On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 7:23 AM, Dan Roganti via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 2:04 AM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Thinking aloud: I found out that very long USB cables are quite cheap, for example 50 feet for $17. It would be easy to have such a cable go from the TVs through the attic and drop down near our office PC. Then we could easily change the content, or attach them to R.Pi boxes, or whatever.
Had another idea! We know the TVs can read directly from USB sticks, but can they read from a PC connected by USB? If so, and if the TV's software lets you navigate folders, then we can attach them via long cables to a server, choose files through the TV remotes, and it's done! Dean is our docent next Saturday. Dean: I sent you a private message with some experiment instructions.
the maximum reliable length of usb cable [passive] is 5m(~15ft) I suppose you mean you're getting a roll of cable with the active repeater built-in on the one end Dan
Thanks, Dan, for mentioning the length limit for USB. Another option is USB over Ethernet. I bought a pair of adapters for my office so I could use a mounse and keyboard in a conference room for a PC that was in the server room. That particular set was about $300, but this one http://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6042 is a lot cheaper, however I have no experience how well the cheap one works. Chris