer near the projectors and do whatever voodoo is needed to make the video work over the shorter runs, and then set up the computer to be 'headless' and boot into a kiosk mode. You can use remote desktop to access that computer from another machine in your booth, office, or studio.
 
Indeed this is permanent, putting the laptop closer would mean literally tying it up to the grid open, would would give me nightmares.
 
Indeed this is permanent, putting the laptop closer would mean literally tying it up to the grid open, would would give me nightmares.

For a permanent installation you'll want redundant playback with automatic fail-over; a pair of Mac Mini, maybe. Right now you have only 1 computer and if it stops for any reason you have nothing to show :( . It might be prudent to purchase duplicate BaseT devices or budget to replace your converter system if a single item fails. Considering the speed of tech change, the main downside to the latter is getting new gear "right freakin' now" when a device picks Saturday to stop working.

There are a number of i/o docks for Macs that add HDMI outputs, Ethernet, additional USB connections, etc. I think OWC has one with 2 or 3 HDMI outputs derived from the Thunderbolt port of the Mac, and OWC Mac docks come recommended by my "mac -n- AV friends", so there's that. :cool:
 
This is a 300 seat high school, if the mac dies I'm shrugging it off as an act of god, we dont have the don't to buy in duplicates.

I just want to know if there is a device that can accept a USB C which 3x 1080p unique signals and extend them out over cat 6 to RX boxes so I can connect to projectors.
 
Projector needs.png
 

This might work?

One could use the hs base t matrix term on google and find others too.
Thanks for trying but no.

The key is that it MUST connect via USB C
 
I don't think you are going to find a single unit, single device solution. The closest I can come up with would be putting one of these into something like this. I don't even know if that would actually work, and it isn't easy to find prices on those Advoli cards, but it looks like you'd be starting at about $1000 for one. It looks like multiple adapters and splitters may be your best bet if you want to keep it budget friendly.

Another direction you could look at would be using NDI to send you video and getting some NDI decoders (Magewell, Birddog) to receive the video stream. Also not the cheapest solution, but you can do some cool things with NDI.
 
I don't think you are going to find a single unit, single device solution. The closest I can come up with would be putting one of these into something like this. I don't even know if that would actually work, and it isn't easy to find prices on those Advoli cards, but it looks like you'd be starting at about $1000 for one. It looks like multiple adapters and splitters may be your best bet if you want to keep it budget friendly.

Another direction you could look at would be using NDI to send you video and getting some NDI decoders (Magewell, Birddog) to receive the video stream. Also not the cheapest solution, but you can do some cool things with NDI.
Right, I looked for days, I was hoping someone knew something I didn't. Your idea is interesting and worth exploring especially if I run into gpu issues.
I am worried that the cards are not priced anywhere online, its all , "ask for quote"

I am not experienced enough to know what an NDI is though, I will have to research.
 
Wrong... Your computer only has USB C... USB C can be adapted to "anything". You could go USB-C>HDMI>TX>Cat6>RX>HDMI. It's not pretty, but it's possible....
If you read the post above the goal is to NOT need adapters. The point of my post is asking if there is a way to avoid your scenario, as I already know that is an option.

I appreciate the help a lot of folks offered, but about 50% of people here missed the point completely as I had to repeat myself and draw pictures to emphasis the point is to have the least amount of adapters.
 
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If you read the post above the goal is to NOT need adapters. The point of my post is asking if there is a way to avoid your scenario, as I already know that is an option.

I appreciate the help a lot of folks offered, but about 50% of people here missed the point completely as I had to repeat myself and draw pictures to emphasis the point is to have the least amount of adapters.
I think we understand, it’s just that such a device is not commercially available, and so we are offering the closest alternatives.

If "plug-and-play" is that essential consider a project box with panel mount connectors and then using the components recommended here and create your "own". The reality os this is a pretty niche application, thus there is not much demand for such a product.
 
I think we understand, it’s just that such a device is not commercially available, and so we are offering the closest alternatives.

If "plug-and-play" is that essential consider a project box with panel mount connectors and then using the components recommended here and create your "own". The reality os this is a pretty niche application, thus there is not much demand for such a product.
^^^ THIS.

I suggest seeing how digital signage software/hardware would handle this...
 
If you read the post above the goal is to NOT need adapters. The point of my post is asking if there is a way to avoid your scenario, as I already know that is an option.

I appreciate the help a lot of folks offered, but about 50% of people here missed the point completely as I had to repeat myself and draw pictures to emphasis the point is to have the least amount of adapters.

I don't think this needs to be that hard... There are literally 100's of solutions out there that solve your problem, you're choosing really the only path that makes it hard...

How about a USB-C > HDMI Cable and then a 1x4 extender like this one...

 

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