Here is the next email:
Your HDMI cable will not get you 1080p. Any HDMI cable over about 10 feet will start having problems with 1080p. The HDMI baluns can do this up to 75 feet with cat 5 cable.
The blu-ray player has a wifi card built in for downloading updates. Blu-rays keep changing their security which requires the players to be updated regularly to keep up so the discs can be played. This has been a real problem for a while now. This feature is more important than Netflix and other online media.
I am out of room on budget. The reduction in equipment does not make the labor any less. We still have the same amount of work to do. If we get done quicker I will be happy to reduce the labor charge. Have a great day.
I think someone already said I won't have problems with 30' of HDMI, right?
He wants me to buy the $400 blu ray player for updates?
I wouldn't call it fibbing, exactly. I suspect he's trying to simplify his explanation, and doesn't want to take the time to explain all the details.
Cat6 cables+baluns are much easier to manage physically than long HDMI cables. i.e. significantly less installation time is needed. (see below)
Less expensive players certainly are available these days which allow firmware updates over the network along with movie downloads from NetFlix and Pandora, but most don't have WiFi support and would require a cable to be run to your router. Also, their manufacturers have made compromises in their physical construction in order to keep their costs down. If you want to watch many movies on disc, you need a player that can stand up to a lot of use.
As I wrote previously, if the installer is willing to fix problems at no additional charge, that can be worth a lot, even if the hardware choices aren't as cheap as you might like.
Some background info on cables:
Fighting with HDMI cable configurations has wasted a lot of time for many people. Too often cables that should work don't.
Getting a long HDMI cable with adequate quality to carry 1080p/60 reliably often can be a problem. They have to be certified Category 2. Long HDMI cables also usually require an external HDMI signal booster, which does more than just amplify the signal, and costs about as much as the "balun" your installer is recommending.
In order to have the bandwidth necessary to pass Category 2 certification, long HDMI cables have to be significantly thicker (and thus stiffer) than short HDMI cables. They have to use 22 gauge or even 20 gauge wires internally. This stiffness can cause problems with the connections. They need to have adequate external strain relief to prevent them from unplugging themselves due to the weight of the cable. Pulling the cables through a conduit can be a serious issue, too.
FWIW. I'm using a 15 meter (50 ft) AudioQuest X series HDMI cable between my pre/pro and the projector. It works fine for me, but the projector includes builtin regeneration for HDMI signals: it has a separate service menu setting for cables which are longer than 15 meters. My impression is that most projectors don't have this. Also, the cable is run around the interior of the room and not in a conduit.
However, I've had to make compromises to make the system work reliably. For example, I configured the BD player to always output 1080p/60, even for 24fps movies. Switching framerates tended to cause loss of sync, often resulting in the projector shutting down.
