Kinect V2 extension

Woland

had to buy this extensive repeater:

Just throwing in that I have successfully extended Kinects over Cat6 (you don't *need* fiber). Just don't go for the cheap ones because with those you really get what you pay for.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...

Fred

for a Kinect V2 with USB 3 there is no way to do it with a cat system. Kinect 1 is USB 2 and the cheaper systems can be used. I have one of these sets and use it with the first Kinect regularly, but for this project I need to use a Kinect v2. The firenex system is one of 2 I know of that work with the Kinect 2.

Woland

@fred

Even USB 3 extenders don't work?

Fred

@woland to get enough bandwidth for the Kinect, or any full bandwidth USB 3.0 device fibre is the only way, and only a small number of USB 3 extension systems have low enough latency to work with the Kinect 2

So no cat systems and options are limited and expensive. There are a few 10m cables with fibre transceivers built in, some can be chained but they are still very expensive and problematic, if the cable is damaged the transceivers have to be thrown out. The separate fibre trancievers that run over a multi or single mode fibre cable (the cable is cheap) are the way to go. They are about €1000 a set with no cable.

mark_m

@woland said:

Even USB 3 extenders don't work?

They do... but only up to about 5 metres.

dritter

I have been using this combination of cables to provide a 20.5 m cable for a Kinect v1 with no problems:

6m: Kinect builtin cable

4.5m: NYKO kinect extension ($10 USD)
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NYKO-E...

10m: USB Blue Rigger ($19 CAD)
https://www.amazon.ca/BlueRigg...

I have three sets of these cables to connect three Kinects to two 2015 MacBook Pros running NI-mate.

Don

Maximortal

extend a kinect 2 is a pain in the ass and very expensive. When I have to do it ( if a really have ) I use another computer closer than the one in control booth (usually I place i behind a wing) then I send data/video through a cat6 cable to control booth (osc do not need a cat 6 but video yes) using spout to ndi or tcp syphon (but some time even in a gigabit lan we got some drops)

an pretty small and cheap pc can handle a kinect 2 (around 600 € and with a very small case)

Fred

@maximortal so it looks like @mickey has not been active for 2 years, does anyone know who this is? Anyone have another contact?

Michel

@fred

I sent you a PM.

Best Michel

axelartes

15ft cable works fine for Kinect V2 !!

but how can I extend up to 100 feet?
I tried using a USB extender cable and it does not work.

it looks like I need to place a separate computer on stage and send the video signal from Freds App
to the other computer on the control booth 100 feet away from the stage
how do I send the image from Freds App from one computer to the other?

Thanks

DusX

@axelacs said:

I need to place a separate computer on stage and send the video signal

I don't know Fred app, but if you have multiple computers, if you run a Windows machine on the stage, you could use my app (Kinect2share). It will allow you to send the video via NDI, and skeleton data via OSC, so all you need between the computers is a fast router.

Fred

@axelacs You have a few options, I have had good luck with full speed optical USB 3.0 extensions (I have used them extensively with the kinectV2 adn kinect Azure with no issues).

I got them from Ali express - it is a risk, but paid off, the seller I chatted with offered a refund if they did not work. They were something like this:

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1...

There are also USB 3.0 over fibre systems. This is expensive but works perfectly:

https://www.icron.com/products...

I haven't tested tisone, but have used their smaller product (https://www.lindy.com.au/30m-f...):

https://www.lindy.com.au/350m-...

This also seems like it would likely work (and as this is ebay there are probably other much cheaper suppliers).

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/27...

Armando

@fred said:

got them from Ali express - it is a risk, but paid off, the seller I chatted with offered a refund if they did not work. They were something like this:https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1...

Thanks Fred, always very good references ! What length did you buy ?

Fred

@armando I have 30m cables, but the seller was really confident thier 50m was also up to the task. The cheap fiber extension systems were not available when I did this, I would have prefered to get these if they were around. They are still expensive but I like the idea of being able to replace a cable, or better yet adding fibre cables to the rider and having them provided by a rental company for a show so I dont have to bring cables at all.

Armando

@fred Thanks !