CEDIA 2015

The one thing that nearly every home in the country has been wired with is good o’le RG6 coax cable. This is traditionally used for off-air antenna, cable TV or satellite video distribution, but now the smart guys at Metra Home Theater Group have introduced the M3B Metra Multimedia Broadcast system to utilize this existing cabling to create a low cost, incredibly scalable HDMI matrix distribution system.

The system features two parts, transmitter and receiver. Each RF TX transmitter is addressed as a “channel” from 00-99, with one transmitter per source device, meaning there can be a maximum of 100 sources on a system. The system can support an unlimited number of RF RX receivers, with one placed at each display location. So from a matrix standpoint the system is basically 100 x infinity!

Ideally the transmitters are located at the head-end of the existing RG6 coax cable home run, and the transmitters are added to the distribution system using simple, inexpensive splitters. The transmitters accept HDMI signals in and transmit the 1080p video over the coax lines up to 700 meters, or over 2300 feet in America-speak. The receiver includes an IR target to select which input—or channel—to view at that location, but the selection process can easily be incorporated as part of a control system.

The RF TX transmitters will retail for $309.99 and the RF RX receiver for $349.99 and are expected to ship the second week of November.