cat5 VGA bauln

[Peter]

What's the difference between using cat5 or fibre?

[SourceChild]

What's the difference between using cat5 or fibre?

Fibre is cheap enough now where it's cost competitive with Cat5. Fibre is smaller than Cat5 and can carry a signal much further without interference.

Fibre is not as flexible but where sharp bends in fibre will break it, sharp bends in Cat5 will create a distortion in the twist ratio causing tremendous signal loss.

There are some boxes that will take power over ethernet so they don't require a power supply on the receiver side. (Sometimes nice not to need an extra power supply).

Both have their applications. Honestly, I would give the following recommendations...

If you're a video company that has already invested thousands into RGB-HV then continue to use RGB-HV. No need to buy new stuff when the old works unless your cable bridge real-estate is low and you need a single line solution for each feed. Unless you need to run more than 75 meters, RGB-HV will usually work just fine.

If you're running an assortment of artnet solutions already chances are you have Cat5 with Ethercons. Since you've already invested in this, follow trend. Continue using Cat5 for your VoE solutions.

If quality is absolutely important, you're innovative and proactive to adopt new methods, consider fibre and a lucrative solution for doing long runs and runs where you'll have large bundles of signal lines.

Of course the main reason to used Cat5 and Fibre is if your desire is to transport DVI. This is something you will most likely do if driving LED walls as most LED interfaces use DVI as their "best" (sometimes only) input.

Oh and the big decision maker... If you are in a situation where the power is profoundly different from a source to a destination then Cat5 is okay but fibre is the best choice overall. With fibre there is no ground because it's all with light. Cat5 technically is ground free because you're using a differential pair. However anytime you connect copper between two distant sources, you always run the risk of having a noise, ground loop, or voltage variance between devices.

For those of you who are built on top of an inventory of one kind of system I suggest sticking to that system. For those of you starting out, create a solid convention and stick to it. Of course allow for a convention that tends to be an universal convention across companies if you're primary business will be cross renting to other production companies that might be using a universal standard (of their own, lol).