Blue Iris - video signal to televisions - how to

saltwater

saltwater

Getting comfortable
Oct 6, 2019
503
643
Melbourne, Australia
What is the best way to run a video signal from a Blue Iris computer to spare HDMI ports of televisions in other rooms? In my rooms I have a coax point and multiple ethernet points available. Some coax points are used for free-to-air television.

What components would I need, and would there be a limit to the number of destination TVs?
 
As an eBay Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.
  • Like
Reactions: TonyR and saltwater
+1^^.
@saltwater , keep in mind though that the above extender is to be used on a "dry" length of CAT-5e cable, that runs directly between the transmitter and the receiver, with no LAN or network involved. In other words, these are not IP-based network devices.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Valiant, saltwater and Broachoski
If you are running to multiple locations, you'll need an HDMI D/A (distribution amp) to send the same HDMI signal to x-number of displays. They typically come in 1-2,4,8, etc varieties.
For the extension, the above mentioned HDMI CATx extenders work great. LOTs of these readily available, and use a point-to-point CAT cable between the Tx & Rx.
There are also active HDMI cables (fiber based) which can get you up to 100'+ from source to display.
More $$ HDMI distribution involves network based encoders & decoders, probably outside your plans.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saltwater and Broachoski
simonx314 said:
Raspberry Pi that displays UI3. You can configure the Pi to open UI3 full screen on startup so it works as a nice little dedicated Blue Iris viewer. I power my Pi 3 with a PoE to USB adapter to cut down on wiring.
Click to expand...
The Pi's are a small footprint, and can be easily tucked behind the TV. You'll connect it via an HDMI port.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saltwater
Amazon Firesticks here running UI3. Actually only a couple Firesticks I think and the rest full on FireTV's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saltwater
simonx314 said:
Raspberry Pi that displays UI3. You can configure the Pi to open UI3 full screen on startup so it works as a nice little dedicated Blue Iris viewer. I power my Pi 3 with a PoE to USB adapter to cut down on wiring.
Click to expand...
SpacemanSpiff said:
The Pi's are a small footprint, and can be easily tucked behind the TV. You'll connect it via an HDMI port.
Click to expand...

I've only heard of Rasberry Pi's, not had the pleasure of working with them, yet. It sounds like I might have a project on my hands. Is there a site anyone could point me to for 'Raspberry Pi 101', you know, the step-by-step guide to getting started? I dabbled in Linux many years ago but couldn't transition away from Windows.
 
bradner said:
Amazon Firesticks here running UI3. Actually only a couple Firesticks I think and the rest full on FireTV's.
Click to expand...

I had a quick read-up on Amazon Firesticks, like Raspberry Pi, only heard of them, never used them. Using the Firestick, is it exactly the same as if operating from a phone, that is, change to different cameras etc.? Or, does the Firestick hook into the Web version of Blue Iris and then also have the ability to change camera groups and playback clips etc.?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Timer
You can modulate it to RF and run it into all of your TV's on the coax probably left when you canceled your direct tv.

A little expencive, but I have 3 channels of stuff I can flip between all over the house.

Hdmi to Rf Modulator, HD and HDMI to Coax

Unit has 1-4 HDMI video inputs and coverts it to TV channle for coax distribution
thorbroadcast.com thorbroadcast.com

They have added a new one I have not tried,

Petit HDMI RF Modulator - Professional Digital Coax QAM ATSC Modulator

This Modulator is an All In One Device Integrating HD MPEG2 encoding with AC3 Dolby Audio and Closed Captioning Input. Device Converts HD Audio and Video signals from any device into DVB-C/T / ATSC / ISDB-T RF Output. This Unit is a Digital HDMI Encoder and RF CATV ATSC Modulator with Closed...
thorbroadcast.com thorbroadcast.com

But looks like it should work fine.
 
Old Timer said:
You can modulate it to RF and run it into all of your TV's on the coax probably left when you canceled your direct tv.

A little expencive, but I have 3 channels of stuff I can flip between all over the house.

Hdmi to Rf Modulator, HD and HDMI to Coax

Unit has 1-4 HDMI video inputs and coverts it to TV channle for coax distribution
thorbroadcast.com thorbroadcast.com

They have added a new one I have not tried,

Petit HDMI RF Modulator - Professional Digital Coax QAM ATSC Modulator

This Modulator is an All In One Device Integrating HD MPEG2 encoding with AC3 Dolby Audio and Closed Captioning Input. Device Converts HD Audio and Video signals from any device into DVB-C/T / ATSC / ISDB-T RF Output. This Unit is a Digital HDMI Encoder and RF CATV ATSC Modulator with Closed...
thorbroadcast.com thorbroadcast.com

But looks like it should work fine.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I checked out the new one, your second link, and now I'm confused. I have an incoming coax (well, it's incoming Fibre, that gets split to ethernet and coax), and that coax, inputs into a 4-way splitter, and 4 coax cables go to different rooms/televisions. The coax cables supply the Free-to-air television. If I understand correctly, the device you linked me to, the incoming coax plugs directly into that device and then the out-going coax then connects to my 4-way splitter. It wasn't overly clear how to get the Blue Iris stream into the coax. Once setup, normal Free-to-air television, I assume, still works and the Blue Iris is assigned to a TV channel?

You're right, they're not cheap. In each room, at the faceplates, I have one coax point and 2 - 3 Ethernet points.
 
saltwater said:
I had a quick read-up on Amazon Firesticks, like Raspberry Pi, only heard of them, never used them. Using the Firestick, is it exactly the same as if operating from a phone, that is, change to different cameras etc.? Or, does the Firestick hook into the Web version of Blue Iris and then also have the ability to change camera groups and playback clips etc.?
Click to expand...

I use the FireSticks for running the UI3 interface only so others in the household can view the cams from different rooms. I have different groups set up in BI so I can have different sets of cams up on the different FireSticks. Since they can use wifi, it's just plug in and play generally. I think it would be clunky to use the UI3 with a Firestick to playback vids... as the remote for it is quite basic to move the cursor around.
 
saltwater said:
Interesting. I checked out the new one, your second link, and now I'm confused. I have an incoming coax (well, it's incoming Fibre, that gets split to ethernet and coax), and that coax, inputs into a 4-way splitter, and 4 coax cables go to different rooms/televisions. The coax cables supply the Free-to-air television. If I understand correctly, the device you linked me to, the incoming coax plugs directly into that device and then the out-going coax then connects to my 4-way splitter. It wasn't overly clear how to get the Blue Iris stream into the coax. Once setup, normal Free-to-air television, I assume, still works and the Blue Iris is assigned to a TV channel?

You're right, they're not cheap. In each room, at the faceplates, I have one coax point and 2 - 3 Ethernet points.
Click to expand...

The modulator has a HDMI input on it, so you run the HDMI from the BI computer to the modulator.

The output from the modulator goes to the 4 way splitter. If you have a spare output, you can usually add it there.
I have added it in line at one of the TV's and it worked fine.

You will have to pick a channel to put the modulator on, make sure it is not used anywhere around, or you will lose the FTA channel
and can have interference on the modulator channel.

I might add, this modulator outputs the ATSC standard that is used in the US, so if you use a different modulation scheme, you will have to make sure the modulator will output it.

Broadcast television systems - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Digital terrestrial television in Australia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

If you are using the DVB-T scheme, look at the HiDes modulators, they are cheaper also.

HiDes, Inc.

hides.com.tw hides.com.tw
 
Last edited:
saltwater said:
What is the best way to run a video signal from a Blue Iris computer to spare HDMI ports of televisions in other rooms? In my rooms I have a coax point and multiple ethernet points available. Some coax points are used for free-to-air television.

What components would I need, and would there be a limit to the number of destination TVs?
Click to expand...

I've been using a TiVo Stream 4k streamer, that i picked up from walmart for $10 on clearance, utilizing the BI UI3 interface. It has been solid for over 6 months. Followed instructions to de-TiVo the stream stick, which removes all of the ads. Loaded TV-Bro from the google play store and set the homepage to be the Blue iris UI3 server. Set TV-Bro to load automatically when the stick powers on, so it is seamless if power is lost.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom