A Video Balun is a good choice for long cable runs. Coaxial (RG59) cable is usually the best medium for transmitting video, however, video traveling on RG59 is limited to about 600' before video quality degrades. Video Baluns allow signal to travel over Cat5E for several thousand feet. Additionally, Cat5E cable is less expensive and easier to pull.

There are 2 types of Video Baluns, passive and active. Passive video Baluns are good up to 1,000 -1,200 Ft. Active Video Balun transceivers can extend the range to 4,000 feet, but they require power (12 V DC).

Another advantage of transmitting video over Cat5 cable is that you have multiple pairs of wires. Typically you have 4 pairs of 22 gauge wire in a Cat5E cable, so you can use one Cat5E cable for 4 security cameras.