Hey guys,

I am willing to setup the multi PS3 system (4 cameras) but I don't have enough space on my house, so I have to use the motion capture system on another building. The issue here is that usb cables don't reach 30-50m (at least I wasn't able to find anything more than 10) and if I combine them it will end up very messy and expensive, especially when x4.

After I searched a bit I found this product: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0047IMDZ6

So, will the following setup work?

4 PS3 Eye cameras -> 4 small usb 2.0 cables -> usb to Gigabit Ethernet hub -> 30 or 50m cat 5e Ethernet cable -> Gigabit network switch -> my pc with Gigabit Ethernet port

This (theoretically speaking) should work because Gigabit Ethernet is 125MB/s when usb is 60MB/s. The 4 camera setup requires 2 usb controllers, so 60MB/s+60MB/s = 120MB/s.

Can someone who is sure please confirm if this will work or not?

Also the usb cables on this setup need to be active or passive?

No, this won't work, at least without building special support into the software.
Why do such big lengths appear? You cannot move your PC to another building close to the cameras? Maybe try to find some suitable laptop?

Thank you very much for the speedy reply!

You are right, I can move the PC but I want to avoid moving every time it if possible.

I have a laptop but it's not that fast:

CPU: Core 2 Duo T7500
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS
RAM: 2GB

Are those specs enough for recording using 4 cameras @ 60fps?

If not, can you please tell me, is there is any way to connect my PC with the cameras at 30-50m distance without using many active usb extensions?

You do not need very powerful laptop for recording. Just try with your laptop, and see whether you get any issues.
Mostly the problems with laptops include:

• Insufficient number of USB controllers/bandwidth. But for 4 cams you'll need only 2 controllers. Modern laptops usually have them built-in mapped to different ports. If not, you will need external ExpressCard USB controller.
• Small number of USB ports - you can just use USB hub for extending this number. (In case you have enough USB controllers/bandwidth)
• Slow HDD. You can upgrade your storage (eg 5400rpm => 7200rpm, or 7200rpm => SSD). Before that, you can play with compression options to find appropriate balance between CPU and HDD speed.

OK, I will give it a try! Thank you very much for your help!