Review twisted pair HDMI extender Lenkeng LKV375N
We had another twisted-pair HDMI extender up to 230 feet for testing - Lenkeng LKV375N. This is an inexpensive extender that works on HDBaseT technology. This means it is interchangeable with equipment from other manufacturers that work on the same chips
Main Features
The Lenkeng LKV375N is a ready-to-use kit for transmitting HDMI signals with up to 4K@30Hz resolution over a twisted pair at a distance of up to 230 feet. Additional features include additional IR signal transmission in both directions.
External view
The set is packaged in a gray package. Such packaging is found in almost all professional devices. This emphasizes that "wrapping doesn’t matter, but the content does".
If you open the box, you will immediately see the transmitter, receiver, and instructions. The rest of the accessories (power supply unit, IR transmitter, and IR receiver) are located under the black blister.
The transmitter and receiver are of average size for such devices and are made of quality metal.
There are a lot of vents in the housing of the devices, which seem to hint at increased heat dissipation. We will test this during the testing. There are also threaded holes on the sides of the housing. They may be used for additional mounting ears which we did not find in the kit. Moreover, there is not a single word about it in the manual. Still, we consider it to be a useful feature for fastening the box to various surfaces.
The kit also includes an IR transmitter and an IR receiver for remote control of either a display device or a video source. Remember that the kit has two-way transmission of the IR signal. Of the disadvantages, note that the double-sided adhesive tape is supplied separately and not already glued to its seats. But this is not a significant drawback.
After removing the cover, we found a rather large radiator on the main chip. Now it is clear why there are so many holes in the housing – they provide for better heat dissipation. You can also note the slightly skewed adhesion of the radiator to the chip. This does not affect its capabilities but should be noted as a fact.
Otherwise, there is no question about the quality of soldering - all is neat and high quality.
Performance testing
When connecting we use our test cable twisted pair CAT6 230 feet. Initially, we feed the image at 1080p at 60Hz. The set is up and running. The video was transmitted with no visible delay and no degradation in quality.
As the next step, we decided to test the claimed 4K video transmission at 30 Hz at a distance of 115 feet, which the manufacturer claims in the manual. Initially, we purposely set the frequency to 60 Hz. As expected, the video did not transfer. When we changed the frequency to 30 Hz it worked. There is not enough bandwidth to transmit more frames.
Conclusion
At first glance, the tested set showed the usual results, as the declared characteristics were shown during the test. But mind one significant thing - the price. The transmitter and receiver kit is cheaper than many other manufacturers' HDBaseT transmitters or receivers sold separately. If it's the transmitter and receiver kit you need, it would be a good choice in terms of price.
