Long HDMI cables can be useful for connecting digital signage to a home cinema system, among other things. But is there a maximum length for an HDMI cable? Here is all the information you require.
What Makes an HDMI Cable Longer Important?
The most popular display interface in use today is HDMI, or High Definition Multimedia Interface. From televisions to monitors to electronic art, it is employed in everything. Both audio and video signals may be sent from one device to another using a single HDMI connection.
The market offers HDMI cables in a variety of sizes. While some are several metres long, some are just a foot long. However, there is no such thing as a maximum length for an HDMI cable. The official HDMI specification makes no recommendations about cable length. An HDMI cable can be any size as long as it satisfies the performance requirements and properly transmits the signal from one end to the other.
However, HDMI cables must abide by the laws of physics, just like any other object. Therefore, resistance is encountered by every digital signal moving over an HDMI connection. The substance of the conductor in the cable and its gauge are the two most crucial variables that affect resistance level.
An HDMI cable may only reach a set length before the signal starts to deteriorate, resulting in artefacts in the output of the video or audio, depending on the conductor and gauge of the cable. However, a good company won’t provide cables that are lengthy enough to cause those issues.
Maximum HDMI Cable Length
The HDMI standard doesn’t specify a cable length, as was already noted. But the group in charge of marketing and licencing HDMI technology, the HDMI Licensing Administrator, points out that preliminary results from the Ultra High Speed (UHS) Cable Program show that passive UHS HDMI cables can be up to five metres long. A conventional HDMI cable with HDMI ports on both ends and insulated copper wiring connecting them is known as a passive HDMI cable.
For those without prior knowledge, the UHS cable is the most recent and only kind of HDMI cable that satisfies the criteria to guarantee complete compatibility with all of HDMI 2.1a’s capabilities. Therefore, a UHS HDMI cable is the way to go if you’re wanting to get an HDMI cable now and want to be future-proof.
While the comparatively more recent Premium High Speed HDMI cables (HDMI 2.0) are typically restricted to 25 feet, the previous generation passive HDMI cables, such as Standard HDMI (HDMI 1.0/1.1/1.2) and High Speed HDMI (HDMI 1.3/1.4), can be as long as 49 feet.
HDMI cables that are optical and active
HDMI cables that are active or optical can be longer than passive HDMI cables. Because active cables employ electronic circuits to amplify the signal and correct for any signal deterioration, they are able to do this.
On the other hand, optical cables transmit data from one end to the other using light rather than electricity. Compared to an electrical signal moving over copper lines, the light-based signal is less susceptible to deterioration. The cost of an optical cable will often be more than that of an active cable, though.
The length of an active or optical HDMI cable can range from a few dozen to 100 feet, depending on the HDMI version. You will need to use HDMI cable extenders if you want even more length than a single active or optical HDMI cable can provide.
Numerous Choices for a Long HDMI Cable
As you can see, there are more variables than you may think when determining the maximum length for an HDMI cable. Fortunately, you may choose between passive, active, or optical HDMI cables to select a cable that will work for you. And you can always use an extension if you need something even longer.
In order to find the highest-quality cables, stay with trusted companies and search for the official certification. For instance, the HDMI Licensing Administrator has certified both Premium High Speed and Ultra High Speed HDMI cables. By receiving certification, the cable will be confirmed to have the specifications needed to handle the functionality provided by its HDMI generation.
