So I have a question. Most of my installs I run non shielded Cat6 for HDMI baluns and I have no issues. If it's Crestron we run the DM wire which is shielded. One of our other guys runs shielded Cat6 for HDMI baluns. The shielded is a lot harder to deal with and terminate. So my question is there any real difference in this application because both seem to work fine?

There were some HDMI over CAT products a couple of years ago where they used the shield as the actual ground conductor, so no shield, no signal.

You've hit the nail on the head with this installation, if you are correct with "work fine." It would be really nice to refine and define "seem to." But the real question is, if you don't use shielded cable now, are you and your client screwed when the next evolution of signal technology comes along? I hate dealing with CAT6, but several years ago I hated dealing with CAT5, so that ends up meaning nothing in the long run.*

I've been amazed at the huge percentage of applications where shields are not needed! I'm working on a flip right now and today I noticed a camera 100 feet from the DVR, wired with CAT6 with no spline, or maybe really tight CAT (the twists per inch were much greater than with CAT5). 100 feet with no shield? Amazing.



*And as John Maynard Keynes once said, when asked about market strategies in the long run, "in the long run, we're all dead."** That's a recommendation to take care of now right now and not stop doing now because the future is coming.


**For insight on that quote, see [Link: simontaylorsblog.com]

I haven't noticed any issues since HDBaseT became widespread. But before that... YES, shielded cable made a big difference with EMI problems.
A lot of manufactures still like you to use shielded cable with HDBaseT but I just haven't seen that issue yet with them.
When 18g 4K extenders for Category cable become available, we might see it again as a much needed item.
Just like in the other thread recently, the gentleman corrected me on the fact that Crestron DM can do 18g 4K over cat (and their cat is shielded).

If it's a prewire question were a video display is involved, where one of the cat cables is going to be used for the main video - then absolutely put in the best cat6A shielded you can find.

You run shielded category wire in order to deal with both EMI and inductance issues. If you recall the occasional complaint that there would be mysterious dropouts on HDMI it was due to motors inducing voltage from as much as 30 feet away. As for termination issues, I still think the best solution is to use shielded keystones and pre-made manufactured patch cables.

Alan

Not only motors but I have seen similar behavior from dimmable LED can lights that are on dimmers that ramp on and off.

And yeah, terminating shielded is a bit of a pain.

It may be a little pain in the ass but we only run shielded for Video period. Have never experienced drop out or any other issues.

Same for me.  I have been running STP for at least 4-5 years for video.  Like others have mentioned I've also had good luck with HDBT running over UTP wire when it's already been installed but the extra cost and difficulty terminating STP is really insignificant when running new wiring and is good insurance.

I run a cat6 and a shielded to a video display/local source. I don't mind terminating shielded ends. Once you get the hang of it, it's only adding a few more seconds to the termination. And the cost difference is miniscule in comparison to a truck roll on a dropout. Never had a customer complain about the cost either. If I have to do a keystone, I have used something like these. I had a DM project once that required a local laptop dock at a desk that needed the ability to have the entire desk disconnected at the floor box. I terminated the DM and used one of those and havent had a single issue. Since then, I've used them behind displays without issue also (non DM, non 4k so far, FWIW)