Opticis Spider OVD18 DVI distributor

Just the other day, a distributor of these fine Opticis products, brought this down to the office for a demonstration. I liked what I saw and for the price, it sure beats any offerings Extron can make. For those of you reading this and do not know what it is, this Opticis OVD18 Distributor makes one (1) digital DVI video source split into eight (8) DVI displays, respectively without any signal loss or digital noise. Also, HDMI source and displays are compatible by using HDMI-DVI cable.  Th only thing I have an issue with is the 5V power supply. That is pretty proprietary and you would be hard-pressed to find a compatible supply in the sea of 12V power supplies I have at my disposal. But all the same, as I said, the price cannot be beat and so I am going to place an order for some of these.

Different types of DVI connectors

I bet many of you guys are just as confused as I was about the different types of DVI connectors. After all, when a client asks you for a DVI-D cable and specifically not a DVI-I cable.

Huh?

Yep. It happens. One can easily get confused, until you see the chart above. I had this issue and now, after studying it, I am less confused and more informed. Check it and next time when you buy such cable, you will know the differences between the various types of DVI connections

Gefen DVI-FM500 Extender

I have had to replace these Gefen extenders at two of my clients’ places. Apparently, the AC adapter that powers them, being the switch-mode type, when they break down, that is it. But one of my client’s place had the transmitter powered by a dongle connected to the DP port of the PC so it gets its power from there, without the need of an external adapter. When I got back to the office, I decided to research these adapters and what they have to offer.

Apparently, these extenders let you extend a DVI source up to 5,000 feet away using a fiber optic extension solution. These DVI-to-fiber modules connect to each other via just two LC fiber optic cable strands. The on the fly EDID programming feature enables quick and correct synchronization of the video resolution to the display without any manual configuration. And that is a fact because they just work. Features-wise:

• Extends DVI up to 5,000 feet (1500 meters) using single-mode(8/125 µm or 9/125 µm) fiber cable
• Extends DVI up to 1,500 feet (450 meters) using multi-mode (50 µm or 62.5 µm) fiber cable
• Supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1200
• Supports DDWG standard for DVI-compliant monitors
• EDID Programming feature enables quick and correct sync of source to display
• Fully supports DVI 1.0 and DDC2B via virtual DDC
• Supports both singlemode and multimode fiber optic cable types
• Fiber cable provides immunity from electromagnetic interference (EMI)

One can read up about these rather handy adapters via their webpage. They are pretty pricey though but they are worth the money

Atlona AT-DVI15SRS passive extender

A few days back, I was at a client’s office repairing a video conferencing system.Upon opening the video conferencing system, I saw that they used these passive extenders in the system. This is the first time I have come across such extenders and I must say that I was pretty intrigued with them. I had never heard of them before, much less the name Atlona, who make these lovely gadgets. So when I got back to the office, I did some research on them and this is what is available on the website:

The Atlona AT-DVI15SRS is a perfect solution for those who need to extend DVI signal over long distance, over single cat5 or cat6. The Atlona DVI Extenders can handle any resolution up to 1280×1024 at up to 100ft and 1920×1200 up to 50ft (Sender/Receiver Included).

Very interesting indeed. It says that these passive extenders can transmit over a long distance, to a maximum of 100 feet. So it makes me wonder…why do we need all these powered extenders for? Then the penny dropped. Those extenders are bulky and in order to fit in the case or chassis of the video conferencing unit, they had to be small…and that is what these babies are…small.

• Video Bandwidth: 1.65 Gbps (DVI 1.1)
• Resolutions: 1920×1200 (up to 50ft ) and 1280×1024 (up to 100ft)
• Input TMDS signal: 1.2 volts (peak-to-peak)
• Input DDC signal: 5 volts (peak-to-peak)
• DVI Connector: DVI-D (Digital Only)
• RJ-45 Connector: 2 indication LEDs
• Dimensions: 50mm x 40mm x 20mm / 2”x1.6”x0.8” (L x W x H)
• Weight: 0.1lb each unit

These are the specifications of these things. Apparently, they can transmit video quality up to 1920×1200 up to 50ft and up to 1280×1024 up to 100ft. So there is a limitation as far as distance is concerned. But I was impressed by it. They are small and I think I should have a couple of these in my inventory.

ATEN DVI cables

I have done a few installs with these ATEN DVI cables and I have found them to be of excellent quality. They do the job, are plenty thick enough for complex signals, and fit the necessary DVI connectors I have snugly. I have bought a few other brands of DVI cables but they cannot compare…honestly. These DVI cables just ooze quality. So next time you are looking for good quaality DVI cables, ask for ATEN ones and you will not go wrong

DVI to VGA converter

I have had to use several of them to hook up older monitors to my computer using these cables. Sometimes, people just do not want to upgrade for the sake of upgrading, choosing to use their old monitors instead. This should help them immensely as newer desktops come with DVI outputs.