HDMI splitter / transmitter Level One HVE-7004

Since high-definition TVs and the HDMI interface that came with them have become widely used, there are constant complaints from users who are dissatisfied with the high cost of connecting and the short length of standard cables. Let's say a good cable comes with a TV or a player, but your equipment is placed in such a way that its length is not enough, and you have to redraw the interior or sacrifice the quality of the signal by connecting via a different interface. You can, of course, cheat a little if you put the receiver in the middle between the player and the TV, but it will look strange, and you can't buy a receiver for each LCD panel used in an apartment or office. It is because of the limitations of the usual HDMI solutions that the development of LevelOne becomes especially interesting and attractive-A kind of hub for HDMI, which allows not only to "clone" the signal, but also to transmit it over very long distances without loss of quality. The LevelOne HVE-7004 device completely solves connection problems and is suitable even for cases when conventional cables are powerless.

Technical Specifications

Packaging Level One HI-7004 leaves a difficult impression-it seems that the design is strict and corresponds to the positioning of the device as a professional. And at the same time, the design is bright, the key characteristics are listed in large numbers - a consumer product and only that.

In fact, both are true, since the Level One HI-7004 can be used by professionals who build the most complex installations and smart home systems, as well as by any user of modern video equipment. We will talk about how convenient and easy it is to use this HDMI transmitter later, now we will study the contents of the box and the formal specifications.

So, the "multi-purpose" package, designed in the corporate style of LevelOne, contains:

• LevelOne HVE-7004 Device
• Power supply from the 220V network
• Fasteners-corners for stationary mounting of the device and four bolts
• HDMI to HDMI cable
• LevelOne HVE-6000 Converter (RJ-45 - HDMI adapter)
• user's Guide

Comments on most points are not required, a standard HDMI-to-HDMI cable (about 2 meters long) is required to connect the signal source to the LevelOne HVE-7004, and the LevelOne HVE-6000 adapter is used to implement the main "chip" of the splitter-extension cable. The fact is that the signal is transmitted over a conventional twisted pair! Accordingly, on the TV side, you need to somehow re-connect the HDMI connector, and this is what the LevelOne HV-6000 provides.

Level One HI-7004 does not require any control during use, so there are no buttons on the front panel, and the device status can be judged by the led indicators of power availability and connection availability.

On the underside of a metal hard case (still a professional device?) soft rubber feet and air vents are placed.

The back side, unlike the front, contains quite a lot of elements. These are mostly ports.

Next to the connector for connecting the power supply, there is a group of four outputs, these are just ports for transmitting the HDMI signal over a twisted pair (from category 5 and higher) with a standard RJ-45 connectors. A separate output connector located nearby can be used when cascading and signal level adjustment is required. Two HDMI ports-input and output, the purpose of the input is clear, and the output is needed in case the LevelOne HVE-7004 occupies the only port of the player, and you need to connect a display device standing next to the source. Finally, the "EQ" control is used to adjust the signal gain. this unusual equalizer allows you to expertly adjust the LevelOne HVE-7004 so that the image on the screen is the best.

The model specifications are as follows:

• 4-port HDMI transmitter
• 1 HDMI input port
• 4 RJ-45 output ports
• 1 RJ-45 output port for cascading
• cascading - up to 2 levels
• 1 HDMI output port for local display
• HD resolution from 480p to 1080p
• cable length up to 30m for 1080p, up to 80m for 480p
• supported signal type-HDMI 1.2, DVI 1.0
• dimensions-240x130x44 mm
• the recommended cable type is Cat.5 (recommended).6 or Cat. 7)

according to the characteristics, it is clear that the range is quite high, it remains to figure out how convenient it is to work with LevelOne HVE-7004.

Connection and using

In fact, LevelOne HVE-7004 is very similar to an ordinary network hub for Ethernet, only it works in one direction - it "forks" the incoming signal. Podkluchenie Ms. setup are that you need to apply power, plug in the HDMI input and the desired number displays via RJ-45 ports, which this model has 4 pieces (the lineup is still LevelOne HVE-7008 with eight ports, four if small). The main thing to take into account is that the manufacturer does not guarantee to work in the maximum resolution at the maximum range. A range of up to 30 meters is provided for a 1080p signal, and a 480p signal is guaranteed to be transmitted at 80 meters. Intermediate modes, such as 720p or 1080i, have a range of up to 60 meters. However, there is still a dependence on the cable used, these are the numbers for the fifth category twisted pair, if you use Cat.6 or Cat. 7, you can achieve good transmission over long distances, or, if the range is quite prohibitive, use cascading, i.e. put another LevelOne HVE-7004 halfway. In addition, depending on the distance, you should also choose a signal receiver (an adapter from RJ-45 back to HDMI). We used the included LevelOne HVE-6000 receiver. it is compact, convenient and inexpensive, provides a reliable connection with a cable length of up to 25 meters, but, in principle, it can work normally even with a slightly longer line length. If you need to use more than one output port on the LevelOne HVE-7004, you should purchase additional receivers, they are delivered in individual boxes, designed in the same style as the transmitters.

The receivers look simple and very compact.

Well, for long distances and high resolution of the transmitted signal, LevelOne VE-7000 receivers are provided, these are devices in metal cases that look similar to transmitters. For most applications, miniature receivers will still be enough; for an apartment or individual cottage, a cable longer than 25-30 meters will not be required.

So, working with LevelOne HAVE-7004 is reduced to connecting the signal source and connecting the transmitter and receiver with an ordinary Ethernet cable, which is included in the HDMI port of the TV, projector or receiver. As a result, we get HD video transmission with sound over a long distance, as well as a high-quality splitter that "distributes" the signal to 4 devices. Unlike analog devices, the LevelOne HVE-7004 provides consistently high signal quality regardless of the number of outputs involved.

Conclusions

Although there are still doubts about whether LevelOne HVE-7004 belongs to the professional or user category, conclusions can be drawn. First, it is an excellent solution for transmitting HD signal to multiple displays at once. This is convenient for smart home systems or simply if you want to watch high-quality video in the kitchen, but are not ready to buy a second rather expensive Blu-ray player or media server. Also, 4 ports are very useful when organizing presentations or advertising demonstrations on multiple displays at the same time.

Secondly, if the signal source and display must be installed at a considerable distance from each other, then a transmitter such as LevelOne HVE-7004 is simply irreplaceable. For HDMI, a significant distance starts from 3 meters, it is scary to imagine a chain of receivers placed every 3 meters between the signal source and the display. Even if we just talk about buying an HDMI cable of this length, you should keep in mind the price: a cable of a decent brand and decent quality usually costs at least 1500R for 2-3 meters. Indecent ones may be cheaper, but they have much worse quality, which is unacceptable for long distances. If you calculate it, it turns out 15000r for cables for a range of 30 meters, but we turned a blind eye to the problem of connecting them and the terrible loss of quality. About 80 meters and not worth talking about, without a transmitter and receiver like LevelOne HVE series at such distances to do just nothing.

Eugene Volnov

20/10.2008