Paul on Call: The Cable you need to deliver your best Video

Paul Wood oversees technical support for sermon.net and is available to help your church better use the platform to reach beyond your church community and grow.

When you need a long cable run (100’+) for a camera or video source, SDI is your best solution. An SDI (or Serial Digital Interface) is a digital video interface that is used for the transmission of uncompressed, unencrypted digital video signals for professional video equipment. It carries uncompressed digital video and 16 channels of PCM audio for up to 300’ feet or more without needing a repeater, delivering your video with nearly zero delay. 

SDI works from your camera to the switcher then switcher to projector or to a TV. Though not cheap, I recommend using RG6 – Quad Shield Coax for the best value (This is the same type of coax cable used with cable or satellite tv).

I suggest an electrician run this cable for more permanent setups unless you have the installation tools and knowledge to do it yourself.

Either way, be sure to use BNC connections (I recommend Klein Brand connectors for best results).

If your camera does not have SDI, you can still use it by having an HDMI to SDI converter on the transmitter side then SDI to HDMI converter on the receiver have 

Pros:

• Long cable runs
• High value to cost
• Solid picture
• Easily repairable
• Runs longer with a better picture than HDMI 

Cons:

• Need special tools to install or professional installation
• Consumer and prosumer video devices typically do not natively support SDI so additional purchase of converter boxes needed
• SDI can be very limited in which resolutions it supports, especially SD resolutions

Links:
• RG6 Quad Shield Coax
• Klein BNC Ends